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How to Gold Pan in East Tennessee

In 1815, when the government first heard of the discovery of gold by a young Cherokee boy on the Chestatee River, they seized the land and forced the Cherokee tribe to the west banks of the river, one of the darkest moments of Tennessee history. For years, any Cherokee would be prosecuted and imprisoned for searching for gold in the region. In 1828, the very first Gold Rush in American History would take place in the southeastern region, including Tennessee, and some $6 million in gold would be mined. Today families can still experience gold panning in East Tennessee.

Things You'll Need

Gold pan

Instructions

- 1
  Fill your gold pan about half way with the dirt and clay from your searching site. The more you fill your pan, the harder it will be to look for gold and the quicker your arms will get tired.
- 2
  Submerge your pan in water. If you are near a creek, use the water from the creak. If you are near a dry site, bring a tub, larger than your gold pan, full of water.
- 3
  Agitate your gold pan, while it is full of water. Lightly shake it back and fourth-- to break up all the dirt clumps, rocks and clay clumps, this will soften the clumps.
- 4
  Pour the water out of the gold pan and search the top layer of dirt and clay for gold. It is important to pour the water only. Pouring your dirt and clay could result in losing gold.
- 5
  Repeat this process until you are sure you have had the ability to search all of the dirt and clay in your pan for gold. Then, pour out the dirt and clay and start with a fresh batch with ground matter.

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