Where to pan for gold near you

Pick your state for its official public panning areas, gold districts and rules. We list 49 public panning areas from agency sources, each with a link to the source.

• Alabama
• Alaska (9 public panning areas)
• Arizona (1 public panning area)
• California (16 public panning areas)
• Colorado (9 public panning areas)
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Maine (1 public panning area)
• Montana (1 public panning area)
• Nevada
• New Hampshire (2 public panning areas)
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Oregon (4 public panning areas)
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee (2 public panning areas)
• Utah
• Vermont (1 public panning area)
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wyoming (3 public panning areas)

How to find gold near you

Placer gold erodes out of gold-bearing rock and settles in creek gravels downstream, so the best creeks drain old mining districts. Three questions decide where you can pan: is there gold in the creek, who owns the land, and is it under an active mining claim. Most good ground in the West is national forest or BLM land, where hand panning is usually allowed off claims. In the East, almost everything is private: ask the owner.