Harveys Creek is near the north end of Cariboo Lake, about 31 kilometres northeast of Likely. Access is from Likely along the Cariboo River road and Keithley Creek road for a distance of approximately 26 kilometres then the Harveys Creek Forest Service road (also known as the 9600 road) for a distance of 10 kilometres.

Bedrock geology in the area of Harveys Creek consists of greenstone of the Paleozoic Snowshoe Group.

The first placer mining in the Quesnel mining region was along the Quesnel River, and on Horsefly River in 1859. In 1860, new discoveries were rapidly made - Keithley, Snowshoe and Harvey creeks were discovered - and a large amount of gold was produced before the earliest production was recorded in 1874. Fully one-third of the total production of the Quesnel region is believed to have been mined between 1860 and 1873. From 1875 to 1897, the records of production for all streams appear to be reasonably detailed and accurate. From 1898 to 1925, the details of recorded production, except for the Bullion mine (093A 025), appear to have been kept erratically and no production is recorded from many streams which are known to have been worked. Since 1926, except for minor instances, the record of production is reasonably complete (Bulletin 28).

The north bank of Harveys Creek near the 'ironstone ledge' was placer mined by Barney Bowe in the 1930s using hydraulic methods; production figures were not recorded. Old equipment, including sections of riveted steel water pipe 3 to 4 feet in diameter, valves and other paraphernalia related to the hydraulic operation may still be found at and upstream from the 'ironstone ledge'. In 1982 and 1983, Harvey Creek Gold Placers Ltd. staked placer and concurrent mineral claims on Harveys Creek below the 'ironstone ledge' location. In July of 1983, Geotronics Surveys Ltd. conducted a seismic refraction survey over a portion of the claims in an attempt to prove the existence of an buried river channel near Harveys Creek. The seismic refraction survey was successful in detecting the channel. In February of 1984, a program of stripping and pit testing was undertaken by Harvey Creek Gold Placers Ltd. to confirm the presence of the channel. The presence of the channel was confirmed and over the next three or four years, Harvey Creek Gold Placers Lid. continued to test the placer gold potential of the area. In 1987, a geochemical program consisting of heavy sediment sampling using a 1 1/2 inch suction dredge was carried out on the Harveys Creek and Simlock Creek drainages.

The 'ironstone' ledge was described by Bowman in 1888 as follows: “The Ironstone Ledge, one-quarter mile below falls of Harvey Creek. Olive and bluish feldspar with iron pyrites. Over three feet in width. Strike east and west; dip, N <60 degrees; with the slates apparently. It is from three to eight feet wide, and is repeated in another locality near it. Contents: Siderite with magnetic pyrites and a little iron pyrites; a great body of metal, being nearly solid ore. Assay by Hoffman showed a distinct trace of gold; silver, none. The ledge weathers red on the surface. Projecting into the creek, boulders from it strew the placer mines below.”

Recorded intermittent placer gold production from Harveys Creek from 1876 to 1945 totalled 3853 ounces or 119,828 grams (Bulletin 28).