Goldfield Ghost Town and Mine Tours Inc.
Ghost town · Arizona
★ 4.6 (15,445 reviews)
4650 N Mammoth Mine Rd, Apache Junction, AZ 85119
Hours on Google: Daily 10 AM to 5 PM
Tours and activities near Phoenix
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Counties with the most gold history
The table ranks Arizona counties by historic gold producers in USGS records and shows how many were placers. A long list usually means an old mining district with many claims, and creeks below those districts are where placer gold was worked.
| County | USGS historic producers | Of them placers | MSHA mines, not abandoned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yavapai County | 650 | 25 | 2 |
| Pima County | 632 | 19 | 1 |
| Cochise County | 425 | 5 | 0 |
| Mohave County | 398 | 8 | 3 |
| La Paz County | 343 | 14 | 1 |
| Santa Cruz County | 316 | 10 | 0 |
| Pinal County | 210 | 1 | 0 |
| Gila County | 153 | 10 | 0 |
| Yuma County | 116 | 12 | 0 |
| Maricopa County | 103 | 5 | 1 |
| Greenlee County | 58 | 4 | 0 |
| Graham County | 54 | 1 | 0 |
| Coconino County | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Maricopa, Yavapai County | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Navajo County | 1 | 0 | 0 |
USGS Mineral Resources Data System, retrieved 2026-10-13. It was last updated around 2011. "Placer" here means a producer whose USGS deposit type or site name says placer, so some placers recorded under other names are missed.
Largest recorded placer sites in Arizona
| Placer site | County | USGS status | Output | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plomosa Placers | La Paz County | Past producer | large | from 1865 |
| Lynx Creek Placers | Yavapai County | Producer | medium | n/a |
| San Domingo Placers | Maricopa County | Past producer | medium | 1870 to 1962 |
| Vulture Placers | Maricopa County | Past producer | medium | found 1867 |
| Horseshoe Placers | Pima County | Producer | small | from 1774 |
| San Luis Wash Tungsten Placers | Pima County | Producer | small | from 1952 |
| Agua Fria Placers | Maricopa County | Producer | small | n/a |
| Ajo Placers | Pima County | Producer | small | n/a |
| Alder Canyon Placers | Pima County | Producer | small | n/a |
| Armargosa Arroyo Placers | Pima County | Producer | small | n/a |
| Ash Creek Placers | Pima County | Producer | small | n/a |
| Barbarossa Placer | Gila County | Producer | small | n/a |
"Output" is a USGS size class whose meaning changed over the years. Use it to compare sites inside this data, not as tonnage. Most of these sites are on private land or under claim.
Places to pan for gold in Arizona
Tour mines, panning spots and museums from Google Maps listings, most-reviewed first. Check hours and prices with the operator.
Queen Mine Tour
Tourist attraction · Arizona
★ 4.8 (4,200 reviews)
478 N Dart Rd, Bisbee, AZ 85603
Hours on Google: Daily 8:30 AM to 5 PM
Tours and activities near Tombstone
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Gold King Mine & Ghost Town
Ghost town · Arizona
★ 4.4 (1,135 reviews)
Perkinsville Rd, Jerome, AZ 86331
Hours on Google: Mon 9 AM to 5 PM; Wed 10 AM to 5 PM; Thu to Sun 9 AM to 5 PM
Tours and activities near Sedona
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Good Enough Mine Tour
Tourist attraction · Arizona
★ 4.9 (654 reviews)
501 E Toughnut St, Tombstone, AZ 85638
Hours on Google: Mon to Thu 10 AM to 3 PM; Fri and Sat 10 AM to 4 PM; Sun 11 AM to 3 PM
Tours and activities near Tombstone
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Gold Mine Experience World of Music
Tourist attraction · Arizona
★ 4.6 (122 reviews)
34100 Constellation Rd, Wickenburg, AZ 85390
Hours on Google: Daily 10 AM to 4 PM
Tours and activities near Prescott
More on Viator (affiliate link)
ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center & Mine Tours
Tourist attraction · Arizona
★ 4.7 (100 reviews)
1421 W Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Hours on Google: Tue to Sat 8:30 AM to 3 PM
Tours and activities near Tucson
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Panning rules in Arizona
- BLM land: hand panning and non-motorized sluicing are listed as "casual use", activity that ordinarily causes no or negligible disturbance (43 CFR 3809.5). Mechanized earth-moving equipment is not.
- National forests: no notice of intent is needed for prospecting that will not significantly disturb the surface, and the rule names gold panning as an example (36 CFR 228.4).
- National parks: collecting minerals, gold panning included, is generally prohibited.
- Claims and private land: a mining claim or private property means you need the claimant's or owner's permission first.
We have not summarized Arizona's own rules. States regulate streams, fish and water quality, so check with the BLM state office and the state's wildlife and water agencies before using anything beyond a pan and a shovel.
The panning rules guide has the details and every source. Claim records are public: search BLM's Mineral and Land Records System before you assume ground is open.
Questions
Where can you find gold in Arizona?
Historic records point to Yavapai County, Pima County and Cochise County for gold mining overall and Yavapai County, Pima County and La Paz County for placer gold. Those are places to research, not places that are open: check land status and mining claims before you dig or pan anywhere.
Can you pan for gold in Arizona?
On BLM land and in national forests in Arizona that are open and not under a claim, hand panning is treated as low-impact use under the federal rules. Arizona's own stream and wildlife rules can add limits; ask the BLM state office before you go. Tour mines and pay-to-pan sites are the simplest option because they control the ground.
More
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