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Clear Creek, San Benito Co., CA

The Clear Creek Recreation area is located in southern San Benito Co., CA.

Check out the BLM site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/hollister/clear_creek_management_area.html for general information and directions how to get there. Obtain a map of the area if you can. Also BLM is now charging a weekly fee. Check the rates on their web site.

The formation was created by plate tectonics when a piece of the Pacific plate pushed up through the North American plate. Most of the interesting minerals are on the contact areas, either the edges or outcroppings in the middle.

It has produced many rare minerals, including benitoite, neptunite, artinite, jadeite and many, many others. Although access to some of these is no longer obtainable by the public, there are still many things to find there.

It's fun to go any time, but here are a few suggestions that may improve your experience.

Go a few days after a rain. If it was a big rain wait a little longer as the roads may be impassable. The rain may uncover rocks and will settle the dust. Although I know of no cases where the long fiber asbestos in the dust has caused illness, it's better to avoid breathing it as much as possible. Don't follow too close behind another vehicle.

Avoid the weekends and holidays. The area gets very crowded with motorcyclists then, the noise level goes way up and campsite availability goes down.

Bring a motorcycle, quad, or small 4X4 to get to the less explored areas. Check out the ridges, outcroppings and the boulders below. Follow old prospecting roads, check mine tailings and stream beds. The area is huge, so concentrate on one section at a time. It takes a long time to travel from one end to the other. I've spent years looking there and haven't covered half of it.

Have fun and good hunting.

Jim Bryan