Prospecting guides
Gold rush history, old mines and where to look, state by state.
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Historic New Mexico Gold Mines
Read the guide: Historic New Mexico Gold MinesWhere New Mexico’s gold was first found, its best-known old mines, and what’s left at them today.
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Historic New Mexico Gold Mines
Where New Mexico’s gold was first found, its best-known old mines, and what’s left at them today.
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How to Check a Mining Claim in BLM’s MLRS, Step by Step
How to look up a mining claim in BLM’s records: whether it’s still active and who holds it.
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Abandoned Gold Claims Explained: Can You Pan or Stake Them?
What a closed claim is, whether you can pan there, and how to spot them on the map.
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How to Pan for Gold: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Step by step, from filling the pan to picking out the flakes, plus how to tell gold from fool’s gold.
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Gold Rushes of the American West: A Timeline From 1848 to 1902
The western gold rushes in order, from California in 1848 to the Klondike.
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The Alaska Gold Rush: Juneau, the Klondike, Nome and Fairbanks
Juneau, the Klondike, Nome and Fairbanks: how Alaska’s gold rushes played out.
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Basic Gold Prospecting Equipment
The pans, sluices and tools you need to get started.
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Where to Find Gold: Best Gold Panning and Prospecting Locations by State
Where loose gold settles in creeks and gravel, and how to spot those places.
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Historic Wyoming Gold Mines Today
Gold does not have a strong association with Wyoming. As a matter of fact, most people will think about cattle or oil when they…
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Historic Utah Gold Mines Today
There is something unique about Utah. It is one of the leading states in terms of gold-production, but people do not seem to be…
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Gold Mines in Nevada: Today’s Big Mines and the Historic Ones
Nevada mines most of the country’s gold. The big mines working today, the famous old ones, and where prospectors look.
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Historic Montana Gold Mines Today
Most of Montana’s gold came from the rugged west, near the Idaho line. A look at the old mines there.
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Historic South Dakota Gold Mines Today
The first important gold discovery in South Dakota occurred in 1874 by a group of people led by General Custer. The area was later…
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Historic Idaho Gold Mines Today
Among all states in the country, Idaho is one of the most productive in terms of gold mining. Another good thing is that about…
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Historic Washington Gold Mines Today
The United States has produced a bewildering amount of gold through the last century. Unfortunately gold is not distributed in equal amount across the…
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Historic Oregon Gold Mines Today
Some believe that gold was discovered in Oregon back in the 1845 by travelers in their journey to Willamette Valley. Whether or not the…
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Historic Colorado Gold Mines Today
In 1858 around the area of present-day Denver, small deposit of gold were discovered. Starting from that day, Colorado gold mines were on the…
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Historic California Gold Mines Today
Everyone knows about the California Gold Rush, and it was indeed the most important period of gold discovery in the United States by far.…
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Arizona Gold Mines and districts
Arizona has produced 17 million ounces of gold. Here are the districts it came from, county by county.
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Alaska Gold Mines Yesterday and Today
Alaska’s record gold finds, and the mines still working there today.
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Remembering Wyoming Gold Rush History
A brief period of Wyoming gold rush history started in 1842 and ended in 1875. One of the first discoveries occurred in 1842 at…
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Brief Washington Gold Rush History
Washington’s one big gold rush came in 1873 at Swauk Creek.
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Peculiar Utah Gold Rush History
Most of Utah’s gold comes from mining other metals. Why its rush was different.
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South Dakota Gold Rush History
The Black Hills gold rush, and the Wharf Mine still working today.
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Basic Oregon Gold Rush History
Shortly after the discovery of gold in the Sutter’s Mill in California (which started the California gold rush), another state also started its own…
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The Lackluster New Mexico Gold Rush
Compared to its neighboring state of Arizona, New Mexico has nowhere near the record of gold production. However, New Mexico gold mines have produced…
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Nevada Gold Rush History And Mining Locations
Nevada leads the country in gold today. Where its rush began and where mining goes on now.
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Working Montana Gold Rush Mines And History
The first recorded gold discovery in Montana happened in 1852, but the actual Montana Gold Rush did not start until 10 years later when…
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Idaho Gold Rush History And Districts
It started at Pierce in 1860. How the rush spread to the Boise Basin and beyond.
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Colorado Gold Rush History: Pikes Peak 1858 to Today
Zebulon Pike heard about gold in Park County in 1807. The big rush came in 1858.
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The Arizona Gold Rush From 1774
Arizona’s first gold mining began in 1774 in the Quijotoa Mountains. How it grew from there.
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The California Gold Rush Yesterday And Today
The best-known gold rush in the world, then and now.