Our Wyoming gold panning map shows there are currently 45,203 active gold mining claims and 15,136 abandoned claims located throughout the state. Of those active claims, 39,219 are lode claims and 5,984 are placer claims. Of those abandoned claims, 11,810 are lode and 3,326 are placer. Wyoming’s active gold claims represent a respectable 12% of all active gold claims in America.
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When you first open the Wyoming 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 look at where most of Wyoming’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 70 miles west of Cheyenne to a little mountain town called Centennial Wyoming. You can clearly see the active (yellow) and abandoned (blue) gold mining claim boundaries throughout the area. You are now just outside of public land in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Once inside Medicine Bow you can find dozens of 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 Centennial area, turn on the Google Earth™ overlay entitled Places of Interest. Now you can see Medicine Bow 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.” |
Wyoming Gold Panning Notes: None of the Wyoming 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.
