Gem Trails of Northern California [Paperback]

James R. Mitchell (Author), Robin Nordhues (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1994

In this up-dated edition detailed text and maps lead rockhounds to over 76 locations where 60 varieties of California's mineral and fossil treasures can be collected, and weekend prospectors can pan for gold. Full-color specimen photos inspire your collecting efforts and black and white photos help to locate sites as diverse as the minerals themselves. With a Mineral Locator Index and Glossary and helpful contact info, this is the most complete guide to gem, fossil and mineral collecting in Northern California.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Gem Guides Book Co (December 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935182675
• ISBN-13: 978-0935182675
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,465,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to find places, December 12, 2007

By 

Curtis Pires "JL" (california) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gem Trails of Northern California (Paperback)

I have only been to three of the many locations mentioned in the book and found the gems that where mentioned. all and all it's a good book with easy to find places.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gem Trails is a REAL GEM!, May 15, 2008

By 

MARK OFFILL - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gem Trails of Northern California (Paperback)

Mitchel's "Gem Trails of Northern California" is detailed and specific and is also amazingly up to date. I have visited 5-6 of the locations already with good success at finding the gems he says should be able to be found there. Of course, when I look at older editions of his books and realize how many MORE good gems were available for the collecting 30 years ago, it makes me wish I'd gotten into Rockhounding years ago!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Information and Good Maps, January 14, 2011

By 

C. Irish "Read On!" (Placerville, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gem Trails of Northern California (Paperback)

James Mitchell has created a good guide to trails and gems of Northern California. This guide has a lot of locations to go to and the maps are very good. The author also notes historical information to many locations that make the places interesting. There are many black and white photos as well as colored pictures of gems and rocks the author has found to help you identify different stones. I live near quite a few of the locations and have found the information in the book very useful. Not only can you get a good idea of what gems you can find in certain locals but you can get a sense of the history and do futher looking in local museums and other landmarks that the author recommends in different places.

The guide also has lists of tools to use for the beginner and warnings of locations such as certain places might be impossible in winter, or scorching hot in the summer so you can get an idea of how to prepare or plan for an excursion.

All in all this book has a lot of useful information about different places in Northern California and includes really good maps of each place and landmarks to look for. If you want to get out and hike around and maybe find some really neat rocks such as jade, quartz, obsidian, agates, crystals, serpintine and even fossils you can check out this book for a lot of useful information. There are many listings of places and the types of rocks that can be found at each location. This author has provided a very useful tool for places to go. Many areas are easy to get to but the locations do vary. This is a book you can use for a long time to come if you are interested in the history and places in Northern California to hunt for rocks and get out for a nice hike in some beautiful country.