RIVERS IN COLORADO WITH GOLD
1 ANIMAS RIVER .Much of the gold that comes from the mines in the mountains around the Animas River are locked up in telluride.
2 ARKANSAS RIVER .
3 BLU RIVER. Breckenridge is one of the richest gold mining districts in Colorado.
4 PLATA RIVER.
5 SAN MIGUEL RIVER. San Miguel County is a major gold producer for Colorado. Three major mining districts include Ophir, Telluride, and Mount Wilson.
6 SOUTH PLATTE RIVER .This was one of the earliest gold discoveries in the state
7 SWAN RIVER .The richest locations were at the mouths of American Gulch, French Gold, and Humbug Gulch.
8 TAYLOR RIVER .This is an area in northern Gunnison County at an area near Washington Gulch.
9 GUNNISON RIVER
PLACES TO GO PANNING IN COLORADO
1 CHACE CREEK .The creek was on private property for most of the last century but the owners did not mine on it for over 100 years until 1992 when it was purchased by the BLM for use by recreational gold prospectors. Currently, you can pan for gold on it using simple tools such as gold pans and sluice boxes.Cache Creek is located between Buena Vista an LEADVILLE along US-24 highway to Granite.
2 FAIRPLAY PROSPECTING PARK .Fairplay is a historic gold mining town in Colorado.Panning and sluicing are allowed all along the creek although digging in the river is prohibited. There are still plenty of gold in the waters and you find some rich gold flakes if you work hard enough.
3 CLEAR CREEK CANYON PARK .t allows gold panning, sluicing, and even SUCTION DREDGES of up to 4 inches in diameter. Also be aware that most of the gold is very fine.
4 PHOENIX GOLD MINE .For a small fee, you can take an hour’s tour deep into the mountain to learn about gold mining. Once the tour is done, you are taken to a stream just next to the mine where you try your luck at panning for gold.
5 RATTLESNAKE GULCH .
6 GRAND FRONTIER PARK .
7 POINT BARR PUBLIC AREA .Most of the areas in the Arkansas River are either private or claimed but on the north part of the river is open for everyone.
8 STEELE STREET OPEN SPACE PARK.
Colorado is a fantastic state to prospect for gold. Gold was discovered in 1858 during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in the vicinity of present-day Denver in 1858, but the deposits were small.The first important gold discoveries in Colorado were in the Central-City-idaho Springs district in January 1859.
The Breckenridge District is one of the richest areas in the state. Gold is in the Blue River and Swan River.The Frisco District also produced some gold.Many waters on the east range of the Mosquito Mountains have gold present.Gilpin County is an excellent area to search for gold. Located just west of Denver, this county has been one of the richest in the state.
To the south, Teller County is home to the Cripple-Creek-District one of the richest gold areas in the U.S .Numerous large mines can be found here .Colorado’s rugged terrain ensures that much gold will remain in its hillsides, streams, and rivers.,
