Colorado Gold Placer Claims Arkansas Headwater Fremont County Exploration Plan

The "Gold Tom" Placer Claim — 59 acres on the Arkansas River in Cotopaxi, Fremont County, Colorado.

Own a piece of Colorado gold-rush history. This 59-acre placer claim sits in the historic Arkansas River–Cotopaxi mining district, on the headwaters stretch of the Arkansas River — one of the most scenic river corridors in the state. Offered as recreational property with genuine gold-exploration potential, it's a rare opportunity for prospectors, weekend panners, and anyone who wants their own slice of the Rockies.

Named for the prospector who named the town

The town of Cotopaxi owes its name to Henry Thomas — known to history as "Gold Tom" — one of the area's earliest prospectors. After mining his way from the California gold fields to South America and back, he settled the valley in the 1870s and staked the district's first claims. Gold seekers had been panning these Arkansas River gravels since the 1850s, and the historic placer diggings along the river terraces can still be seen today. Local rumor holds that Gold Tom buried his gold somewhere on these claims — treasure hunters still turn up from time to time.

Property at a glance

• Size: 59 acres across two claims (Crowe Strike 1 & Arkansas River 10) • Type: Unpatented federal gold placer claim / recreational property • Location: Cotopaxi, Fremont County, Colorado (ZIP 81223) • Mining district: Historic Arkansas River–Cotopaxi placer district • Setting: Arkansas River headwaters corridor; high-desert river country • Access: BLM road to the claim off US HWY 50 in central Cotopaxi

What you can do here

• Pan and prospect for placer gold in a district with a documented history of recovery • Camp, hike, and explore your own corner of the Colorado high country • Use it as a recreational base for fishing, rockhounding, and off-grid getaways • Hold a one-of-a-kind named historic claim tied to the town's founding story

Gold, history, and ground that hasn't been tested

The seller has dredged and high-banked on these claims and reports consistent fine "flour" gold in the gravels, with several prospects and an old river bed on the back side of the property — an estimated 80% of the claim has never been tested. Tailings piles from earlier miners line the river banks, and the claim also produces jasper, quartz, and other rock and gem specimens.

Be realistic about scale: this is fine-gold ground suited to dredging, high-banking, and panning rather than large mechanized excavation. The Arkansas Headwaters is a protected recreation corridor, and the state and BLM are proactive about the river habitat — though there is opportunity on the back side of the claim away from the river.

An active BLM Exploration Plan is in place and can either be transferred with the claim or eliminated at purchase. Mechanical prospecting on BLM land requires a reclamation bond set by the local field office based on your approved plan.

Local landmarks on and around the claim include the town swimming hole, the ballpark, and the historic coke ovens that served the Leadville–Cañon City ore railroad.

Location & surroundings

Cotopaxi sits right on the Arkansas River along U.S. Highway 50, minutes from world-class whitewater rafting, the Royal Gorge and its suspension bridge, and the San Isabel National Forest. Salida, Cañon City, and the wider Upper Arkansas Valley are an easy drive — true backcountry character without being cut off from supplies, services, or some of Colorado's best outdoor recreation.

Buyer information

The sale is completed through a written purchase agreement and recorded quitclaim transfer of claim interest; a $250 BLM transfer fee is added at closing. This is a possessory interest in an unpatented mining claim: the buyer assumes annual BLM maintenance fees and claim-maintenance filings, and mineral rights — not surface fee title — are conveyed. Buyers are encouraged to perform independent due diligence on boundaries, access, water rights, and claim status.