Gold Rush Star Parker Schnabel Still Feels Like An Outsider In The Mining Community

At this point, it's safe to say that gold miner Parker Schnabel has become by far the most prominent cast member of Discovery's "Gold Rush" — having essentially established himself as the face of the franchise itself. Not only has Schnabel helmed his very own "Gold Rush" spinoff series, titled "Gold Rush: Parker's Trail," but he's also appeared in more episodes of "Gold Rush" than any other cast member in the series; having starred in well over 200 episodes since first joining the series back in Season 1 (via IMDb).

Audiences have watched Schnabel grow from a timid young man working on his grandfather's mining crew into perhaps the most prolific in the entire series, and this captivating journey is part of why he's become such an essential cornerstone of the show itself. Even though the young mining prodigy has established himself a dozen times over as one of the best in the business, Schnabel himself has admitted that there are still times when he feels like somewhat of an outsider in the mining community.

During a 2020 interview with The Malestrom in which he discussed his ascendance to the top of the gold mining world, Parker Schnabel confessed that he still feels like somewhat of an outsider — despite his numerous accomplishments throughout "Gold Rush."

When asked what the highlight of his gold mining career has been thus far, Schnabel fondly remembered the first time he visited the Dawson mining district in Yukon, saying: "It's just a wonderful mining community that's made up of some of the best people in the world and I'm really glad to have become, or feel like I'm becoming a part of that. Seven years on I still feel like an outsider all the time, but I really like the Yukon and them and that whole process."

Indeed, Schnabel is still one of the youngest mining bosses in the entire series, having first joined "Gold Rush" when he was just 16 and working for his grandfather. As such, it's no wonder that he still feels like an outsider despite his unprecedented gold mining success, as his peers have all been mining for far longer than him — even if they may not be quite as successful. In any case, it's certainly heartwarming to know that the highlight of Schnabel's career is feeling like he's become an accepted part of the gold mining community; something which speaks volumes about his deep commitment to the profession itself.