Methodology
A field notebook that anyone can read
Dirt Quest gathers scattered knowledge — government mineral files, club newsletters, out-of-print guidebooks, forum threads, map reviews — into one map of British Columbia, starting in the Lower Mainland.
Where the records come from
Every site carries its sources. Firsthand reports — someone who stood on that gravel bar — are ranked first. Secondhand accounts, published geology and provincial mineral inventory files fill the gaps. If a claim rests on regional geology rather than a visit, the source note says so.
How precise the coordinates are
Each site is graded exact, approximate, or area only. Fragile exposures, active claims and sites on private or protected ground are published at area-level precision on purpose. This atlas is a starting point for your own navigation, not a treasure map.
Rules, claims and land status
British Columbia is a patchwork of mineral claims, parks, reserves, private land and First Nations territories. Collecting is prohibited in provincial and national parks and on another party's claim. Check the BC Mineral Titles Online map before you dig, and treat every listing here as informational — verification is your job.
Reciprocity
These places are on the unceded territories of the First Nations of this coast and interior. Ask permission where it's asked for, stay off cultural sites, and understand that a rock in the ground can be worth more where it is.
Corrections and additions
Found a road washed out, a claim staked, a site closed — or a spot we've missed? Send it through the report form. Submissions are parsed, checked against sources, and reviewed before anything goes on the map.