Since the gold rushes of the 1800′s, Colorado has been a leading U.S. state for gold panning. For gold prospectors, panning is the favored technique for finding gold.
Gold was first discovered in Colorado in 1859. Since then millions of ounces of gold have been found in Colorado and panning is still a viable technique for finding gold. Panning is essentially the use of wide, shallow pans to scoop up sand and gravel from stream beds. The pan is then dipped in water and shaken. If there’s gold in the pan, it will settle to the bottom of the pan because of its high density.
Panning really isn’t a commercially viable method of gold extraction, but is useful in finding placer deposits of gold that can later be mined using other techniques. Small amounts of gold for personal collection and sale can be found this way, however, and gold panning remains a popular tourist attraction in many state parks in the Northwest.
If you’re going to give gold panning a try, here’s a few tips to help you on your way:
– Master gold panning techniques. There are any number of books and videos that you can buy to learn how to pan for gold. Buying a practice kit may also be helpful. Practice kits come with black sand and small amounts of gold that you can use in practice runs. Patience is important as panning can be tough to master.
– Once you’ve mastered panning, take some time to learn where gold has been found before in Colorado. If you look in likely targets, your chance of successfully panning a little gold will increase. A good source material is “Gold Panning and Placering in Colorado” a report released by the Colorado Geological Survey.
– Find out if the site you want to pan at is a legal panning site. Some areas known for producing gold are private property or have claims filed on the location. Public panning areas in Colorado include spots along the Arkansas River and La Plata Creek. You can contact the Colorado Department of Tourism for a list of public panning areas.
– Once you’ve picked a site, head out there and pan for gold. In addition to your pan, you’ll probably want to take along a small shovel and a plastic bucket. When panning, look for areas with black sand, which is more likely to contain gold.
Panning for gold in Colorado is a fun way to enjoy the natural beauty of the state. And, if you’re lucky, it’s also another great way you can cash in on the rising price of gold, which recenlty crossed the $1,300 per ounce mark.
