Take a much-needed break to a locale full of fresh mountain air, lake calm, and small-town charm. The Golden State is full of these towns, including Big Bear. While you’re enjoying everything Big Bear has to offer, take some time out to experience part of California history. The Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s is a big part of that and you can experience it when you spend some time at Gold Rush Mining Company Adventures. They are open daily at 40016 Big Bear Blvd in Big Bear. Call 909-866-5678 for more information.
Panning for Gold
Experience what it was like for prospectors of the 1840s and 1850s. The panning station allows you to pan for your own finds. “Pay Dirt” has been gathered and sourced directly from claims from a gold mining district and is known to yield 200% more gold than commercially sold pay dirt. The experience is recommended for ages 15 and up, and participants under five-feet tall will need a riser to stand comfortably at the table. Walk-up availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Choose from 3 sizes bags for your 30- to 60-minute experience.
Panning for Gemstones & Crystals
Much like the gold panning experience, you’ll sort through your bag of finds for real gemstones like rose quartz, emeralds, or amethyst, rocks, minerals, crystals, geodes, and more! You won’t go home empty-handed at Gold Rush Mining Company, and no two bags of loot are exactly the same. Some finds may even be big enough to be cut and faceted into jewelry, polished into a non-faceted gemstone, or you may opt to keep them the way you found them – how Mother Nature intended them to be.
Dinosaur Hunter
There’s more than gold in “them there hills,” and includes fossils all the way back to the age of dinosaurs. The Jurassic jungle-themed experience allows you to be a paleontologist for a day. You’ll hear jungle sounds and dinosaur moans, see a rock waterfall and fire-spewing volcanoes and black volcanic sand pits, then get digging for fossils and gems in the sand. The experience is for ages three and up.
Cosmic Cave Exploration
You can search for hidden treasures of a cosmic nature at Gold Rush Mining Company Adventures. Search for the special blend of minerals, crystals, and other materials that have been combined to represent gems from the Minecraft video game! It also includes an earthen block for the “miner” to scrape and excavate. The experience is recommended for age five and up and guests must be at least three feet tall.
Sharks & Ancient Sea Adventure
Sharks date back to even before the dinosaurs! The experience focuses on these predators of the sea, and you’ll find shark teeth and other marine fossils as well as semi-precious gems. The activity area features coral reef, sea creature, and shark décor. Opt to search under the sand or pan through the water sluice/trough as in the other panning adventures. The activity is for ages five and up.
Mermaid Adventures
Search for a myriad of land and sea treasures to fill your treasure chest to the brim. For a more in-depth experience at Gold Rush Mining Company, choose an experience that includes time in the sand digging area or harvesting a real pearl from an oyster. The experience is recommended for ages five and up. The pearl harvesting can also be done on its own outside of the mermaid experience.
Pirate Treasure
Search for land and sea gems, pirate booty coins, other artifacts, Davy Jones bones, and even a bottle of real gold flakes. The activity is recommended for ages five and up. You’ll also get some background on famous pirates like Calico Jack and Black Beard!
Gold Rush Mining Company Adventures At Home
If you enjoyed your experiences at the property, many of the experiences can be replicated at home or back at your accommodations. You’ll find packages of some of the materials from the panning experiences, pirate experience, and others so that you can enjoy the experience again or create one you missed.
In Search of More Than Gold in Big Bear
There are plenty of fun things to do and see during your Big Bear Escape, including ones that transport you back in time! After you’ve explored the past with a gold mining or pirate treasure hunting experience, step back into the present and relax. You can keep the fun going while you relax, too, when you book a vacation rental with Big Bear Vacations. Make a home-cooked meal in the fully equipped kitchen. Gather together on the couch and watch a movie or spend some time outdoors. Choose a cozy one-bedroom all the way up to a sprawling five-bedroom for a fun family or group reunion full of gold mining and other fun. Book a premium unit for upgrades like stainless steel appliances, granite counters, hardwood floors, flat screen TVs and more!
Contact us today to book and take the first step toward planning your Big Bear adventure!
