The WORST episodes of Gold Rush: Parker's Trail
Every episode of Gold Rush: Parker's Trail ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Gold Rush: Parker's Trail!
Despite striking it rich mining in his home state of Alaska, "Gold Rush" star Parker Schnabel isn't satisfied. He's always wondered if he could follow in the footsteps of his forebears and take on the legendary Klondike Gold Rush trail. Wonder no more. In honor of his family -- especially his beloved grandfather, who always inspired him to push beyond his limits -- Parker attempts to mimic a journey that killed thousands of brave souls in the late 19th century. As winter closes in, he begins the trek across the Coastal Range and works his way to the fabled goldfields of the Klondike. He's joined by his foreman, Rick Ness; wilderness guide Karla Ann, who once worked with Parker as a rock truck driver; and cameramen James Levelle, who has known Parker for years.
#1 - Trail Tales
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/14/2017
After the toughest journey of their lives, Parker and his friends relive what happened on the trail. Revealing the struggle, conflict and untold secrets about just how close they came to disaster.
#2 - Welcome to the Jungle
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/30/2018
Against the advice of the locals, Parker and crew head off alone, deep into uncharted jungle, risking encounters with caiman, jaguars, snakes and venomous spiders. They attempt to cross a quarter mile of raging rapids but the current takes hold of Rick.
#3 - Mother of God
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/14/2023
Parker heads to the Madre de Dios mining district, where he discovers ground so rich he scoops shovels full of gold straight from a riverbank. The team head deep into the jungle with a local tribe to prospect for virgin ground.
#4 - In The Footsteps of Legends
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/31/2017
Parker Schnabel and his friends pay tribute to the legends before them and attempt the Klondike Trail of 1897. Not only is it 600 miles of mountains, lakes and rivers, but leaving dangerously late in the season means the winter may derail their plans.
#5 - Mine, Moment, Machine
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/17/2020
Parker makes a gamble on dry-mining equipment to test the gold-rich ground of Western Australia. A case of gold fever proves costly, and Parker nearly loses a team member.
#6 - Dangerous Depths
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/5/2019
An encounter with a group of machete-wielding locals tests the team's preparedness for the region's dangerous conditions after a grueling jungle trek leads Parker and his team to a network of abandoned WWII tunnels.
#7 - Mucho Oro
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/7/2023
Parker and his team travel to South America in search of a claim to mine with $100 million dollars in gold; following the Incan trail deep into the Peruvian jungle where they battle wildlife and mother nature to find virgin ground.
#8 - Leap of Faith
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/5/2022
Parker checks out a wash plant on tracks and considers a major pivot: building his own custom plant for the Alaska claim. Tyler and Jeff prospect for gold nuggets in New Zealand's richest river.
#9 - Devil's Paradise
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/21/2023
Parker prospects La Rinconada mountain, the highest gold mine on earth and a nearly lawless boomtown filled with 60,000 miners. Parker discovers big gold using hand-lit explosives, but a sudden illness threatens to end the trip early.
#10 - Tyler's Trial
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/20/2020
In the legendary Palmer goldfields, Parker and his team encounter a lucrative family-run mining operation and discover dirt far richer than anything they've seen in the Yukon. But convincing the family to lease him virgin ground will come at a price.
#11 - Gold Wars: The Jungle Awakens
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/13/2018
In the jungles of Guyana, Parker and crew are chased by deadly caiman and bitten by carnivorous piranha. Then their attempt to drag their boat up a waterfall results in a disaster that could end not just the expedition but the life of one of the crew.
#12 - Outback Gold
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/13/2020
Parker takes the team Down Under to search for a gold-rich claim.
#13 - Trial by Fire
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/27/2020
Parker tests virgin ground on the Fitzgerald claim and makes a big discovery, but he must gain the trust of the family if he wants to strike a deal.
#14 - Mining With Monsters
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/23/2018
Having just mined $7 million worth of gold, Parker now wants an even tougher challenge: to mine in the gold-rich jungles of Guyana, South America and learn from the locals. But his longtime foreman Rick is about to drop a bombshell of news in the process.
#15 - Hell Dorado
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/6/2018
Parker wants to mine in the jungles of Guyana, South America when but an out-of-control water hose leaves him injured and local miners refuse to lease him ground, he's faced with a stark choice double down or head home.
#16 - X Marks the Spot
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/20/2018
Parker and his team arrive in Marudi, the epicenter of a twenty first century gold rush. They have just two weeks to find a claim get the equipment they need to set up a jungle operation and mine for Guyanese gold.
#17 - Bolivia or Bust
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/28/2023
Parker follows the gold into Bolivia, where he hopes to tap into its $2.5 billion gold industry; the crew gets a lead on a placer operation but is confronted by the claim's 32 owners at the gate.
#18 - Racing the Freeze
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/7/2017
Parker and his crew are only 50 miles into the daunting 600 mile trek on the Klondike Trail. It's a race against time as the water is quickly freezing, but with food sources running low they are forced to pause and go hunting or face starvation.
#19 - Hell's Crack
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/3/2020
In an area known to locals as "Hell's Crack," Parker and his team navigate a treacherous river, battle extreme heat and fight machine breakdowns to prospect ground so rich it could hold 100 million dollars worth of gold.
#20 - The Honey Pot
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/10/2020
Hunting for a huge payday in Tyler's hometown of Sandstone, the team encounters a dangerous new method for extracting gold and Parker must decide if the risk is worth the reward.
#21 - The Jungle Strikes Back
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/27/2018
Parker, Rick, Karla, and Sam have crossed Guyana and set up their own gold mine in Marudi, the heart of a modern-day gold rush. But their dreams of jungle gold are derailed by a local land dispute that threatens to turn violent.
#22 - Hard Rock Risks
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/24/2020
Tyler leads Parker to a promising hard rock mine where they detonate high explosives to gauge if the rewards of underground mining justify the risks.
#23 - Welcome Stranger
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/13/2020
Tempted by the largest nuggets he's ever seen, Parker ventures deep into an underground mine. Tyler tracks down a trommel for the team and a local miner lets the team test a claim that yields more gold per yard than Parker's ever seen in the Yukon.
#24 - The Dark Horse
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/19/2023
Parker goes all-in and starts mining the 400-acre Bonanza Creek claim, but a chance encounter with neighboring miners could offer him something even better.
#25 - River of Never-Ending Gold
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/31/2024
Parker Schnabel travels the gold-filled Madeira River deep into the Brazilian wilderness as he hunts for a fleet of dredges bringing in billions.