Gold Rush Season 12 Release Date, Cast, And Locations - What We Know So Far

In the 1840s, people traveled from far and wide to California, in search of gold. Prospectors without anything to their names headed west in the hopes of striking it rich, and while you may initially think all the gold out there has been dug up, there are still plenty of people with that excavator spirit. 

Discovery follows some of these modern-day gold diggers in the hit reality TV series, "Gold Rush." In the 21st century, they have a lot more at their disposal than just a pickaxe and a tin plate. With massive crews, the likes of Parker Schnabel, Rick Ness, and Tony Beets venture into what seem like barren landscapes to try to raise their fortunes. 

People can't seem to get enough of it, as the fight for riches brings with it plenty of drama. There's only so much gold to go around, and as long as that metal's in the earth, these crews are going to dig for it. Season 12 hasn't yet received the green light, but it's a fairly safe bet that the announcement will come sooner or later, considering the massive popularity of the series. Here's everything we know so far about Season 12 of "Gold Rush."

Updated September 28, 2021: This article has been updated to reflect the September premiere of "Gold Rush" Season 12.

Looking at trends in the past, most seasons have consistently premiered in the fall. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the crews didn't have to slow down much, as both miners and film crews were able to get into Canada to film Season 11. As such, the show was able to stick with its usual time frame and came out on October 23, 2020. The same has proven true of Season 12.

Even though the pandemic still rages on, and many shows have experienced serious delays, with the price of gold nearing all-time highs, the tenacious miners of "Gold Rush" just couldn't be held down. Miners have been deemed essential workers throughout all of this (via Hecla Mining Company), so even if stricter lockdowns had gone into effect, it wouldn't have impacted the "Gold Rush" miners too much. The film crew is another story altogether, but fortunately it seems like they got the job done; "Gold Rush" Season 12 premiered on schedule on September 24.

The main miners from years' past are ready to make their return. Parker Schnabel, Fred Dodge, and Chris Doumitt have been with the series since the very beginning while Tony Beets and Rick Ness came onboard for the sophomore season. They've all appeared regularly on the show over the years, and Shnabel and Beets in particular appear poised to claim outsized roles on Season 12.

It looks like Ness may have some company for his upcoming excursion. In a Facebook post uploaded on January 27, 2021, Ness' girlfriend, Leese M. Arie stated that she would be joining Ness in Canada this summer. It's unclear if Ness would put her to work or if she'll mostly just be hanging out, but all answers should be revealed once the new season airs a few more episodes.

Arie's Facebook post also gives us a good idea of where we can expect the various miners to journey to this time around. Her post includes a variety of hashtags with the two most important being "#goodbyewisconsin" and "#hellocanada." It shouldn't come as a surprise to viewers as most seasons have seen the crews go up to the Great White North in search of riches, with Season 11 seeing the teams go up to Yukon. 

Canada's a big country, and as of right now, it's unclear where exactly the teams could dig. All should be revealed in the coming months as the miners actually head off to their next jobs. Canada has proven to be fruitful ground for the cast ever since they had to leave Alaska due to environmental concerns. If it's not broke, then don't fix it, and there's likely plenty of gold still hidden throughout the country. 

Don't expect "Gold Rush" to go away any time soon. The show continues to be a major draw for Discovery, and in fact, the channel recently released a press release stating how "Gold Rush" was the most-watched unscripted series for men in 2020 out of any other show across broadcast networks. Other series may be fools' gold, but it's clear this one is still paying out dividends.