How to Locate Gold Nuggets

Search where gold has been found before. Research old maps, state and federal land records and data from libraries or historical societies for information to located abandoned mines or forfeited placer claims.

Contact the United States Forest Service or United States Bureau of Land Management to obtain land ownership maps for the area you wish to prospect. These maps clearly show private property, patented mining claims and state and public lands open to recreational use. Most streams and rivers that flow through public lands are open for mineral exploration unless part of an existing and current mining claim.

Explore old mining sites and metal detect or "nugget shoot" the tailing pilings. Old-fashioned equipment did not recover all the gold and these old ore dumps or tailings have proven to be quite productive. Also, metal detect open areas near the mine entrance and the along the roadways or trails leading to the mine.

Metal detect in the desert. Immediately after a severe windstorm, sweep the area with a metal detector. Nuggets that were previously deeply buried beyond reasonable discovery may have been exposed by the shifting sands.

Gold pan, sluice, dredge or metal detect previously worked stream beds and gravel bars. Heavy rains, snow melt or flash floods are constantly moving material and nuggets previously hidden might now be found.