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Places to Look for Placer Gold

As water moves from higher locations to lower ones, the flow pushes along solid materials. Where the water slows, these materials slowly fall out of the water into piles, also called placer deposits. In areas where gold naturally occurs, the eroding force of water often carries small pieces of gold down mountain sides and canyons. When a placer deposit forms in these areas, gold is one of the materials often left in the placer deposit. Though placer gold occurs in varying locations, some areas are often more productive than others.

River Bends
- Where a river's stream bed turns, the moving water will slow. Due to the weight of gold, the current must move swiftly to move gold. This means that most gold deposits occur during high water events such as snow melts and flooding. Prospectors may find gold bearing placer deposits not only in the stream bed, but also on the stream bank and other higher areas that are under water when the stream rises.
Sand and Gravel Bars
- Sand and gravel bars in rivers are placer deposits themselves. These areas are easy to see in many slowly moving rivers. In many places, a gold prospector can wade into the river to work areas of a sand or gravel bar for gold. Prospectors may find gold closest to the surface on the upstream side of a bar, where the stream deposits new gold after flooding. However, a prospector may find gold in any area of the bar. The surface of the river bed in front of a bar may also hold gold, as the gold is heavier than other materials and will settle out of the slowing water before other sediments.
Wide Areas
- When a river widens, the flow of water slows, which allows sediments to fall out of the water and create placer deposits. These areas can create profitable areas for prospecting, as reaching the gold may be difficult because the placer deposits are under water. Due to the difficulty of working these areas, few recreational prospectors will take the time to work there. Another advantage that these areas offer is that prospectors can locate wide areas in a stream before visiting a site, by using online and paper maps.
Other Locations
- Prospectors may find sediment from flood water trapped in vegetation alongside a stream. These sediments may also contain gold. The bases of waterfalls often erode out over time creating a depression. During periods of low water, a prospector may be able to work the sediments in the stream bed under a waterfall and find gold. Any obstruction in a stream will slow the water and may create a placer deposit. For example, prospectors may find small deposits in front of large boulders in a stream, bridge supports and submerged logs.

Rocks & Minerals