Whether you're panning for gold as a hobby or a way to make a little extra income, it helps to find out where the best spots are to find gold.
Here are many website links to help make your research easier as you pan for gold for the first or hundredth time:
1. Top Ten Places to Pan for Gold
This is Discovery's website. It includes a variety of pictures as well as the following links and interesting information on places to pan for gold from Arkansas to Alabama:
 |
| Screen shot of Discovery's article on the Top Ten Places to Pan for Gold |
- Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas - (The website has a variety of photos of people panning for gold.)
- Gold Mine Tours in Cripple Creek, Colorado - (Their website says: "Free Gold! Visitors receive a free gold ore specimen from the Mollie Kathleen Mine containing real gold!" Read many visitors' reviews of Molly Kathleen's Gold Mine on this TripAdvisor page.
- Alabama Gold Camp - (Aside from finding gold, their website says that you can also find red garnets, fossils, and citrine.)
Discovery website's information and photo of Alabama Gold Camp - Libby Creek Recreational Gold Panning Area in Libby, Montana - (On their website: "The public is allowed to pan for gold within this area and any gold you happen to find is yours to keep.")
- Alta Ranch in Missoula, Montana - (On their website: "...was a gold mining town of 500 people...there is a small active placer gold mine a few miles upstream of the Alta Ranch. You might want to try panning for gold --- gold pans are furnished in the Alta Ranch cabins.")
- Consolidated Gold Mine in North Georgia - (Not only do they have mine tours or allow you to pan for gold but also give you the experience of trying to mine for your own gemstones. Gemstones include emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, amethyst, garnets, and more!)
- Arkansas River - (*Though this website is listed under one of Discovery's links for panning gold, read this Arkansas River's website warnings of whether or not you can indeed pan for gold.)
- Jamestown Gold Panning in Jamestown, California - (They have a lot of beautiful photos of gold imbedded in rocks. Here is California Gold Panning's Facebook page.
- Cow Creek Gold Mine in Girdwood, Alaska
- Marshal Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, California
2. Penny Hoarder's List of 7 Places Where You Can Still Pan for Gold
Their website's article has helpful information such as a brief history of each gold mine and the cost to pan for gold. Visit the link above to read more on their website. Here is quick list of the links on their list to pan for gold:
 |
| Screen shot of Penny Hoarder's article "7 Places Where You Can Still Pan for Gold" |
- Reed Gold Mine outside of Charlotte, North Carolina
- Big Thunder Gold Mine in South Dakota
- Jamestown Gold Panning in Jamestown, California (Their link doesn't work but the one I listed above should.)
- Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega, Georgia
- Crow Creek Gold Mine in Girdwood, Alaska (Their website link doesn't work but the one I listed above should.)
- Alabama Gold Camp
- Colorado Gold Aventures in Colorado
We look forward to featuring more places to pan for gold in detail. Enjoy the list above!
How about you? Have you ever panned for gold? Where is your favorite place to pan?
