The McKinney Creek Placer occurrence is located along McKinney Creek at about 890 metres elevation. Bridesville, British Columbia lies 3.5 kilometres to the south.

Bedrock in the area appears to be gneissic or schistose rock of the Carboniferous to Permian Anarchist Group and Middle Jurassic granodiorite and granite of the Nelson intrusions. Chlorite schist, greenstone, limestone, chert and minor ultramafics comprise the main lithologies of the Anarchist Group.

About 558 grams of gold were recovered from gravels in the period 1936-40.