Gold Rush 2011 Season 2 Mining Claim Locations

This is part two of a series about the mines featured in the Gold Rush TV show. We suggest starting from the beginning of this series.

After an impressively successful first season of Gold Rush, Discovery Channel tripled down by following not only the Hoffman Crew but also introducing Dakota Fred as an independent actor and Parker Schnabel, a neighboring gold miner poised to take on the family mining business.

Last season’s mine changes hands and new mining locations are introduced. Dakota Fred buys the Porcupine Creek Mine from season 1. The Hoffman Crew, unable to continue where they left off from last season, settle on Quartz Creek mine.  Parker Schnabel takes up the management of his grandfather’s gold mining claim: Big Nugget Mine.

Quartz Creek Mine (Hoffman Crew)

63°45′41.74″N 139°6′53.70″W

For season two, the Hoffman crew needs to find a new location to mine. They had to settle on a site quickly, as it was already summer and every day spent searching was a day not spent mining during the very short season. The crew settle on the Quartz Creek mine in the Dawson mining district. This property, located where the Calder Creek and Toronto Creek join in Yukon, Canada had already been the site of extensive mining. While the deposit is considered of world-class significance, a massing dredging operation was conducted in this area from 1935 to 1950. The Hoffman crew counted on excavating gold that was in pockets to small and remote for the dredge to access. In the course of the mining season, the Hoffman crew recovered 93.5 ounces (2,650 g) of gold valued at $150,000.

Jim Nail Placer Mine (Dakota Crew)

59°25′6.91″N 136°13′48″W

While the Jim Nail Placer Mine (aka: Porcupine Creek Mine) was mined by the Hoffman Crew in season 1, “Dakota” Fred Hurt buys the property at the beginning of Season 2. In a striking departure from the under 50 ounces of gold collected by the Hoffman crew in season 1, the Dakota Fred crew collects 80.4 ounces (2,280 g), valued at $125,000.

Big Nugget Mine (Parker Schnabel Crew)

59°24′52.15″N 136°14′2.83″W

Season 2 introduces John and Parker Schnabel. John Schnabel acquired a mining claim on the west bank of Porcupine Creek in 1984, near the present day Jim Nail Placer Mine. He is now training his grandson Parker Schnabel, to take on the running of the mine. The team mines the “Emerson Trench” along the west bank of Porcupine Creek. By the end of season two, the Parker Schnabel crew has extracted 34 ounces (960 g) of gold, valued at $55,000.

Learn more about Gold Rush mining sites on our Gold Rush Locations Overview.