Rye Patch is where the immigrants of 1850
                                            stopped to water, feed and stock up on rye
                                            grass before crossing the Black Rock Desert.
 

                                                Exit 129 on Interstate 80 takes you to the famous Rye Patch gold
                                                field. It's located between Lovelock and Winnemucca.   Before a
                                                trip to the Rye Patch I suggest a stop at the Winnemucca BLM
                                                office and a visit with Fred their geologist. He has a lot of info on
                                                rocks and minerals in the area and shares it freely.

                                                Just off the interstate is Rye Patch Reservoir campground and dam.
                                                This is a state campground with nice pull throughs and back ins. It
                                                 has restrooms, showers and a large dump station with fresh water
                                                 faucets. It's a nice place to spend a night before you venture into
                                                 the Rye Patch.

                                                        This is the gravel road just behind the lake and across the dam that
                                               takes you to the gold field.  It's a good road, straight as an arrow.
                                               You go approx. 12 miles north and the Rye Patch gold field will be
                                               the two miles of area to your left (west) toward the Majuba mountains.
                                               There are several good 2-wheel drive roads that turn left and take you
                                                into the field.   This mountain range has white quartz spitting out all
                                                over it. Most of the area is BLM, and beware there are private claims.

                                                I spent a few days detecting the area, never got my nugget but it was
                                                fun anyway. One thing about this area there are very few trash targets.
                                                I would go for hours without digging a target unlike AZ.  This was in
                                                June it should have been hot and dry but it had been raining and was
                                                cool.  It even dumped some fresh snow on the mountains.

                                                            This is definitely where the Antelope roam, saw them every day.

                                                 Here is a photo of some Rye Patch nuggets at 12, 6, and 8 o'clock.
                                                 They are chevron shaped and very pretty, hope to find a couple on
                                                 my next trip. Guess you have to go through the learning curve and
                                                 pay your dues.