gold panning spots?

[RTicUL8]

This spring/summer I would like to take the kids panning for gold. I picked up some equipment (3 pans, magnets, siphons, strainers) last year, but we haven’t gone anywhere yet. What would be a cool place to take them without having to worry about private property, mining claims, etc.

10 & 13 yr. old

 

[rock rash]

Thats a cool idea. Ive only done it at a Boy Scout Camp so I dont really have any suggestion.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Day trip or extended trip?

It's about a 4-5 hr drive from your area, but my pops and I learned gold panning in Cripple Creek, Co. Lots of places up there to do it and the town is kinda fun to visit as well. It's been years ago, but I remember taking "Gold Camp Road" from Cripple Creek, stopping at various locations along the road to do some panning, then ending up in Colorado Springs. I know Gold Camp Rd comes out somewhere in the 'Springs, just can't remember where or how.

HTH.
Troy

 

[Fred]

Comes out behind the Broadmoor. Gold camp road is closed on the lower half. Old stage road is open. Should show up on most maps.

Did you find any gold when you panned? I thought most of the Cripple Creek gold was pretty deep so there wouldn't be much available to weather and get in the streams.

I'd like to learn to pan gold. If you come down this way, give me a holler.

Fred

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Comes out behind the Broadmoor. Gold camp road is closed on the lower half. Old stage road is open. Should show up on most maps.

Did you find any gold when you panned? I thought most of the Cripple Creek gold was pretty deep so there wouldn't be much available to weather and get in the streams.

I'd like to learn to pan gold. If you come down this way, give me a holler.

Fred

Yeah, we did find some. My dad did find a purdy large nugget once - about 1/4" by 1/2" in size (about the size of yer little finger's fingernail) he has it as a pendant on his choker necklace. Most everything else was fairly miniscule. I've got a small vial somewhere that I collected my gold in - I need to find that dadgum thing......

Yer right though, I think the best way to find any kind of decent nuggets is to do some dredging, sifting and then pan it or build a sluice - but that requires a minerals permit and property owner's permission in most places. I don't think there's much issue with hobby-ists dropping a pan in, but if there's evidence that someone is "working" an area for profit, then that's when it becomes an issue.

 

[Grant]

Buena Vista has a rock shop, actaully about 8 mile south of BV on the west side of the road. A friend of a friend who is a serious gold digger (alaska type, not aspen type) recommended that shop as a good place to start out. They sell maps with all the panning spots highlighted.

Cannot remember the name for now, but it's almost across the road from the campground in Nathrop.

Grant

 

[RTicUL8]

Buena Vista has a rock shop, actaully about 8 mile south of BV on the west side of the road. A friend of a friend who is a serious gold digger (alaska type, not aspen type) recommended that shop as a good place to start out. They sell maps with all the panning spots highlighted.

Cannot remember the name for now, but it's almost across the road from the campground in Nathrop.

Grant

I've stopped in that shop before.
However, after doing some research, I think I found the perfect place to start. I'm going to stop by here this week: http://www.goldendetectors.com