Our 2010 Arizona gold map shows there are currently 44,613 active gold mining claims and 17,122 abandoned claims in the state on public lands. Of those active claims, 38,321 are lode claims and 6,292 are placer claims. Of those abandoned claims, 14,166 are lode and 2,956 are placer. Arizona’s active gold mining claims represent about 12% of all gold claims in America.
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When you first open the Arizona gold map you’ll get a satellite view of the state boundaries with little yellow clusters throughout. Those yellow clusters represent high concentrations of active gold mining claims. This view of these yellow clusters gives us a very accurate and current idea of where most of Arizona’s gold is being found. Abandoned claims will appear as little blue clusters mostly mixed in with the yellow clusters. |
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Now zoom in about 75 miles north of Phoenix to a town called Prescott Arizona. You can clearly see the active (yellow) and abandoned (blue) gold mining claims boundaries throughout the area. You are now just outside of public land in the Prescott National Forest. Once in Prescott National Forest you can find dozens of non-claimed gold panning sites for you and your family to try your hand at. The mining claim boundaries shown are accurate to within feet of what you’ll discover at ground level. |
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Zoom in further still and you can click on any active or abandoned gold claims for ownership and other information about the claim. This information is to help those prospectors wanting to establish their own claims. Recreational gold panners should not try to contact claim holders and always stay away from claimed property. Use the claims to guide you to where the action is but always respect the property rights of others. |
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Still looking at the Prescott area, turn on the Google Earth™ overlay entitled Places of Interest. Now you can see Prescott National Forest campgrounds, ranger stations, hiking trails, hotels, gas stations and stores. You can zoom in further still to get a birds-eye view of roads, creeks and other points of interest. Using Google Earth™ satellite imagery, altitude and distance measuring tools will eliminate most surprises like, “I didn’t know that hill was so steep.” |
Arizona Gold Prospecting Notes: None of the Arizona images above show just how close you can zoom in and see potential gold panning sites. You’ll be amazed at how crisp the satellite imagery is and how much exploring and planning you can do from the comfort of your home. And Google Earth™ is a free download.
