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How to Pan for Gold in Juneau, Alaska

In the 1870s, two pioneers discovered gold in Alaska. The capital city of Juneau is named after one of these men, Joseph Juneau. The gold mining operations depleted a lot of the gold in Alaska but some can still be found in the lakes and streams of Juneau's public lands and state parks. Guided mine tours guarantee that everyone goes home with a few flakes of Alaska gold.

Things You'll Need

14-inch metal gold pan
Small shovel (optional)
Rubber boots
Tweezers
Small glass vials

Instructions

- 1
  Put on rubber boots for wading in streams. Dip the pan into the water and fill it halfway with dirt and water (or use a shovel to dig a small amount of dirt from stream bank). Swirl the pan in a circular motion to allow everything to settle. Gold is heavier than dirt and will sink to the bottom.
- 2
  Tip the pan forward slightly to allow some of the water to run out. Examine the dirt for any small flecks of gold or minerals. Small rocks or chucks of quartz may contain pockets of gold. Use tweezers to pick out any small pieces.
- 3
  Repeat the dipping and swirling motion as many times as necessary. Panning is a slow process for finding gold.
- 4
  Sift through the dirt to collect gold and other minerals from the pan. Collect any gold you find and place it in a small glass vial with water. Fool's gold is the term used for iron pyrite that "fools" gold seekers; it looks like gold but is not. Take your gold to a gemologist or other professional to determine what you have.

Rocks & Minerals