Our Montana gold panning map shows there are currently 13,099 active gold mining claims and 17,162 abandoned claims located throughout the state. Of those active claims, 10,822 are lode claims and 2,277 are placer claims. Of those abandoned claims, 14,003 are lode and 3,159 are placer. Montana’s roughly 13,099 active gold mining claims represent about 4% of all active gold claims in America.
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When you first open the Montana map you will see a satellite view of the state with little yellow clusters throughout. Those yellow clusters represent areas where you’ll find high concentrations of active gold mining claims. This view of these yellow clusters gives us an incredibly precise idea of where most of Montana’s gold is being found. This near real-time look at these gold bearing areas is simply not possible with traditional fold-out paper maps. |
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Now zoom in about 110 miles NW of Missoula to a little mountain town called Noxon. You can clearly see the active (yellow) and abandoned (blue) gold mining claim boundaries throughout the area. You are now surrounded by public land in the Kaniksu National Forest. That means you can find dozens of public non-claimed gold panning sites for you and your family to try your luck at. The boundaries shown are accurate to within feet of what you’ll see at ground level. |
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Zoom in further still and you can click on any active or abandoned gold claim 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 Noxon area, turn on the Google Earth™ overlay entitled Places of Interest. Now you can see Kaniksu National Forest campgrounds, ranger stations, hiking trails, hotels 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.” |
Montana Gold Panning Notes: None of the Montana images above show just how close you can zoom in to see 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.
