Where can I find gold in Prescott AZ?
Gold Panning Areas
Table of Contents
- Bradshaw Ranger District. The Bradshaw Mountains, located south of Prescott, have long been known for being one of the most mineralized mountain ranges in the world.
- Lynx Lake Recreation Area.
- Lynx Creek Gold Pan Day Use Area.
Where can I pan for gold free in Arizona?
Miners have been finding gold in these rivers since the 1860’s, and there is still plenty of gold left to find!

- Hassayampa River.
- Colorado River.
- Gila River.
- San Francisco River.
- Santa Maria River.
- Santa Cruz River.
Can you metal detect in Prescott National Forest?
The Forest Service recognizes gold panning and metal detecting as legitimate recreational pursuits. In doing so, these activities are allowed forest wide, but visitors need to be aware of areas that are excluded from prospecting or mining.
What time of year is best for gold panning?
When the water is low, it’s the perfect time to gold pan! Post-Snow Melt – Snow melts tend to break up the gravel and ore up in the mountains, bringing down the material into the streams and rivers as the weather begins to get a little warmer.

Can I pan for gold in any river?
Narrowing Down Your Search For Gold Panning Sites
Obviously, gold can only be panned out of running water sources such as rivers, creeks, and streams.
Where are gold nuggets found in Arizona?
The desert areas of Arizona are ideally located for nugget hunting. Rich placers have been found in several parts of Arizona, the best known are located at: Lynx Creek, Weaver (Rich Hill), La Paz and Greaterville, but smaller placer gold deposits are found all over the western part of the state.
What part of Arizona has the most gold?
Much of the active placer gold mining in Arizona is around the town of Wickenburg. Areas of high gold potential are located north of Wickenburg in Yavapai county, and south-southwest in Maricopa county.
Do I need a permit to metal detect in Arizona?
Metal Detecting Laws For Arizona
At least, not without a permit. Most parks are open to detecting as long as you fill any holes and leave no trace.
How much gold can be panned in a day?
If you are using a gold pan, it is possible to pan up to a quarter ounce per day. However, a brutal majority of prospectors won’t be able to reach anywhere near that number.
How much money can you make panning gold?
As a new gold panner, it would be realistic to expect to make an average of 0,5 – 1 gram of gold per day. If the gold spot price is $1800 per troy ounce, and you can sell your gold for 70% of spot value, you would make $630 to $1260 dollars per month.
Does black sand indicate gold?
Black sands (mostly iron) can be and usually is an indicator of gold, but not always. Rule of thumb is you will generally find black sand with gold, but not always gold with black sand. However if you are finding gold and getting black sands with it, it would be worthwhile to try some and see what happens.
Do all creeks have gold?
Not every creek and river out there has gold. From a practical sense it would be fair to say that most of them don’t have any gold, or there is so little gold that it would be a waste of time trying to find it. Taking some extra time to research good locations is time well-invested.
What’s the largest gold nugget found in Arizona?
EUREKA! ARIZONA GOLD: 2nd Largest Nugget Ever Found in AZ.
What does 1 troy ounce of gold look like?
A troy ounce of gold is equal to 31.1 grams or 0.068 pounds. That weight is roughly the weight of a slice of bread. But what does an ounce of gold look like? In cube form, one troy ounce of gold is roughly the same size as a small die.
What to do with gold after panning?
Panned gold (also called gold dust) is raw gold. It is in its natural unrefined state, not in coin or bar form that you can take to a coin dealer and sell. Fortunately it’s not hard to sell your panned gold as long as you know where to find reputable buyers.
Is panning for gold worth it?
Gold panning’s profitability is affected by factors such as time, area, and expertise, but incomes will not be stable. However, due to the lower initial investment, gold prospectors who practice gold panning can see decent profits when selling the placer to a buyer, if they manage to find some gold.
Does fool’s gold stick to a magnet?
Iron pyrite will stick to the magnet because of its high iron content; gold will not. You can also use a drop of nitric acid to test your specimen. (Caution is advised.) Nitric acid will turn iron pyrite black, but gold will remain the same color.
What type of rock is gold most commonly found in?
quartz rock
Gold is most often found in quartz rock. When quartz is found in gold bearings areas, it is possible that gold will be found as well. Quartz may be found as small stones in river beds or in large seams in hillsides.
What are the signs of gold in the ground?
Among the most prominent signs of the presence of gold in the rocks are:
- Quartz : Usually, both gold and quartz are found together, it is likely that when finding quartz, gold will also be found in the same area.
- lush rock species :
- overlapping rocks :
- Suitable topography:
- Silt :
- Similar and nearby geological zones :
How do you know if a creek has gold in it?
See if the river leads to an intersection or confluence. Gold may be present there as well. Check if the creek or river leads to a waterfall. Most likely, high amounts of gold deposit can be found at the base of the fall.
Where is the most gold found in Arizona?
How much is 1 oz of gold worth right now?
$1,694.00
MONEX Live Gold Spot Prices
Gold Spot Prices | Today | Change |
---|---|---|
Gold Prices Per Ounce | $1,694.00 | +29.00 |
Gold Prices Per Gram | $54.46 | +0.93 |
Gold Prices Per Kilo | $54,462.10 | +932.35 |
How much is a 400 ounce gold bar worth?
400 oz Gold Bar – London Good Delivery
Weight: | Spot Price: | Buy Price: |
---|---|---|
400.00 oz | $ 682,184.00 | $ 690,711.30 |
Can you sell gold that you found?
Can you sell gold that you find? You can typically sell your raw gold the same way that you would sell refined gold products like jewelry, dental scrap, coins, or bullion — though keep in mind that gold found through prospecting, or other raw gold does not fetch the same high price as government-backed gold products.
What does gold look like in raw form?
Raw gold appears brassy yellow and bright. If you think it is gold, place your hand between it and the sun to create shade over the gold. If it still appears bright in the pan, chances are that it is real gold. Fool’s gold does not appear as bright when shaded.