The Canyon Creek area is underlain by volcanic flows and argillite. Fairly coarse placer gold occurs on true bedrock and also on false bedrock in numerous benches.

"Data from the Cariboo mining district indicate that supergene leaching of gold dispersed within massive sulphides by Tertiary deep weathering followed by Cenozoic erosion is the most likely explanation for the occurrence of coarse gold nuggets in Quaternary sediments" (Exploration in British Columbia 1989, page 147).