Description: Gold camps were located throughout the Alaskan Interior, with several right in the Fairbanks area. The El Dorado Gold Mine tour is a history lesson n what life and work in the early 20th century was like as well as how gold is mined today in the surrounding area. Our guide was Earl, the conductor of the Tanana Valley Railroad train, taking us back to the mine and other stops along the tour route. He told stories and sang tunes throughout our time on the train.
The two hour tour included a visit through a permafrost mine location where a mine worker explained what mining was like the old fashioned way by hand with a pick ax. From there we were shown how miners panned local creeks. The train ended up at the back of the property, there is a large cook shack where we all got off and walked around to see how today they use water to wash over tons of dirt and rocks, hopefully with gold nuggets sinking to the bottom of the sluice box.
It was here that we met Yukon Yonda who talked about what it was like to own one of the largest active gold mine operations in Alaska today. She and three other young men showed us how once the water rushes through the sluice box, they pan for gold from the bottom of the trough. No surprise, that in addition to a lot of gold flakes, she also panned a decent sized nugget.
After the demo, guests have an opportunity to do some panning for gold, keeping whatever gold is found in their little pay dirt bag. The panning process was a bit tedious, but eventually with some help, we got our dirt sifted away leaving a small amount of flakes in the bottom of the pan. Once you have your gold inside the snap-cap container, you go through the cook shack (that also serves as a gift shop) to have your gold weighed. I was told mine was worth $27, while David’s was just $14. If you wanted, you could have your flakes put into a locket (for an additional fee). We took a pass on that, and went for the warm chocolate chip cookie snack provided to everyone before loading up on the train to return to the main depot.
Their tour season is like most in Alaska, limited to the summer. Specifically this year (2010) they were open from May 11th through September 17th and generally offered two tours a day (9:45am and 3:00pm). Ticket prices are $34.95 for adults and $22.95 for kids ages three to 12. They do participate in the Tour Savers discount coupon book with 2:1 savings so consider this as you begin your planning and budgeting for your Alaskan vacation.
NOTE: The El Dorado Gold Mine is actually located about 15 minutes north of Fairbanks in the town of Fox.
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