Great Gold Panning Locations in the United States

The 49’ers that traveled to the west in search of gold had a dream of striking it rich. These hard working men didn’t want fool’s gold and knew that with patience their hard work would pay off.  Geologists estimate that only 20% of the world’s supply of gold was uncovered during the gold rush which leaves an estimated 80% waiting to be found today! The price of gold today is at an all time high and the allure of panning for gold has become a serious business.

Gold mining may be carried out in two ways: the easy and the hard way. The process of panning is what we focus on and is what you will notice when you see an old photo of prospectors panning near a stream. This method is often used by serious prospectors to sample an area before bringing in big machines. It involves filling a pan with the crushed ore to separate the gold from other materials such as rocks. More advanced techniques often involve the use of heavy and expensive machinery to unearth the gold which may yield better results but at the same time cost more.

How Panning Works

The process of panning can very repetitive so it’s important you stay focused and alert at all times-you never want to miss that big nugget! You will want to fill the pan with the material underwater and shake it from left to right causing the heavier materials (ie gold) to settle at the bottom of the pan. The lighter materials, which are worthless, are worked up to the surface of the pan where they can be brushed away. Tilting the pan downward will also allow the dirty water, sand, and gravel to wash over the edge of the pan. Be sure to toss out the large stones and break up lumps of mud. Continue this process until nothing but gold is left in the pan.

Ideal Panning Locations

• Look for large rocks or tree roots in streams. Gold tends to be concentrated in these areas.
• Along the edge of the stream

Materials Needed for Panning

Panning for gold has been a time honored tradition enjoyed by many generations. It is not uncommon to hear of prospectors finding ounces of gold using the following techniques. First, be prepared to spend about $40 for a decent panning kit. Fisher is a very good mid-level kit and should be enough to get you started. Fisher shoudl be enough for beginers and experts alike. Check out the Fisher kit on Amazon. It will typically include a pan ranging from 10-17 inches in diameter. We recommend a pan that is 12-15 inches as the larger ones allow the pannier to sort out more of the gold bits. Smaller size pans are ideal for children or with people with a small hand size. Most kits also include a glass vile to store show off your loot to your friends.

Alaska continues to be one of the premier sites in the United States for mining gold. The abundant streams and underground rivers make it the ideal location gold deposits. Due to Alaska’s unique geographical features and ancient glacier rivers gold has been found across the entire state, which the exception of the swamps of the Yukon flats.

Alaska is home to over 175 Placer mines in addition to many successful hard rock mines. With the price of gold on the rise the population of miners in the area has continually been on the rise since 2008. The secret to success in Alaska is much like real estate; location, location, location! If you study the successful operations in  Alaska you’ll notice that all the popular mines such as the Green Creek mine, or the Fort Knox mine are located close to ancient underground streams, which over 1,000’s of years helped deposit minerals into the sediment of the earth, collecting in hard quartz crevices to for pockets of gold.

How does this help you in your endeavors for panning for gold in Alaska? Well understanding how and where the big dogs mine can greatly improve your chances of a successful visit. So let’s talk about some good spots to pan:

Porcupine District – The porcupine district is famous for the creek that runs about 20 miles north of Haines. The creek has been heavily placer mined since its discovery in 1898, which is GREAT NEWS for the average gold panner. Why you ask? Well if people are still mining the area (which they are) that means there is still gold. And while most miners are mining on a large scale, gold panners are interested in the small stuff. Us gold panners don’t always have the huge overhead costs for equipment, staff, accommodations that large scale expeditions have. So while the placer miners operate off the banks of the Porcupine River you are free to pan the river for gold.

Juneau District – Over 80,000 ounces of placer gold have been discovered in the Juneau district since it’s discover in 1880. On February 28, 2011 the price of gold was $1414 an ounce. That’s over $113 million dollars mined in the last century! This doesn’t even INCLUDE the hard-rock mining which totals in the BILLIONS of dollars. Juneau is located next to the Gold Creek (fitting name) in the Silver Bow Basin. Juneau is also a great place to visit, and as the capital of Alaska it is one of the easiest places to get to. Once there you can meet the locals and really get a feeling for what you’re doing in Alaska. Juneau is a strong recommendation for a first visit.

Alaska is plentiful with places to strike it rich or get away for a great adventure. It’s important, however, to distinguish between the two because Alaska can offer various types of challenges depending on what kind of gold panner you are. Panning for gold in Alaska can be rewarding experience, however, information and experience is key.