Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Tourist attraction · California
★ 4.7 (2,151 reviews)
310 Back St, Coloma, CA 95613
Hours on Google: Daily 8 AM to 8 PM
Tours and activities near Sacramento
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Counties with the most gold history
The table ranks California 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calaveras County | 1,087 | 17 | 0 |
| Nevada County | 969 | 19 | 2 |
| Siskiyou County | 919 | 80 | 0 |
| San Bernardino County | 691 | 5 | 2 |
| Mariposa County | 642 | 8 | 1 |
| Sierra County | 570 | 19 | 1 |
| Placer County | 547 | 29 | 1 |
| Kern County | 534 | 19 | 1 |
| El Dorado County | 514 | 3 | 0 |
| Trinity County | 479 | 36 | 0 |
| Tuolumne County | 430 | 7 | 0 |
| Inyo County | 408 | 3 | 0 |
| Shasta County | 387 | 10 | 1 |
| Butte County | 269 | 11 | 0 |
| Plumas County | 261 | 9 | 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 California
| Placer site | County | USGS status | Output | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuba River District | Yuba County | Producer | large | from 1905 |
| Camanche-Lancha Plana | Calaveras, Amador County | Producer | medium | found 1849 |
| Folsom | Sacramento County | Past producer | medium | 1848 to 1962 |
| Trinity River Basin District | Trinity County | Past producer | medium | from 1850 |
| Potholes Placer | Imperial County | Past producer | medium | n/a |
| Salmon River District | Siskiyou County | Past producer | medium | n/a |
| You Bet District | Nevada County | Past producer | medium | n/a |
| Butte Creek | Butte County | Producer | small | 1848 to 1949 |
| La Porte | Plumas County | Producer | small | from 1848 |
| Nimshew | Butte County | Producer | small | from 1848 |
| Rough-And-Ready | Nevada County | Producer | small | from 1848 |
| Snelling | Merced County | Producer | small | 1848 to 1952 |
"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 California
Tour mines, panning spots and museums from Google Maps listings, most-reviewed first. Check hours and prices with the operator.
Empire Mine State Historic Park
Tourist attraction · California
★ 4.8 (2,131 reviews)
10791 E Empire St, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Hours on Google: Daily 10 AM to 5 PM
Tours and activities near Sacramento
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Gold Discovery Museum
Tourist attraction · California
★ 4.8 (754 reviews)
310 Back St, Coloma, CA 95613
Hours on Google: Daily 9 AM to 5 PM
Tours and activities near Sacramento
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Eagle Mining Co.
Gold mining company · California
★ 4.6 (626 reviews)
2320 C St, Julian, CA 92036
Hours on Google: Daily 10 AM to 5 PM
Tours and activities near San Diego
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Gold Rush Mining Company Adventures
Tourist attraction · California
★ 4.0 (392 reviews)
40016 Big Bear Blvd, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Hours on Google: Mon 11 AM to 3 PM; Thu and Fri 11 AM to 3 PM; Sat 10 AM to 4:30 PM; Sun 10 AM to 4 PM
Tours and activities near Big Bear
More on Viator (affiliate link)
California State Mining and Mineral Museum
Natural history museum · California
★ 4.6 (362 reviews)
5005 Fairgrounds Rd, Mariposa, CA 95338
Hours on Google: Thu to Sun 10 AM to 4 PM
Panning rules in California
- 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.
California: California Fish and Game Code section 5653 requires a state permit for any vacuum or suction dredge in a river, stream or lake, and says the section does not apply to or restrict nonmotorized recreational mining activities, including panning for gold. (California Fish and Game Code section 5653)
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 California?
Historic records point to Calaveras County, Nevada County and Siskiyou County for gold mining overall and Siskiyou County, Trinity County and Placer 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 California?
On BLM land and in national forests in California that are open and not under a claim, hand panning is treated as low-impact use under the federal rules. State rules are summarized above. Tour mines and pay-to-pan sites are the simplest option because they control the ground.
More
Gold mines in CaliforniaHow to pan for goldGold panning kitWhere to find gold in AlaskaWhere to find gold in ArizonaWhere to find gold in ColoradoWhere to find gold in Nevada