Claims Information

The WPMA has access to 1665 acres of claims available for members to use. The claims are located in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California. You keep all the gold you find on the claims. Click here to see our latest list of available claims.

The WPMA have a few mining claims that are behind locked gates. If you, as a member desire to obtain a key for access to these claims, you will first need to contact the key custodian identified in the Claims Guide well in advance to see if a key is available. If a key is available for the time period which you desire, you have the option of making arrangements to pick up the key in person or having it mailed to you at an additional cost of $5. This is in addition to the $50 key deposit. If you are going to obtain a key, please download this Key Checkout form. You will need to read and complete the form, then bring it or mail it with the $50 deposit and $5 shipping fee. If mailing, please use 2 checks/Money Orders to differentiate between the deposit which will be held until the key is returned and the shipping fee which will be deposited immediately.

Important information regarding The Uncle Buds Claim.
The Index-Galena road east of Index has been washed out thus prohibiting vehicle traffic by this route. You may still hike in from the barriers. There is an alternate route for vehicles via Beckler River road and over Jacks Pass to a Snohomish County PUD controlled gate which the association as a limited number of keys for. To obtain the key to this gate, you must first have a "Road Permit" signed by the SNOPUD engineer. Download the road permit by clicking here, fill it out (besure to put your comntact information someplace on the form), have your signature notarized, then mail ,fax or hand carry the permit to SNOPUD. They will return the signed permit to you. You must allow at least a week for this process. Without the signed road permit, you will not be given a key or allowed to drive through the gate.

WPMA members are allowed to take guests with them to the claims. This allowance is provided to give our members the opportunity to share with their family and friends, who are not members, the experience of prospecting and mining , and to show off our mining claims. As such, there is the stipulation that any guest may only visit twice, then if desiring to continue to come upon the claims, must become a member of the WPMA. In order to protect the association against any liability that should arise while on our claims, You, the member, is responsible for filling out a "Visitor Release of Liability" and getting it submitted to the Association. In advance of your visit, the member and his guest(s) read, sign and date the release, make a copy, mail the original to the association and carry the copy with you while you are on the claim.