5 Ways to Find Gold Nuggets

The allure of gold has attracted miners to some of the most remote corners of the world to search for the elusive metal. Our fascination with gold is as strong today as it has ever been in history.

Successfully finding gold nuggets in no easy task. They are difficult to find, and most of the nuggets that were easy to locate were already unearthed long ago.

There are still places where a miner can go out and find gold nuggets. To successfully locate them, it is important that the right tools are used.

Below are 5 different ways that you can find gold nuggets.

1. Pan for Gold in a Creek or River

Everyone knows that gold nuggets can be found in creeks and rivers. The natural process of erosion and the high specific gravity of gold make it naturally accumulate in waterways.

Digging in the gravels of creeks and rivers can produce gold nuggets. Seek out the inside bends where water slows down. This is where gold paystreaks will accumulate and you will have the highest likelihood of finding a nugget. Shovel some gravel into your gold pan and see what you find.

2. Use a Metal Detector near an Old Mine

There are thousands of old, abandoned gold mines scattered throughout the United States. Many of them are mostly lost and forgotten, but some of them still have gold that you can find!

Now it is important to stay safe around old mines. Some of them are very dangerous, so unless you have proper training it is best to stay away from the opening of the mine itself.

Rather than entering the mine, you can search the surrounding area with a metal detector and see what you can find. Sometimes there are rich gold sources near these old mines that were missed by the old-timers that are easily located with a metal detector. You can also use a gold quality metal detector like the Fisher Gold Bug Pro to scan the old tailing piles and see if you can located any gold nuggets.

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3. Snipe for Gold in Bedrock Cracks

Sniping is one of the simplest and most effective ways to find gold nuggets today. It even works in areas that have been mined for centuries, because it requires more attention and effort than most other gold prospecting methods.

Sniping for gold in bedrock is simply cleaning out the deep cracks underwater in a creek or river. Special tools are required to do it properly, because the key to successfully finding gold by sniping is to diligently clean out the cracks and get all of the rich material out of the bottom, which can be much harder than it might seem.

Read more about Sniping for Gold

4. Drywash for Gold Deposits in the Desert

In places where there is little or no water, traditional mining methods simply don’t work. To find gold nuggets in these arid regions, you need a special piece of equipment called a drywasher.

Drywashers use air pressure and vibration to help separate placer gold from dirt and gravel that is shoveled into it. Although they aren’t as efficient as standard placer mining gear that uses water to naturally separate out the gold, they still do a good job of finding gold nuggets in the desert.

5. Suction Dredging in a River

One of the favorite tools for gold mining is the suction dredge. They use a small motor which creates a vacuum that literally sucks gravels from the bottom of the river. These gravels are pulled up into a floating sluice box, which then captures the gold nuggets and fine gold that the dredge picks up.

Suction dredges work well because they can process lots of material compared to most other placer mining methods. There are a few challenges with them, including the need for adequate water to get them set up properly, and because of their size it can be tough to get them into the best locations.

Suction dredging is extremely effective. Unfortunately, many states are putting restrictions and bans in place due to the misguided belief that they are damaging to a watershed. When used properly, gold can be recovered with no negative effects to the natural environment.

There are lots of different ways that you can find gold nuggets today. The key to success often has more to do with properly researching and understanding how to find gold than the actual method that you use.

More Info to Help You Find Gold Nuggets.

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Historic Gold Mining Locations

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