Where to find gold in Utah
Good news: there's still gold to find in Utah. We've mapped 461 places where gold has been recorded, all on public land open to prospecting. 198 of them have no active mining claim: grab your pan and go, with hand tools you don't need anyone's permission. 263 are on someone's mining claim, so ask the claim holder before you dig at those.
Utah's gold is real, but most of it is fine "flour gold" that takes patience and a careful hand to keep in the pan. Classic spots include the creeks of the Abajo Mountains, the Colorado and San Juan rivers, and old placer districts like Gold Hill in the Deep Creek Mountains. Utah has plenty of open BLM land, and panning, sluicing and drywashing with hand tools are welcome on it. Spring and fall are the comfortable seasons: summer in the desert is brutally hot.
See all 461 spots on the Utah map
How to read the map
- Green: public land, no active claim. Go ahead with your pan and hand tools, no permission needed.
- Yellow: public land with an active mining claim. Ask the claim holder before you dig.
Many recorded sites are old mines. Shafts, tunnels and bad air can kill: never go inside. Prospect in the creek and on the surface, and use common sense out there. See our terms.
Join a gold prospecting club in Utah
Clubs are the best shortcut: members share their know-how and their favorite spots, and many organize trips or have their own claims you can work once you join.
- Northern Utah Prospectors Association · Club field trips · Ogden
- Utah Gold Prospecting Club · Club with its own claims · West Valley City
Questions we often get
Where can I go gold prospecting in Utah?
We haven't found a place in Utah set up for visitors yet, but there's still plenty to explore on your own. On the map you'll find 198 spots on public land with no active mining claim, where you can go with hand tools without asking anyone.
Are the gold sites in Utah under mining claims?
Some are. Every spot we map in Utah is on public land open to prospecting, but 263 of the 461 fall inside an active mining claim. A claim means someone holds the mineral rights there, so you need their permission to dig. The other 198 have no active claim: those you can work with hand tools, no permission needed.
Are there gold prospecting clubs in Utah?
Yes: Northern Utah Prospectors Association and Utah Gold Prospecting Club. Joining a club is the fastest way to learn.