People from all walks of life enjoy prospecting for gold, with the dream for most of these prospectors is to find a nice little nugget of gold!
The United States of America has a storied history when it comes to gold prospecting and gold mining, with many historical periods of the growth of this great nation revolving around gold rushes, such as the California Gold Rush in the mid 1800’s.
Just because the gold rush days of gold are in the past doesn’t mean you can find something when you are out prospecting or using your metal detector. Below we go through some tips for selecting a metal detector for gold prospecting then we go through some places to find gold in the USA.
Gold Prospecting with a Metal Detector
One of the easier ways to find gold when gold prospecting is with the use of a metal detector. Given the massive range of metal detectors on the market, what should you look for in purchasing a metal detector?
The main points to go through when looking for a metal detector include:
—Where will you be prospecting?
This will play a big part (as will your budget) when looking for a metal detector. If you are looking for gold only and your likely gold finds are fairly deep in the ground then you will be focusing on a metal detector that operates at a frequency suitable for finding gold deep into the ground.
Alternatively if you are looking for a metal detector to take to the beach to find coins then your choice is going to be different again.
Get a fair idea of your typical prospecting location and purchase a metal detector accordingly that will operate suitably in your local environment.
—What is your budget?
Probably the most important part of the puzzle when looking for a metal detector. If money is no object then you could look to purchase a top of the range gold metal detector such as Minelab’s GPZ 7000 plus their Excalibur II underwater detector as well as a wide range of accessories and equipment to help you in your quest to find gold.
Alternatively if money is a lot tighter than your range is obviously going to be smaller and you might even need to be looking at the 2nd hand metal detector market.
—What are the parts and accessories options for your chosen metal detector?
When choosing a brand for your metal detector make sure that there are plenty of parts or accessories for the chosen brand. Most of the top brands on the market have sufficient spare parts available (and most brands also offer a decent warranty period as well should you purchase new)
Also look to see if there is a decent 2nd hand market for your brand/model should you choose to update your metal detector at a later date.
—What is your experience with using a metal detector?
For those with little to no experience using a metal detector, you would get more benefit looking for a detector that has easy to understand preset modes that don’t involve you understanding the technicalities such as discrimination, ground balance or understanding target id’s.
The more experienced you become and once you understand the nuances of how metal detectors work then you can expand your options to those detectors that will need some fine tuning to get the best results in the field rather than basic preset fields.
So initially look for something easy to operate and understand if you are new to metal detecting.
New or Used Metal Detectors or Gold Prospecting equipment?
For some gold prospectors you are going to want to purchase brand new equipment as that is who you are and you have the budget for this. For others the budget may be a little smaller and you are more than happy to use 2nd hand equipment.
Some of the main specifications involving metal detectors include:
—Type of Detector
The two popular types of metal detectors include Very Low Frequency (VLF) detectors and Pulse Induction (PI) detectors.
—Preset modes
Some metal detectors have several preset modes while others have none. Preset modes are easier for new gold prospectors or those with little experience or for those gold prospectors looking for an easy to use detector.
—Size of the coil
In most cases, the bigger the coil (diameter size) the deeper the range of the detector. This isn’t always the case as there are other settings/variables in play however keep this in mind when looking for your detector.
—Range/Depth of the Metal Detector
Similar to the point above (a detector with a larger range (in theory) will have a larger coil diameter size) a detector looking to access deeper parts will need to operate at lower frequencies. Again other factors come into play however being able to operate at lower frequencies should help when searching in deeper terrain.
—Other points such as discrimination, target id and ground balance
In theory the better the metal detector, the easier it can discriminate between different findings (ie gold or other ores).
This concept is also the same with tracking id (the better the detector in theory the tracking id should be able to tell you what you’ve detected) and also ground balance which your detector can filter out any pre-existing mineral make up in the ground to provide more accurate findings.
For more information on what to look for in a metal detector click here.
Now the likely limit to your budget will determine whether you look at a new metal detector or a 2nd hand metal detector. Provided you do your homework and use a quality reseller there is nothing wrong when purchasing 2nd hand and you have a good chance of picking up a bargain.
We wrote an article on some of the tips to follow when looking for a 2nd hand metal detector however it is a great option when looking to purchase a detector.
Again to cover yourself you’ll want to find a quality retailer selling 2nd hand metal detectors and one retailer that we recommend is High Plains Prospectors.
Now that you’ve found yourself a quality metal detector and accessories, let’s get into gold prospecting locations in the USA.
Gold Prospecting in Nevada
The biggest gold producing state in the U.S it makes sense that Nevada would be a very popular state for gold prospecting enthusiasts.
Many people have found gold in their prospecting adventures across Nevada with popular prospecting locations including Pershing County, White Pine County or Nye County.
Gold has been found in towns such as Searchlight (not too far from Las Vegas). In the North of the state, Humboldt County has produced some nice size nuggets while Elko County in the east of the state is also worth your while to visit.
One thing to note about Nevada, gold isn’t the only ore that can be found. Silver is also prevalent in Nevada and depending on where you go prospecting some of the gold in Nevada is actually found in an alloy called Electrum. Electrum is usually made up of gold or silver but can contain traces of copper or other metals.
Gold Prospecting in California
Historically California is one of the most world famous gold mining and gold prospecting locations. Many people in the mid 1800’s headed to the west coast of the USA searching for their fortune. Whilst those heady gold finding days are long gone in California there can still be some nice finds when prospecting for gold in California.
The most famous gold producing region in California is through Mother Lode deposit which stretches out near the Sierra Nevada mountain range and there are still people finding gold around this region.
Gold has also been found in northern California around the Sacramento river and also near the Shasta and Trinity Counties.
Further south, gold has also been found around San Bernardino county as well as San Gabriel Mountains.
For those who love their wine, why not combine a gold prospecting expedition with a visit to a winery or two in Napa.
Gold Prospecting in Arizona
Arizona is one of the most popular gold prospecting states in the U.S and one which has significant historical gold production. Gold is found in the rivers of Arizona as well as the mountains around this great state.
Popular Arizona gold prospecting locations include the Lynx Creek and Weaver/Rich Hill Districts, the Bighorn and Wickenburg Mountains as well as the Agua Fria and Hassayampa rivers.
Gold Prospecting in New Mexico
Whilst not as prevalent as Arizona, gold can be found in New Mexico both in the ground and throughout many of the rivers in New Mexico. The Rio Grande and the Sante Fe rivers are popular for visitors looking for gold as is the Cimarron river (and surrounding towns such as Folsom).
Other places that gold can be found in New Mexico include the Hillsboro District, Pinos Altos and the area around Baldy Mountain.
Gold Prospecting in Colorado
The nickname of the Colorado based NBA team is the Nuggets, so it’s safe to say that gold has an important part in the history of Colorado.
There are plenty of locations to either use a metal detector or gold panning equipment in Colorado. Popular gold prospecting locations in Colorado include Clear Creek Canyon, South Platte River, Cache Creek or the working gold mine Phoenix Gold Mine.
With a lot of these above locations, water can be limited (excluding river locations) and this is where the benefit of a metal detector comes in and (if applicable) dry washers can also be handy in these types of waterless locations. Also make sure you aren’t prospecting on private property or on property that has a private claim. Visit the relevant state authority before you go on your next gold prospecting adventure.
Gold prospecting is an excellent activity that gets you outdoors and one that could also be quite lucrative. When looking for gold it’s best to visit a location that has had some previous success with finding gold and a location that is safe to prospect at and easy to get to. Make sure you use the right equipment, have lots of fun and hopefully find some gold in your next outdoors adventure.