Why Go Gold Panning?

Gold panning is an awesome outdoor activity that can be fun for people of all ages and health. If you are able to walk slightly off the beaten path, you can pan for gold. Also the equipment needed is very limited, affordable and light weight.
The quest for gold and gold panning is not a new thing. We all know of the gold rush and have heard stories about the vast amounts of gold that were found. While large deposits of gold are not as easy to find now, the total amount of gold available has not decreased significantly.
It is estimated that only about 15% of the gold available was found during the gold rush. At any time there is approximately 1 billion ounces of gold flowing through the streams in North America.
These facts fuel the gold bug.
What Do You Need To Know To Start?
One of the nice things about gold panning is that there really isn’t much that you need to know in order to regularly find gold. The necessary information to get started is fairly basic and any good prospecting shop will have the answers for you.
Find out about the local laws on gold panning and claim staking. Typically, it is legal for a person to pan gold anywhere that they like, as long as they are only using a gold pan. Some exceptions include native reserves and wild life reserves.
Learn how gold flows through a stream. For example, gold often stops moving when it encounters slow moving water. Because of its density, it quickly sinks down to the bottom of any dirt and rock. This means that gold is usually found behind a rock in a stream as the water eddies.
Get some basic training on how to gold pan. Gold panning isn’t hard, but proper technique can mean the difference between finding lots or just a little.
Learn to identify gold in your pan. Once you’ve seen it, there is no mistaking it. Most prospecting stores have placer gold flakes on hand and if you ask nicely enough, they may allow you to put a flake in your pan along with some water and fine gravel.
This potentially life long hobby is fun, great exercise and is applicable to anywhere in the world. Once you start finding gold you may find yourself counting the seconds until you can go back and turn over the rock just to the left of where you had been digging.