Utah Gold Maps
Updated November 2026
Is there gold in Utah? Yes. Our Utah Gold Maps show there are currently 41,604 active gold claims and 444,679 abandoned gold claims located throughout the state. Of those active claims, 28,243 are lode claims and 13,361 are placer claims. Of those abandoned claims, 385,029 are lode and 59,650 are placer. Utah’s active gold claims represent about 7.6% of all active gold claims in the lower 48 states.
41,604
active gold claims
444,679
abandoned claims
16,394
old mines and prospects NEW
What you’ll see in the Utah gold map
Start with the whole state
When you first open the Utah gold map you will get a satellite view of the state boundaries with little yellow/orange clusters throughout. Those yellow (lode claims) and orange (placer claims) clusters represent high concentrations of active gold mining claims throughout the state. This view of these clusters gives us an incredibly accurate idea of where most of Utah’s gold is being found. This view isn’t possible with a paper map.
Zoom in to claim lines near Beaver
Now zoom in about 50 miles north of Cedar City to a small town called Beaver Utah. You can clearly see the active lode (yellow) and active placer (orange) gold mining claims throughout the area. You are now just outside of public land in the Fishlake National Forest. Once inside Fishlake you can find dozens of non-claimed gold prospecting locations for you and your family to try your luck at. Our maps will save you at least $200 in gas alone by showing you exactly where to go.
Click a claim to learn more
Zoom in further still and you can click on the active placer or lode claims for the MTRS number to determine ownership and other information about the claim(s). This information is for professional prospectors experienced with the claiming process. Recreational gold panners should not try to contact claim holders and always stay away from claimed property. Please read more about the MTRS numbers on our Viewing Tips page.
Find camps, trails and roads near Beaver
Still looking at the Beaver Utah area, turn on the Google Earth™ overlay entitled Parks and Recreation found within the More overlay. Now you can see Fishlake 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.”
What’s in the Utah mining claims map: five layers
One 4.1 MB download. Turn each layer on and off in Google Earth, which is free on your computer. How to open your map
Active lode claims
Gold in solid rock, the hard-rock veins
28,243
Active placer claims
Loose gold in sand and gravel
13,361
Abandoned lode claims
Old hard-rock claims nobody pays for anymore
385,029
Abandoned placer claims
Old creek and gravel claims
59,650
Old mines and prospects NEW
Tunnels, shafts, pits, dumps and tailings from USGS topo maps
16,394
Where to pan for gold in Utah
Turn on the abandoned placer claims layer. Those boxes mark creeks and gravel where people once staked claims for loose gold. Pick a spot on public land that isn’t inside an active claim, and pan there. New to it? Read how to pan for gold, what abandoned gold claims mean for you, and our state-by-state guide to where to find gold.
Looking at gold claims for sale in Utah?
Find the claim on the map before you buy. Click its section to see how many active claims are there, when the newest one was staked, and how many have closed. The popup also gives the BLM code (MTRS) and a link to BLM’s claim records, so you can check that the claim is still active and who holds it. Our guide to checking a mining claim in BLM’s MLRS shows how.
How Utah’s mining claims have changed
Utah had 19,788 active mining claims at the start of 2015. Today it has 41,604, 110% more. Compare all 12 western states, year by year, on the mining claims by state page.
How close you can zoom in
None of the Utah images above show just how close you can zoom in to see gold prospecting locations. 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. Google Earth™ is free to use in your web browser.
“As a prospector, I must admit that it has already pointed the way to some areas that I intend to prospect.”
Alan Chenworth, author of A Guide to Gold Panning in Utah
Utah gold mine and history guides
- Historic Utah Gold Mines Today Old mines
- Peculiar Utah Gold Rush History Gold rush history
Prices: save when you add more states
Add more states at checkout. 2 to 4 maps save 25%, 5 to 10 save 35%, and 11 or more save 50%.