The Modern Gold Rush

In the late 1840s and early 1850s you would be hard pressed to find anyone that didn’t have a friend or family member that had packed up and moved west to California in search of gold.  And though California is still a golden hot-spot in the United States, it is no longer the chief state to find the valuable ore.  Actually, it now ranks about sixth.

Washington, Colorado, and Utah have surpassed California on the list of states that professional miners and casual hobbyists alike flock to looking for gold.  But there are two states that are widely considered favorites among gold enthusiasts.

Gold In The Alaskan Wilds

Alaska has acre-upon-acre of beautiful, unspoiled wilderness and scenery that can take your breath away.  It is prime real-estate for vacationers and campers looking to enjoy the peace and wonder of nature, and you will likely find a nice haul of gold nuggets and flakes if you go out looking in the right places.

The Klondike Tributary and Moore Creek are two of the most popular places to prospect for gold in the Yukon.  For many years, people have enjoyed the cool, pristine waters that flow through these regions, and been rewarded with many an ounce of gold.

But by far the favorite and most lucrative source of gold in Alaska is the famous Nome, Alaska Gold District.  It can get very cold in the winter for Nome, but has a few months of beautiful, mild weather in the summer when the city and surrounding area sees a massive influx of people looking for gold in the self-proclaimed world’s largest gold pan.

The Golden Deserts Of Nevada

Gold is found very commonly in many sights in northern Nevada and can be easily found with little more than a metal detector and a shovel.  If you ask any native northern Nevadan where you can find gold, they’ll probably tell you where they’ve found it themselves, and you’ll probably never find yourself more than ten miles from the nearest hot-spot.

But what might possibly be the richest and most popular deposit of placer gold in the country is the area west of the Rye Patch Reservoir near the Majuba Mountains.  It isn’t uncommon to dig up softball-sized pieces of raw gold ore in this area with nothing but a shovel, a metal detector, and a little bit of sunscreen.

Be Careful Of Claim Jumping

People don’t like claim-jumpers, and in fact a simple argument over who-has-what-rights can quickly deteriorate into legal action, or even violence.  Before you start looking for gold in any of these places, you might think about joining a local gold club or a national gold association with available resources to help you stake your own claim without overstepping the bounds of someone else’s claim.