The Little Swift River placer showing is located about 17 kilometres southwest of Barkerville. Historic production was recorded between 1941-45 and totalled 466 grams gold. Area geology comprises metasedimentary rocks (quartzites) of the Upper Proterozoic to Paleozoic Snowshoe Group near a contact with sediments of the Middle-Upper Triasic Nicola Group to the west.

The recorded gold production of the Cariboo mining district was considerably greater than that of any other in the Province. The first discoveries of placer streams were made in 1860; new creeks were found quickly, and production mounted so rapidly that 1863 was the year of greatest placer output. Although detailed records of production are available from 1874 onward, it is believed that fully one-third of the total Cariboo production was mined in the preceding fifteen years (Bulletin 28).