Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours
Tour agency · Nevada
★ 4.7 (3,918 reviews)
16880 NV-165, COTTONWOOD CV, NV 89046
Hours on Google: Daily 8 AM to 4 PM
Tours and activities near Las Vegas
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Counties with the most gold history
The table ranks Nevada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elko County | 570 | 26 | 9 |
| Lander County | 543 | 63 | 3 |
| Nye County | 536 | 35 | 5 |
| Pershing County | 429 | 72 | 4 |
| Mineral County | 318 | 5 | 4 |
| Humboldt County | 294 | 27 | 7 |
| Esmeralda County | 292 | 6 | 3 |
| White Pine County | 280 | 9 | 4 |
| Eureka County | 238 | 4 | 17 |
| Clark County | 225 | 0 | 0 |
| Lincoln County | 218 | 0 | 0 |
| Churchill County | 161 | 2 | 0 |
| Washoe County | 100 | 8 | 0 |
| Storey County | 95 | 2 | 0 |
| Lyon County | 93 | 5 | 1 |
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 Nevada
| Placer site | County | USGS status | Output | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola District Placer Deposits | White Pine County | Past producer | large | from 1877 |
| Spring Valley Project | Pershing County | Producer | medium | 1875 to 1984 |
| Olinghouse Placers | Washoe County | Past producer | medium | 1860 to 1993 |
| Oehring Placer Claims | Nye County | Past producer | medium | from 1905 |
| Round Mountain Placers | Nye County | Past producer | medium | 1906 to 1970 |
| Mill Gulch | Lander County | Past producer | medium | from 1935 |
| American Canyon Placers | Pershing County | Past producer | medium | n/a |
| Unnamed Placers | Pershing County | Producer | small | from 1875 |
| Unnamed Placers | Pershing County | Producer | small | from 1875 |
| Unnamed Placers | Pershing County | Producer | small | from 1875 |
| Unnamed Placers | Pershing County | Producer | small | from 1875 |
| Unnamed Placers | Pershing County | Producer | small | from 1875 |
"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 Nevada
Tour mines, panning spots and museums from Google Maps listings, most-reviewed first. Check hours and prices with the operator.
Chollar Mine Tour
Tourist attraction · Nevada
★ 4.8 (809 reviews)
615 F St, Virginia City, NV 89440
Hours on Google: Daily 11 AM to 4 PM
Tours and activities near Reno
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Tonopah Historic Mining Park
History museum · Nevada
★ 4.8 (482 reviews)
110 Burro Ave, Tonopah, NV 89049
Hours on Google: Daily 9 AM to 5 PM
Gold Point
Ghost town · Nevada
★ 4.4 (94 reviews)
NV-774, Goldfield, NV 89013
Comstock Gold Mill
Historical place · Nevada
★ 4.4 (33 reviews)
435 F St, Virginia City, NV 89440
Hours on Google: Mon 11 AM to 3 PM; Thu to Sun 11 AM to 3 PM
Tours and activities near Reno
More on Viator (affiliate link)
The Mine Experience
Museum · Nevada
★ 3.9 (18 reviews)
57 Lynn Ln, Henderson, NV 89015
Tours and activities near Las Vegas
More on Viator (affiliate link)
Panning rules in Nevada
- 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 Nevada'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 Nevada?
Historic records point to Elko County, Lander County and Nye County for gold mining overall and Pershing County, Lander County and Nye 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 Nevada?
On BLM land and in national forests in Nevada that are open and not under a claim, hand panning is treated as low-impact use under the federal rules. Nevada'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
Gold mines in NevadaHow to pan for goldGold panning kitWhere to find gold in AlaskaWhere to find gold in ArizonaWhere to find gold in CaliforniaWhere to find gold in Colorado