Prospecting Minerals of Wigwam and Lost Creek Wilderness | An Introduction

As a Colorado collector, you hear many tales about Wigwam and Lost Creek so I finally decided to see what’s out there. This was a three-day backpacking trip to document mineral formation environments in the Lost Creek Wilderness of Bailey, Jefferson County, Colorado. Excellent exposure of large outcrops detail how miarolitic cavities are forming and how they are connected to one another.

The geologic setting is Pike’s Peak batholith and my hiking route was planned to investigate the relationship between late-stage plutons observed on a geologic map of the Bailey quadrangle. These plutons inevitably influence the frequency of pegmatites and pockets in the region; it is my goal to unravel the physical and chemical mechanics of this interplay of rocks and collectible crystals.

Video Chapters:
0:00 Backpacking to Base Camp
0:39 Noting Float from Lode Deposits
2:12 First Pocket: Feldspars
4:30 Identification of Co-occurring Feldspars
5:52 Noting Trends in Pocket Zones
6:13 Same Fabric, Second Pocket
8:10 Same Fabric, Third Pocket
10:21 Day 2: Covering Ground
11:57 Fourth Pocket: Smokies
17:42 Fifth Pocket: Easy Access
18:18 Day 3: Higher Ground
19:52 Sixth Pocket: Smokies
22:53 Post-Cleanup Notes


I encourage everyone to venture into the forest to see what curiosities lie within the earth. Knowledge of active claims and regulations in your area will permit you the freedom to explore. Always reclaim your dig sites to keep the future of prospecting bright and beautiful.