Panning for Gold

“Gold” It’s what dreams are made of. It was Bogarts source of madness in the Sierra Madre. It was Harrison’s deathly mistake in “Call of the Wild”. It built the west and decorated kings. And just like water it never leaves, it just gets recycled. The very gold in your wedding band or earring may have been part of the headband of an Aztec king. One thing we do know. It all came from the dreams of some unknown miner.

Grab your best worn out hat. Throw on some waders or rubber boots and tag along with us to Dahlonega Georgia. One of the places of the original gold rush. Before stories of nuggets as big as your fist got miners moving west to help settle and populate the land of the Rockies. Georgia had men and probably women alike burrowing into ground or sifting stream beds for the yellow dream maker. The nice thing about gold is….you don’t have to travel far to get somewhere that has it. Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming all have gold within their state lines. Dahlonega for us is just a leisurely day drive. A small price to pay to get to such a historically rich small town. The town is just north of Atlanta in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Year round population runs about 7000 according to the latest census data. Accommodations are diverse and affordable. Whether you want a modern hotel, cabin or a room in a historical downtown setting, there’s something for all tastes. 

Panning for gold in the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests of Georgia is free of permits and very few on regulations. Disturb as little as possible and respect property and claim rights. Panning is the only acceptable form of gathering that is allowed for the recreational harvesting of gold. Dredges and sluices are not allowed. That just means it won’t cost an arm and a leg to get out and pan. You can get all you need right here. This is the set up I chose and was completely satisfied. This is the Garrett Super Pan. There are several YouTube videos showing you how to use it. The technique I liked best was taught by youtuber “Gold Hog”. Kind of a tap, swirl make some green and tap again. If budgets are tight. I saw one gentleman using a spoon and just the pan.

One of the greatest things about panning for gold… “it’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get”. There is always that record size nugget just waiting for you to pick it up. More realistically, you may find enough gold to pay for the drink you’ll celebrate with when your done. Great place, great time and it’s a perfect activity for the strange times we find ourselves in. So go, Get out, and enjoy!