Gold Prospecting Areas near Spokane
Spokane isn’t exactly the epicenter of mining activity. You will need to drive a few miles to get onto some decent gold prospecting ground.
Fortunately, you aren’t too far from gold. Within an hour or two you can get to some excellent areas to do some prospecting.
Let’s take a look at some of the better areas around Spokane where you can go dig for gold.
The Columbia River has long been known for its widespread placer gold deposits. hiding in the gravel bars. This is one of the closest spots to check out. You can go about 1 hour west or 1 1/2 miles north of Spokane and get to the shores of the Columbia River.
Take note that there are several Indian Reservations in the area. Make sure you are in an area where you are allowed to actually prospect.
All the way from British Columbia to Cape Disappointment at the Pacific Ocean, there is gold all throughout the river. It’s widespread but it can be tough to capture with a gold pan.
About 2 hours east is some exceptionally rich mining ground. Just north of Idaho’s Silver Valley is the small mining town of Murray. This was the site of Idaho’s last major gold rush.
Prichard Creek is exceptionally rich. Visit the Murray area today and you will see some large dredge tailing from the early days. Some big nuggets have been mined here. I have a good friend who metal detects in this area and has found some individual nuggets weighing over an ounce.
There is a place just downstream of Murray called Eagle City Park that sells daily passes to access private ground on Prichard Creek. Definitely a good option to check out. Although not as rich as on Prichard Creek, there are also placer deposits of fine gold in the Coeur d’Alene River.
Drive about 1 1/2 hours to the south and you will get to the Snake River.
There are lots of access points from Lewiston downstream to the Columbia River. There are many miles of gold-bearing river and with a little research you will have no trouble finding access.
There is known for its very fine textured gold. It’s not all that easy to capture because its so fine, but it’s quite abundant if you find a good spot. Specialized equipment like the Gold Cube
are worth the investment if you are serious about finding Snake River gold.
Head 2 hours straight north from Spokane and you will get to Metalline Falls. This is a very rich mining area where Sullivan Creek drains into the Pend Oreille River. Miners first found gold here in 1859.
The richest area was between Metalline Falls and Sullivan Lake. Additional placers can be found on the Pend Oreille River upstream toward Z Canyon and onward to the border.
I knew a miner who dredged on Sullivan Creek back in the 80s. He claimed it was not unheard of to find sluggy gold nuggets the size of a mans thumb. Most of the gold you can expect to find will be much smaller than that.
Next Post: A Recent Visit to Liberty, WA
Let’s take a look at some of the better areas around Spokane where you can go dig for gold.
Columbia River
The Columbia River has long been known for its widespread placer gold deposits. hiding in the gravel bars. This is one of the closest spots to check out. You can go about 1 hour west or 1 1/2 miles north of Spokane and get to the shores of the Columbia River.
Take note that there are several Indian Reservations in the area. Make sure you are in an area where you are allowed to actually prospect.
All the way from British Columbia to Cape Disappointment at the Pacific Ocean, there is gold all throughout the river. It’s widespread but it can be tough to capture with a gold pan.
Murray, Idaho
About 2 hours east is some exceptionally rich mining ground. Just north of Idaho’s Silver Valley is the small mining town of Murray. This was the site of Idaho’s last major gold rush.
Prichard Creek is exceptionally rich. Visit the Murray area today and you will see some large dredge tailing from the early days. Some big nuggets have been mined here. I have a good friend who metal detects in this area and has found some individual nuggets weighing over an ounce.
There is a place just downstream of Murray called Eagle City Park that sells daily passes to access private ground on Prichard Creek. Definitely a good option to check out. Although not as rich as on Prichard Creek, there are also placer deposits of fine gold in the Coeur d’Alene River.
Snake River
Drive about 1 1/2 hours to the south and you will get to the Snake River.
There are lots of access points from Lewiston downstream to the Columbia River. There are many miles of gold-bearing river and with a little research you will have no trouble finding access.
There is known for its very fine textured gold. It’s not all that easy to capture because its so fine, but it’s quite abundant if you find a good spot. Specialized equipment like the Gold Cube
are worth the investment if you are serious about finding Snake River gold.Metalline Falls
Head 2 hours straight north from Spokane and you will get to Metalline Falls. This is a very rich mining area where Sullivan Creek drains into the Pend Oreille River. Miners first found gold here in 1859.
The richest area was between Metalline Falls and Sullivan Lake. Additional placers can be found on the Pend Oreille River upstream toward Z Canyon and onward to the border.
I knew a miner who dredged on Sullivan Creek back in the 80s. He claimed it was not unheard of to find sluggy gold nuggets the size of a mans thumb. Most of the gold you can expect to find will be much smaller than that.
Next Post: A Recent Visit to Liberty, WA
Highly Recommended Prospecting Books on Amazon:
The Gold Prospector's Field Guide:
A Modern Miner's Handbook for Successfully Finding Gold
Metal Detecting Gold Nuggets:
The Essential Guide to Finding Gold with a Metal Detector