Parker Schnabel Reveals the Major Change He’s Making About His Personal Life

After spending half of his life on television, Gold Rush star Parker Schnabel says he is finally drawing a line between the man on-screen and the man off-camera.

The 31-year-old miner, who joined the Discovery Channel series at just 16, has grown up in front of millions of viewers. But now in Season 16, Schnabel says he has fundamentally changed how much of himself he wants the world to see.

Keeping His Personal Life Off-Camera

Speaking with PEOPLE, Schnabel explains that he plans to keep his private life completely out of public view going forward.

“I’m probably just going to keep my personal life private,” he says.
“I think that’s probably for the best… I’ve shared too much in the past.”

He admits that letting cameras too close to his non-work life has felt like a mistake — and something he’s intent on correcting.

How Fame Blurred His Identity

Schnabel acknowledges that being on TV since adolescence created a strange dynamic: viewers believed they truly knew him, even though the show only captures a fraction of his reality.

“People make assumptions based on a snippet,” he says.
“They follow me around for a few months while I’m working — that’s not my actual life.”

Growing up in a work-centric family made the issue even more complicated. Work became identity.
And identity became television.

“When you’re young, you wrap your identity with your work,” he says.
“It took a long time to separate the TV job from who I actually am.”

Letting Go of Public Perception

Schnabel says he no longer feels bothered by what people think of him from the show.

His real friends, he explains, don’t judge him by edited TV footage — they judge him by their personal relationship with him.

“The people I care about, they know me,” he notes.
“That makes it easier not to care how people perceive me.”

Why Dating Has Been So Difficult

In past interviews, Schnabel has been candid about how unusual his lifestyle is — making dating nearly impossible.

“How do you explain mining without sounding like Mad Max?” he joked.
“You’re living in the woods in a bunker washing rocks.”

The unconventional environment, long stretches in remote wilderness, and intense work schedule create challenges few outside the mining world can understand.

Looking Toward Family and Life Beyond Gold Rush

Despite the chaos of his work, Schnabel says he hopes to build a family someday — but likely after the show ends.

“I hope to have a family and a life outside of TV eventually,” he says.
“I think the show will end completely before I have kids.”

For now, Schnabel remains focused on mining, preserving what’s left of his privacy, and separating Parker the miner from Parker the man.