FYI, 'Gold Rush' Star Karla Ann Charlton Is Just as Badass IRL
Updated April 22 2020, 4:46 p.m. ET
If you are a fan of the Discovery reality series Gold Rush, then you have definitely noticed Karla Ann Charlton. The wilderness and survival expert is there to keep Parker Schnabel, Rick Ness, and the rest of the team safe in the great outdoors. She is also Parker's rock truck driver.
Karla first joined the reality series in 2017 in Gold Rush: Parker's Trail and has trekked as far as Guyana with her crew, where they set up a camp in Marudi — the site of a modern-day gold rush.
"Karla actually worked at the mine site for a little while driving a rock truck — she was just super cool, fun, and had tons of energy," Parker told People magazine of his co-star, whom he recruited for the show. "She loves being in the woods and is at home out doing something like this. That was a no brainer in the sense we needed someone to keep us all alive and try to keep us in one piece."
However, there is more to the British Colombia native than you see on the show. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Karla Ann:
She has gold in her blood.
Karla Ann has a deep Yukon connection thanks to her great-grandfather, who was one of the original pioneers.
"He came from Sweden, late 1800s, early 1900s.. and in his diary he had one shoe, and like nothing," she told Discovery of her family history. "[He] staked a claim and found gold and raised his family here. I'm quite inspired by that."
Karla is an avid snowboarder.
When she's not driving a rock truck or in the wilderness, you can find Karla Ann on the slopes. "My Freedom," she recently captioned a photo of herself snowboarding. She is also a member of the Canadian Ski Guide Association.
When she's not on TV, you can follow her on Instagram.
Karla Ann is very active on Instagram — where she describes her interests as "Outdoors / Adventure / Wild Food / Humor / Improvement." Plus, you get to see a behind-the-scenes look at the Gold Rush cast, including dance parties with her costars and fun with the camera crew. The only thing she seems to keep to herself is her age...
Karla Ann is a natural beauty — and proud.
Don't expect to see Karla Ann with a full face of makeup anytime soon. However, the nature lover does make her own homemade lip balm, which she gifts to family and friends every Christmas. She can also make some sick gear for the outdoors, including these moose-hide moccasins.
