What do you need to know about gold panning in Oregon? This writing will provide you everything you need to know about gold panning and the top 10 places for gold panning in Oregon.
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What do you know about gold?
Gold is one of the rarest chemical elements globally, providing sustainable value making humans drawn physically and emotionally to it. Now the question turns to which countries are producing the most massive volume of gold.
According to the World Gold Council data as of June 24, 2021, the U.S. is known to be the 4th country of global gold production in China, Australia, and Russia. Accordingly, the country has produced 200.2 tonnes in 2019 and is the net exporter of gold.
This writing will provide you everything you need to know about gold panning and the top 10 places for gold panning in Oregon and be prepared for the exciting trip ahead.
What do you know about gold panning in Oregon?
In Oregon, gold mines can be found spreading much across the State, mostly in the Southwest, Northeast, and the Western Cascades of Oregon. The gold mining story started in 1851 when prospectors found gold in Southern Oregon and the Gold Rush, which made the gold search fever sweep through the whole State.
Later, it can be found in Josephine Creek on the rivers of Applegate, Illinois, and Rouges, including the adjacent area of Gold Beach on the Coast. Until now, this ancient kind of treasure hunting still excites people of all ages.
Nowadays, most public lands managed by the U.S. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) remain open for people to conduct recreational gold mining.
These places include Tunnel Ridge, Little Applegate, Gold Nugget, Rogue river, and Cow Creek areas of southern Oregon and the rivers of Powder and Burnt of northeast Oregon. Quartzville Creek in central Oregon also attracts recreational gold miners.
You don’t need any gold panning permit for recreational gold panning from the BLM or specific equipment; just bring a gold pan, gold container, and big enthusiasm for such a kind of treasure hunting activity.
Thus, gold panning is not only a fun and adventurous expedition for your family and a trip with friends back in the old-time, but the feeling of having luck enough to find gold in your pan should also be more exciting. Whether you can find at a recreational gold panning or other fee digging site, the best part of the gold search is so rewarding that you can keep all the gold you find.
However, if miners happen to use suction dredge, they will have to ask for two states’ permits. Besides, it cannot use high bankers, shovels, sluices, or rockers on the gold mining sites. Therefore make sure you check the most updated information with the relevant management agency about the places and standard equipment for recreation gold panning.
Top 10 Places to go Gold Panning in Oregon
There are few places on public lands in Oregon that are open to the public for recreational use, including gold panning. Most sites allow people to go panning use hand and pan, while others allow people to use more mining tools like shovel, sluices, and suction dredge with required specific permits.
Still, days for gold panning may be long gone; this doesn’t mean you don’t have any luck finding it. In this writing, we would positively like to introduce several sites and areas that are open to the public for recreational gold panning in Oregon. Plus, you are highly recommended to contact the relevant management agency to get the most updated information and rules related to the place that you intend to visit.
In this writing, we would like to provide you with the top 10 places to go gold panning in Oregon, hopefully, useful for your next exciting adventure of gold mining.
Little Applegate
Location Map of Recreational Mining Areas in Medford district of the Bureau of Land Management
https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/goldbrochure.pdf
Little Applegate is situated in the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management in Southwest Oregon. This site is open to the public for recreational gold mining on public lands.
Panning is allowed without a permit by the Bureau of Land Management. Suction dredges of equal to or less than four inches is allowed here. However, you need to obtain two permits from the State to use this suction dredge:
- a 700-PM Permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- an Authorization of Oregon on Removal-Fill issued by Division of State Lands (DSL).
Suction dredges can operate at the Little Applegate from July 1- September 15.
Please contact the Bureau of Land Management at 97504 541-618-2200 or 97526 (541) 471-6500.
More details can be found on
https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/goldbrochure.pdf
Tunnel Ridge
Another site, namely Tunnel Ridge, is situated in the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management in Southwest Oregon.
Panning is allowed without a permit by the Bureau of Land Management. Suction dredges of equal to or less than four inches is allowed here. However, you need to obtain two permits from the State to use this suction dredge:
- a 700-PM Permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- an Authorization of Oregon on Removal-Fill issued by Division of State Lands (DSL).
Suction dredges can operate at the Tunnel Ridge typically from July 1- September 15.
Please contact the Bureau of Land Management at 97504 541-618-2200 or 97526 (541) 471-6500.
More details can be found on
https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/goldbrochure.pdf
Gold Nugget
Located in the same Medford district of the Bureau of Land Management in Southwest Oregon, Gold Nugget is open for recreational gold mining on public lands.
Panning is allowed without a permit by the Bureau of Land Management. Suction dredges of equal to or less than four inches is allowed here. However, you need to obtain two permits from the State to use this suction dredge:
- a 700-PM Permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- an Authorization of Oregon on Removal-Fill issued by Division of State Lands (DSL).
Suction dredges can operate typically during June 15 August 31 at Gold Nugget Site.
Please contact the Bureau of Land Management at 97504 541-618-2200 or 97526 (541) 471-6500.
More details can be found on
https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/goldbrochure.pdf
Hellgate Recreation Area of the Rogue River
Map of Hellgate Recreation Area
https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/goldbrochure.pdf
Finally, the Hellgate Recreation Area of the Rogue River is the fourth site located in the same Medford district of the Bureau of Land Management in Southwest Oregon. This site is considered one of the best places to prospect gold along the Rogue River. Rouge River is known to be one of the rivers with the wealthiest gold in Southern Oregon, especially the area between Gold Hill and Grants Pass.
Location: Hellgate Recreation Area covers a 27-mile stretch of the river between the entrance of the Applegate River and the entrance of Graves Creek and includes tributaries within ¼ mile of the Rogue River itself.
Panning is allowed without a permit by the Bureau of Land Management. However, some restrictions are applied to the type of equipment you can use to go panning. For example, suction dredges are not allowed at this site. Thus, make sure you can check with the Medford District’s BLM about which equipment is legal to prospect before going.
The Bureau of Land Management manages these four above recreational gold mining sites.
Thus, if you have any information regarding these sites, please contact the Bureau of Land Management at 97504 541-618-2200 or 97526 (541) 471-6500.
More details can be found on
https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/files/goldbrochure.pdf
Quartzville Recreational Mining Corridor
Map of Quartzville Recreational Mining Corridor
Quartzville Recreational Mining Corridor is the free site located in the Western Cascades in Salem District. This site is on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Contact: The Salem District Office
Address: 1717 Fabry Road SE, Salem, Oregon 97306
Phone (503) 399-5646.
Applegate Ranger District
Map of Apple Ranger District
Apple Ranger District is located in southwestern side of Oregon in the Rogue River National Forest. There are four fee panning sites that you have to get charge for a dollar per day for panning in the areas next to campgrounds.
Address: 6941 Upper Applegate Road, Jacksonville, Oregon 97530
Phone (503) 899-1812.
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Map of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Areas set aside for recreational gold mining as a free site in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in northeastern Oregon are listed below:
- Eagle Forks Campground is located nine mile in the northwestern side of Richland in the Pine Ranger District in Halfway in Oregon.
Contact: (503) 742-7511.
- McCully Forks Campground is located on McCully Forks Creek, just western side of Sumpter in Baker Ranger, in the Baker City in Oregon.
- Deer Creek Campground is located on Deer Creek in the northern side of Phillips Lake in Baker Ranger in Baker City in Oregon.
- The Recreational Area of the Powder River is located just below the Mason Dam, Baker Ranger, in Baker City in Oregon.
Contact: (503) 523-4476.
- Antlers Guard Station is located on the Burnt River in Unity Ranger District, Unity of Oregon.
Contact: (503) 446-3351.
It is advised not to conduct mining on the campsites themselves and that the campgrounds and roads are away from the mineral entry to avoid people from destroying them. There are no separate areas set aside for mining; thus, you can check with the local Forest Service office to get started.
Also, gold panning is permitted on nearly all rivers and streams running through campgrounds on USDA Forest Service (USPS) land and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Oregon. You can check maps for campground locations in relevant local USPS and BLM offices, or USPS Recreation Information Office.
Butte Falls Recreational Area
Map of Butte Falls Recreational Area
Another site managed by Medford District, Bureau of Land Management, is Butte Falls Recreational Area is the free site located in southwestern Oregon.
Contact: The Medford District Office
Address: 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, Oregon 97504
Phone: (503) 770-2200.
Sixes River Recreation Site
Sixes River
https://www.blm.gov/visit/sixes-river
Sixes River Recreation Site is located 10 miles east of Sixes in Curry County in Oregon. This site is the prime location for gold panning and managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
This site has attracted many gold miners dating back in the mid-1850s, but now it is open to the public for recreational mining, including gold prospecting. Here gold searcher can do panning, suction dredging, and sluicing. You are not required to obtain a permit for recreational gold panning at public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management; however, if you conduct suction dredges, sluicing, rocker boxes, you need to apply for two permits from the State, which are:
- a 700-PM Permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- an Authorization of Oregon on Removal-Fill issued by Division of State Lands (DSL).
Other than that, if you want to use motorized equipment, bear in mind that motorized operations are only allowed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife of Oregon on the Sixes River from July 15 through September 30 as the in-water work period.
You can also go fishing, go camping, or relax in the campsites if you want to make a getaway here.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 541-756-0100
Address: Coos Bay District, 1300 Airport Lane, North Bend, Oregon 97459
Website: https://www.blm.gov/visit/sixes-river
Sharps Creek Recreation Site is lying under the foothill of the Cascade Mountains in Lane County. This site is located about 18 miles southeast of Cottage Grove and is a prime location for gold panning.
Direction: To get to the Sharps Creek Recreation area, you need to take Cottage Grove exit 174 from the Interstate I-5 at the northbound and southbound. Then turn left from the exit and follow the signs to the Lake of Dorena. Keep going on Row River Road for about 4 miles, then continue to go straight on Shoreview Drive for 6.6 miles until meeting Row River Road. You will continue traveling for 4.2 miles to Sharps Creek Road. Later, you will turn right onto Sharps Creek Road and keep going for 3.1 miles. You will find the campground located on the right; the area overlooking Sharps Creek for day-use is situated on the left.
Map to Sharps Creek Recreation Site
https://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Sharps_Creek.pdf
It was in 1858 that Sharps Creek was the wealthiest gold found in the Cascade Mountains. Recreational gold panning with hand and pan is permitted during the period from June 1 to September 15. Here you can do suction dredging and sluicing with hoses with a diameter of less than or equal to 4 inches from July 1 through September 1, provided that such mining activity will not affect other recreational activities. However, to do suction dredging, you have to obtain a permit from the Department of Environmental Quality of Oregon, located in Salem in Oregon.
You also have to bear in mind not to operate mining equipment upstream immediately when people are using the swimming area. Also, remember to stay within the recreation site areas to prevent trespassing on the nearby private lands.
Here you can find a small campground as well as a daily use area along Sharps Creek. Besides, visitors can enjoy hiking, wildlife viewing, camping, swimming, picnicking, and panning for gold. Please also bear in mind that the site is open only from May 15 to September 30.
More information about this site can be found on https://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Sharps_Creek.pdf.
Eugene District Office Bureau of Land Management
Address: 2890 Chad Drive P.O. Box 10226 Eugene, Oregon 97440
Phone: (888) 442-3062 or (541) 683-6600
Final Thoughts
Is this all the top 10 places for gold panning in Oregon? Of course not.
The truth is, there are so many places that gold has not been discovered across the State in Oregon. A skillful gold miner can be found with his incredible determination and masterful experience and also depends on luck. Still, many places may be left behind this writing. Hopefully, it has made for your list of choices.
In a nutshell, gold panning is not only a fun and adventurous expedition for your family to experience a part of local history, the feeling of having luck enough to find gold in your pan should be more exciting. Whether you can find at a recreational gold panning or other fee digging site, the best part of the gold find is so rewarding that you can keep all the gold you find. The only tools you need are a gold pan, gold container, and adventurous sense; why not give it a try!
Frequently asked questions
Question: Where is the most massive gold production in the U.S.?
Most gold is found in Nevada’s large open-pit mining state in the U.S., making it the largest gold producing State in the country.
Question: Where to find gold in Oregon?
In Oregon, gold mines can be found spreading much across the State, mostly in the Southwest, Northeast, and the Western Cascades of Oregon.
Question: Where to pan for gold for free in Oregon?
Most public lands managed by the U.S. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) remain open for people to conduct recreational gold mining for free.
Question: Is it legal to pan for gold in Oregon?
Yes, it is legal to pan for gold in Oregon. It is allowed on most public lands like creeks and rivers managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Question: Where is the most gold found in Oregon?
According to the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries of Oregon, Blue Mountain is the most crucial gold mining field in Oregon. The site, of which production comprised three-fourth total gold output of the State, is located in the northeastern part of Oregon.
Question: When is the ideal time to pan for gold in Oregon?
You can go panning for gold any time of the year, except for the time of spawning salmon or steelhead, red (fish eggs) are present. You can check the information on these species’ spawning time on the website of the Department of Fish and Wildlife of Oregon.
Question: Do I need to bring special equipment to pan for gold?
You don’t need any permit for recreational gold panning from the BLM or specific equipment. Just bring a gold pan, gold container, and big enthusiasm for such a treasure hunting activity. However, if miners happen to use suction dredge, they will have to ask for two states’ permits.
Question: What are permits I need to obtain to do suction dredge if applicable?
You are not required to obtain a permit for recreational gold panning at public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management; however, if you conduct suction dredges, you need to apply for two permits from the State, which are:
- a 700-PM Permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- an Authorization of Oregon on Removal-Fill issued by Division of State Lands (DSL).
Question: What else do I need to pay attention to when panning for gold in public sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management?
You have to make sure not to obstruct the passage of fish underwater, divert a waterway, obstruct boating, disturb trees, rooted woody plants, excavate the stream’s bank, leave piles, pits or potholes after gold panning. You can find more restrictions on the website of the Bureau of Land Management.
Question: Are there any other places that you would recommend to conduct gold panning in Oregon apart from the ten sites?
Apart from the 10 places listed in this writing, the Burnt River is one of the longest gold-bearing rivers in Eastern Oregon. The gold wealthiest location runs through the Burnt River Canyon to Durkee’s western side, then all the way downstream to Brownlee Reservoir.
It is believed that there is more gold in the current river, but the gold wealthiest areas are actually in the deposits of ancient rivers.