All's Fair in Love and Dirt this Season on Gold Rush

With the price of gold holding near record highs, the battle for gold is fiercer than ever before. But with less and less claim to good ground, the Gold Rush miners must dig deeper and go further into the wilderness in search of the motherlode.

GOLD RUSH returns for its 12th season on Friday, September 24 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery.

Coming off his biggest season ever, Parker Schnabel finds himself with a huge problem. After years of massive gold hauls, the 26-year-old is quickly running out of ground. With options slim to none, Parker's only choice may be to gamble on a narrow paystreak that could be rich with pay. To make matters worse, any chance of gold is 50 feet below the surface, which will cost millions to mine. Could this be the end of Parker's winning streak?

Meanwhile, the King of the Klondike himself, Tony Beets is putting everything he has into his biggest goal ever, 9,000 ounces – worth upwards of $16 million at today’s rate. Finally ready to re-open his Indian River operation, costing him over $5 million in new gear to mine both there and the Paradise Hill claims 24/7. However, he will need a water license in the Indian river, which is far from guaranteed. The Beets will soon find out if 9,000 ounces will remain a dream or have their biggest season ever.

Rick Ness is hoping to continue his good luck, beginning ahead of schedule and ready to double down for 2,000 ounces of gold, the most he’s ever mined. But the luck may have run out as Team Rally loses two key teammates to other obligations, leaving him to supersize his operation’s horsepower. With the help of a massive half million-dollar dozer – one of the biggest you can buy - as well a new excavator, Rick must make up for his lack of crew or risk his mining career.

Meanwhile, special forces veteran Fred Lewis is making one last attempt to find gold. After striking out in Oregon last season, Fred is determined to learn from his mistakes and come out on top. This time there's no room for error or he may lose everything. Upon arriving in the Yukon, Fred reaches out to the only person he knows... his old friend Parker.

This season of GOLD RUSH is unlike any other before as each of the miners and their crews battle the odds and the elements in the hope of finding millions in gold. But one thing is certain. Once gold fever strikes, these crews will never give up.

Also returning this year is THE DIRT, premiering Friday November 5 at 10P on Discovery, with a whole new look. Christo Doyle, original host of THE DIRT and bona fide GOLD RUSH expert, heads to the claims himself – diving into all that goes into gold mining and camp life when the Gold Rush cameras aren’t running.

Viewers can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #GoldRush and follow Discovery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.