Yakima Prospectors Association | Gold Prospecting, Metal Detecting & Rockhounding

CLAIMS FOR SALE!!! See our for sale/wanted section.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Honey Bucket on the Peshastin claim is being removed for the season today, 10-02-2024!!

Silent Auction was a big success! Thank you to all who participated!

Thank you to all who showed up Saturday to fill in the holes on HMII. GREAT TURNOUT!

Club Christmas Banquet will be held at our December 5th, 2024 meeting. Doors will open at 6:30 pm, dinner at 7 pm with meeting to follow. The Club voted to have the Christmas Ham catered. Ruby volunteered to prepare one and a special thank you to her. Please bring a covered dish, desserts, etc. Utensils and silverware will be provided. Please plan on attending this great function.

It is that time of the year for YPA Club officer nominations. Nominations will be taken until our January 2025 meeting. ALSO, it is important to know that club membership dues must be paid in order to VOTE. As it stands from our October meeting, Kathy will be stepping down as our Club Treasurer. Many, many thanks for her outstanding service! There are currently two nominations for her replacement: Johnny Parrish and Rob Fitzgerald. Chris Foster and Shawn Brown have stated that they would stay on as Co-Secretary, Chuck Cady as VP and Del Enders and President.

Swauk Mining District Liberty Road Bridge Pay-Dirt Project has been cancelled!

Welcome to the Yakima Prospectors Association Website

Our club was originally formed in the early 1980’s as a chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) and chartered by George (Buzzard) Massie, president and founder of the GPAA. The YPA club is focused on sharing the prospecting history and knowledge on the local area. We are active in promoting prospecting with local events, putting on panning demonstrations and educating the public and youth with our prospecting hobby.

Our club is a member of the Resources Coalition (RC) which is made up of Washington State prospecting clubs and individuals. The primary mission of the RC is to keep an eye on the State and National governments with regulations that limit our congressional rights as prospectors under the mining laws of 1866 and 1872. These rights are given to individuals who are known as “Small Scale Prospectors and miners,” not “recreational miners” who have no rights. There are a lot of groups and organizations that would like to eliminate our activities and close our access to public lands.

We hold monthly meetings and have outings mostly in the fall, spring, and summer months when weather is comfortable to be in the outdoors. Some of our outings involve mine tours, metal detecting, and prospecting on our claims. Our outings usually involve potlucks and families are welcome. We have a Christmas party in December with a potluck at our regular meeting. Outings are a great way to get hands on experience for new prospectors from experienced members.

Our club is an associate member of the Yakima Rock and Mineral Club, allowing their members and ours to attend each club’s meetings and outings. We share each other’s newsletters and meeting minutes to keep everyone’s activities known.

Thank You for your interest and may the bottom of your pan turn yellow!

Kathy Griffin, Treasurer
Yakima Prospectors Association

Meetings

Meetings are held the first Thursday of each month. Doors open at 7 p.m. and meetings start at 7:30 p.m.
We meet at the Selah Civic Center, 216 S 1st St. Click here for map.
There is a raffle and prizes at each meeting.

Membership

$25 per year. Includes access to field trips and claims.
As a member of the Yakima Prospectors Association, you will have full access to all club claims.
Click here for membership application.

Outings

Several outings are planned throughout the year: Metal Detecting Outing in May. Nile Valley Days in July. Claim Gold Prospecting in August.
Members can also enjoy metal detecting and rock hounding activities, as well as prospecting.
Demonstrations include panning and sluicing at local community events.
And always, all gold you find as a member on club claims, you keep!