ARIZONA NATIVE AMERICAN ANCENT CLIFF DWELLINGS
MINING CLAIM OWNERSHIP
THE OLD WEST GOLD & GEM PROSPECTING
This is a legally registered 20 acre gold and gem, unpatented placer mining claim for sale, the Tonto Basin Treasure #5, in Gila County, Arizona.
Located in a valley surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, just 5 miles from the town of Tonto Basin.
Just 35 minutes SE are the Native American Ancient Cliff Dwellings, a National Monument, with tours.
Only a half hour from beautiful Roosevelt Lake, the largest lake in Arizona, with swimming, fishing, boating, and canoeing/kayaking.
This area has the feel of the Old West.
Open areas are on the claim to park and camp.
Gold prices have reached an all time high of over $2000 per ounce:
In an area where experienced prospectors have been working their claims for years.
See further down the listing the Buying Process, my financing option, and how to purchase this claim.
See with the top pictures maps and satellite views.
Click on the top listing picture then arrow right to see all.
Owning a mining claim is having access to a lifetime of great family fun and recreation, in a very beautiful, natural setting: Arizona, is a great, scenic state, where the spirit of the old west still lives on.
A mining claim is an affordable way to enjoy the beauty of the land combined with the adventure of panning for gold.
We feel we are selling more than the gold and gems on beautiful land.
You would be acquiring an experience that will give you a good feel for what the old time prospectors must have felt during the days of the original Arizona Gold Rush.
There are deep roots to the Native American Culture here and was the last stronghold for the Apache Indians.
This area embodies the Southwestern experience thru its history and culture, and gives one a feel for the Old West.
For its wild history to its current place as a recreation destination, the Tonto Basin is where the West still lives.
The claim had direct road access, on the best road in that area for any type of vehicle.
The claim is right up to and partly on a mountain ridge, with a huge wash running thru both claims, making for excellent gold prospecting potential with summer rains bringing down gold and other minerals from the mountain.
There are some short side roads off the main road to pull in and camp.
The number of bends in the wash make for great gold catching areas.
Up the mountain ridge on the claim is a good place for gems.
There are trees on the claim for shade.
Located just east of the huge Haystack Butte and eastern claim boundary has a mountain ridge.
It is a good sign here that experienced prospectors also have claims in this area.
Close to towns that have all the necessities:
5 miles SW is the town of Tonto Basin, town of Punkin Center is 4 miles due West,
and 91 miles SW is Phoenix.
You feel you are out in the wilderness with town services nearby.
National Forests remained open at all times during the virus with a televised invitation by the Director for families to visit them as safe places for family recreation, making our mining claims some of the safest places for your family to enjoy and get away from all the nonsense.
This Juniper Canyon area has a number of claims owned by others by people who have been finding gold here for years, as is an historical area for gold prospecting.
Besides gold, this is also a great place to hunt for specimen rocks and other gemstones as agate and ruby red garnets are often found in this geological region and ancient relics such as arrowheads.
This Tonto Basin area is a rock collectors heaven including an abundance of gemstones, and has one of the longest histories of gemstone production.
Arizona ranks first for where all of the natural gems are located and is famous for its turquoise and petrified wood.
This is a great claim for those who want to be in the wilderness, with road access, and with also nearby towns for all necessities.
This area called the Tonto Basin is such a beautiful area with canyons, majestic mountains, in the Tonto National Forest with Roosevelt Lake just 20 minutes away with great fishing and boating.
Located in the mountains between the Mongolian Rim north, and the Superstition Mountains south, in the Sierra Ancha Mountain Range.
ARIZONA ROCKHOUDING
Arizona is one of the best states in the United States for finding gemstones in the wild. Gemstones can be found all across the state of Arizona, and over eight main types of rocks and minerals can be collected there. Arizona is an incredible place to rockhound, not just because of its diversity of native gemstones but also because of its beautiful natural landscapes.
Rockhounding is more than just a hobby; it is a lifestyle. Arizona is a fantastic place to find rocks, minerals, and crystals that can be displayed in a collection, made into jewelry, or sold to local jewelry and rock and mineral stores. There are also a variety of Arizona-based rock and gem shows that you can attend or even sell your own specimens
BUYING PROCESS:
To purchase my claim, the process would be, I would need how you want your name(s) and mailing address on the contract, and which payment option you choose, where I would scan and email you a signed contract.
Total price of $3500, that can be paid in one full payment where your ownership is then transferred after receiving payment,
or $3500, paying $1750 first month, and $1750 2nd month,
or $3500, paying $1500 first month, $1000 2nd month, and $1000 3rd month,
or $3500, paying $700 per month for 5 months,
or $3500, paying $500 per month for 7 months,
or $3750, paying $375 per month for 10 months.
A $199 deed processing fee is paid with final payment.
Owner financing, No credit check. No interest charged. No down payment.
You can use the claim as yours while making monthly payments.
Ownership transfer after final monthly payment.
A signed contract will precede payment.
After receiving your final payment, I will process notarized deeds, transferring my claim ownership over to you, with both the BLM and Gila county.
I am a retired teacher, and got into prospecting as a hobby with my family.
I am 73 and my wife 71, and we have gained the experience to select the best areas to locate claims.
For the possibility of constructing any building you or others could live in, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval, showing you have developed a full-time operation performing diligent mining.
You do not need a plan, permission nor a permit to camp and prospect.
You do not need to be a full time prospector to file a Plan for a shed type structure.
If within one year you are not satisfied with your claim, you can trade for another comparable claim, just paying the BLM and County transfer fees which will be about $125.
Claim buyer will also receive 2 new, free, Gold Panning Kits:
One 14 inch Gold Trap pan; One 10.5 inch Gravity Trap pan, One combination sifter/classifier with 7/16 of an inch exit holes, One Gold Guzzler snuffer bottle, One Tweezers/ Magnifying Glass combo tool.
Mining Claims are also a great investment, as claims go up in value over time, just as land does.
if you purchase a claim from us, at no charge, I would help you if you ever decided to sell in the future.
Tonto National Forest where our claim is located, is the largest national forest in Arizona and has some of the most diverse scenery from cactus covered desert to Ponderosa Pine forests.
It contains many lakes, river valleys, rocky canyons, and flat plains.
This area has some of the most amazing wildlife including Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Wild Turkey, and birds of every species.
Located in the Sierra Ancha Mountain Range where the Sierra Ancha Wilderness of over 20,000 acres includes box canyons, high cliffs, and pine-covered mountains. 1000s of years ago it was home to the ancient Salado people.
Gila County has some amazing parks that you and your family will enjoy, including the Tonto National Monument with ancient dwellings carved into the mountains.
Gila County is where lakes, deserts and sky meet and is only 90 minutes from Phoenix.
This county was part of the Arizona Gold Rush in the1870s.
This is a 20 acre unpatented, placer gold mining claim, the Tonto Basin Treasure #5.
The claim is legally registered with the Bureau of Land Management out of Phoenix and the Gila County Recorder.
You own the mineral rights, not sharing with others, on the 20 acres, and use your 20 acres, recreationally for camping: tent, camper, or RV, and prospecting. In awesome Juniper Canyon, with beautiful views of mountain ranges and rock formations.
Great combination of good access, wilderness beauty, and gold and gem prospecting potential.
See the listing pictures, showing one of the most beautiful areas in Arizona.
Location Monument is a 4 foot wood post that has been placed, with an attached copy of Location Notice, as required by the Arizona BLM.
ROOSEVELT LAKE
Roosevelt Lakeis the largest lake in Arizona at 15, 560 surface acres. Itis a favorite of avid anglers searching for the trophy largemouth bass along with smallmouth bass, channel catfish and crappie. The lake is large enough that high power bass boats can zoom for many miles to other portions of lake. Depending upon lake capacity that varies with the release of water through the dam, there are miles and miles of beach area for camping along the lake's edges. Water-skiing, jet-skiing, swimming and general boating recreation makes Lake Roosevelt a favorite water recreation destination. The lake features several marinas and fee-based camping sites, and contains a wildlife refuge area. The lake has a general store.
For the possibility of constructing any building you or others could live in, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval, showing you have developed a full-time operation performing diligent mining.
You do not need a plan, permission nor a permit to camp and prospect.
You do not need to be a full time prospector to file a Plan for a shed type structure.
With an approved BLM Plan of Operation, a building can be built on the land: any building that benefits and improves the claim.
As stated by the BLM, this can be the "construction of a building, road, fence, or enclosure necessary for mining."
For any building like a shed, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval. For anything to live in, you would need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval, and to be considered, you would need to have developed a full-time mining operation.
Current usage, is what the BLM calls, Casual Use: panning, shovel, rock hammer, metal detector, creek powered sluice box, where no permission nor permit is needed to camp and prospect.
You can prospect as little or as much as you like.
Now that we have located the claim, you never have to declare to the BLM any gold you find.
On our trips to the claim, we found about 1/8 of an ounce of gold in and around the extended washes on the claim, value approx. $225. Those with more time to prospect may find more. Today's gold prices are over $2000/ounce.
Though we could never guarantee what you will find, we did locate this claim in an historically rich area for gold prospecting.
Gold prices have gone up $500 per ounce in just the past 2 years.
We also found some nice smoky quartz and crystal specimens on the claim.
You are allowed to post No Trespassing for Prospecting signs in and around the claim.
A mining claim owner may limit or restrict public recreational use of/or public access across claims or portions of claims that are actively used for prospecting, mining, or processing operations where public recreational use of a claim would endanger or materially interfere with legitimate mining pursuits.
20 acres = 660 ft. x 1320 ft.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
5 miles Northeast of the town of Tonto Basin
Take 188 North out of Tonto Basin,
to right, East, on NF-71 at 33.8676, -111.3149, also known as Old Hwy 188,
Continue North on NF-71 that then goes East, also known as E Greenback Valley Road,
Continue East where same road is called Thorns Corner Road,
Then following GPS coordinates below to the claim.
GPS corner coordinates
Tonto Basin Treasure #5
NW 33.8844, -111.2670
NE 33.8844, -111.2644
SW 33.8808, -111.2670
SE 33.8808, -111.2644
Your 20 acres is the East 1/2 of the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 7, Twp 6N, R11E, G&SRB and Meridian, the Tonto Basin Treasure #5, located in Gila County, Arizona.
BLM claim number: AZ106352128
This claim is in a very mineralized area, and is great for rock hounds, metal detecting, relic hunting, and dry-washing. It is one of the largest areas of historic gold mining discoveries.
Great views of the surrounding mountains, buttes, and rock formations.
Our claim is in the Tonto National Forest, which embraces almost 3 million acres of rugged and spectacularly beautiful country, ranging from Saguaro cactus-studded desert to pine-forested mountains beneath the Mogollon Rim. This variety in vegetation and range in altitude (from 1,300 to 7,900 feet) offers outstanding recreational opportunities throughout the year, whether its lake beaches or cool pine forest. Hikers, backpackers, wildlife observers and photographers will find many recreation opportunities here. The area's Juniper Canyon furnishes the solitude and secluded experience treasured by many wilderness visitors.
A transfer of ownership is a sale of legal, exclusive ownership of a mining claim site. To be a legally recorded claim, gold had to be found on the claim, which was completed by us, as we are the original claim locators.
Your ownership is legally conveyed via Quit Claim deeds, and legally recorded with the BLM and Gila County. A Quit Claim deed is the required legal document per the BLM.
Each year, on or before September 1st, you need to file a simple form with the Bureau of Land Management, along with $200. We will supply this form to you. You can also pay the fee online with the BLM by credit card.
I have paid the fee for the new claim year, not due again until September 1, 2025.
Pay the annual fees and keep the claim forever.
There are no taxes on mining claims in Arizona.
You must be a current US citizen with a US address to own a mining claim in the US.
An unpatented mining claim is a specific parcel of federal land, valuable for a specific mineral deposit or deposits. It is a parcel for which an individual has asserted a legal right of possession and the right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit. Mining claims are real property that you can buy, sell, or inherit. After proving the existence of valuable minerals on the land, the claim is legally recorded with the Bureau of Land Management, and Gila county.
Gold always occurs in gravels in the metallic state and when so found has various physical characteristics. Gold is dense and heavy, it has a characteristic metallic color, and it is soft and easily malleable (it is easily formed by hammering). These are the characteristics used by prospectors to identify gold in the field. Placer gold occurs on the claim as small grains derived from gossan formed by weathering, and oxidation of the gold, copper and iron rich veins. Gold also occurs as grains flakes and small nuggets derived from the erosion of mineralized fault zones.
The Federal Government owns the land.
You are purchasing the mineral rights.
You can legally camp for free, with camper and RV on the whole 20 acres.
A claim owner does not need permission nor a permit to camp and prospect.
You are allowed 14 overnight camping days per month.
For more, you need to file a Plan of Operation with the BLM for approval.
Prospect, explore, and camp on the whole 20 acres.
This is not a sharing of a mining claim: Is your exclusive ownership.
BUYING PROCESS:
To purchase my claim, the process would be, I would need how you want your name(s) and mailing address on the contract, and which payment option you choose, where I would scan and email you a signed contract.
Total price of $3500, that can be paid in one full payment where your ownership is then transferred after receiving payment,
or $3500, paying $1750 first month, and $1750 2nd month,
or $3500, paying $1500 first month, $1000 2nd month, and $1000 3rd month,
or $3500, paying $700 per month for 5 months,
or $3500, paying $500 per month for 7 months,
or $3750, paying $375 per month for 10 months.
A $199 deed processing fee is paid with final payment.
Owner financing, No credit check. No interest charged. No down payment.
You can use the claim as yours while making monthly payments.
Ownership transfer after final monthly payment.
A signed contract will precede payment.
After receiving your final payment, I will process notarized deeds, transferring my claim ownership over to you, with both the BLM and Gila county.
We live in Ohio. Our connection to the West is our daughter lives in Denver, though she is not involved with our claims. We visited her in September, then went to prospect and locate mining claims in Colorado, then traveled to do the same in California, as we have been doing for a number of years.
And just a note of encouragement for you if purchase:
My wife and I have located, prospected on, and sold mining claims in
California, Colorado, & Arizona, going on now for now over 25 years.
You can trust we will process your notarized deeds correctly and quickly.
In that mining claims are processed thru the Bureau of Land Management, a
Federal Govt. agency, not following thru per our legally signed contract, would be a federal crime. I certainly will do what I say, and would never put myself nor my wife
in any legal jeopardy.
Also, we have sold properties on 3 sites online for over 25 years:
Landwatch, Landcom, and LandandFarm.
Our continued good status on these sites is due to our always following thru, as just one time we would not, we would not be allowed to sell on these sites ever again.
COMMENTS FROM SATISFIED CLAIM BUYERS:
"We live in Arizona and purchased a mining claim from Mr. Leu.
The claim is everything as advertised. The Superstition Mountains make for awesome views. We have camped on our claim a number of times and have found gold in the wash on our claim. We are very happy with our purchase.
Living in another state, we were a little skeptical on buying a mining claim in Arizona. But our personal experience with Mr. Leu has been a family blessing.
Our camping and prospecting on our claim has brought our family closer together.
We were so pleased, we bought a claim in Colorado from Mr. Leu, and are looking to buy one also in California as we look to plan family vacations around our claims.
Thanks Michael. We took our girls to the campsite area closest to the claim last weekend.
It was a great experience. Were really looking forward to raising them up to be adventure seekers, nature loves and Creation appreciators. This claim has already brought and provided a wonderful experience for my family. Thank you so much for the claim purchase.