VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 26, 2011) - High Desert Gold Corporation ("HDG" or the "Company") (News - Market indicators) (OTCQX:HDGCF) announces positive gold results from the recently completed trenching program at its Artillery Peak, Arizona "bonanza" grade gold property.

Three trenches were cut in the central portion of the previously reported 950 metre long soil and rock chip gold anomaly (see PR 09-7, July 2, 2009 and PR 09-10, August 20, 2009). The trenches were cut perpendicular to the strike of the vein swarms and were located within a 180 metre strike length of the primary vein swarm with each trench being approximately 90 metres apart. Continuous chip samples were collected and assayed for each 1.52 metre (5 feet) of trench. 

Results show a continuous zone of gold mineralization within the trenches, varying between 10.7 metres and 24.4 metres in width with gold assays as high as 5.513 g/t over 1.52 metres. Surface sampling as most recently described in PR 09-10, August 20, 2009 has defined three vein swarms which contain very high gold values in selected areas. The Company's interpretation is that these high values represent pockets of high grade gold mineralization within an envelope of lower grade mineralization. This combination of high and lower grade gold mineralization within the veins extends over approximately 900 metres of strike. The following table shows the high grade surface chip sample assays listed in PR 09-10.

The three trenches were cut in locations several metres away from the high grade samples so as to better understand the more typical vein structure. Results were very positive, as shown in the table below, in that the gold mineralization extended beyond the immediate vicinity of the quartz veins, extending into the granitic host rock.

HDG management believes the results indicate that gold mineralization continues between the high grade pockets of mineralization. Thus, the expected results from further trenching or drilling would be a combination of high grade zones similar to the surface samples interspersed with zones with similar grades to that seen in the trenches. The three quartz vein swarms extend over approximately 900 metres of strike and a width of 50 to 300 metres. Gravel cover hides potential extensions.

Seventeen samples were also subjected to gold extraction by cyanidation. The results from this study suggests that the gold is cyanide extractable, in that, excluding one nugget sample, cyanide extraction yielded results within 9% on average compared to the original fire assays. This means that more than 90% of the gold was available to cyanide extraction. This would be a great benefit should an economic deposit be defined at some future date.

The gold mineralization in the trenches is dominantly associated with zones of hematite and rare, thin quartz veins within Precambrian granites. These results demonstrate that gold values are not confined to veins, but are within broad zones of altered granitic rocks. The trenches did not expose as many veins as had been interpreted from surface mapping but they did confirm that gold mineralization extended into the granitic rocks and that the mineralization is likely continuous along strike. These are important criteria in assessing the potential for the Artillery Peak target. All trenches were developed in areas with existing roads so no trenching was carried across any of the larger veins within the target area which were historically exploited by a number of historic shafts in the project area. With these encouraging results, HDG will be considering additional trenching or a follow-up drill program.

Assays were performed in Reno, Nevada by Inspectorate Laboratories, an ISO 9001:2000 Certified laboratory. Gold was analyzed by fire assay of a 30 gram sample with an AA finish. The cyanide extraction tests were also performed at the same Inspectorate Laboratories.

The Qualified Person on the Artillery Peak project is Randall Moore, EVP Exploration and a certified professional geologist. He has reviewed the content of this press release.

There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource at Artillery Peak and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the targets at the project being delineated as a mineral resource.

Please see High Desert Gold Corporation's website, www.hdggold.com, for Artillery Peak maps and diagrams.

START OF DRILLING AT GOLD SPRINGS

The Company also announces that drilling has begun at the flagship Gold Springs project on the Nevada-Utah border. The plan as previously announced (see HDG PR11-05, April 12, 2011) is to complete an early diamond drill program to collect orientated cores to better understand vein orientation, location and controls of the gold-silver mineralization. Drilling began on April 19 to complete a 4-6 diamond-drill hole program. This will then be followed by a reverse circulation ("RC") program scheduled to start in early May. 

Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements look into the future and provide an opinion as to the effect of certain events and trends on the business. Forward-looking statements may include words such as "plans," "scheduled", "intends," "anticipates," "should," "estimates," "expects," "believes," "indicates," "targeting," "suggests," "potential," "interpretation" and similar expressions. Information concerning the interpretation of trench sampling also may be considered forward-looking statements, as such information constitutes a prediction of what mineralization might be found to be present if and when a project is actually developed. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties. Actual results may materially differ from expectations, if known and unknown risks or uncertainties affect our business, or if our estimates or assumptions prove inaccurate. Factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the availability of sufficient financing to fund planned or further required work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined and further exploration results are obtained and other risks more fully described in the Company's Management Discussion & Analysis of Financial Position and Results of Operations, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Except as required by law, HDG assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.