What are your gold panning experiences?

[lukydog]

We are planning our first trip to Alaska and the hubby wants to do some gold panning. We plan on a 7 day one way cruise and then spending several days in Alaska. So how about it everyone...where did you pan & how did you like it? Thanks, everyone!

[sherryf]

We have done gold panning as part of tours, with different experiences.

 

In Juneau, we took the gold mine tour and did gold panning as part of it. The pans were seeded so everyone got some gold, but you could dip up more dirt from the bottom and try for more if you wanted. They gave us tiny glass vials for our gold, so you could SEE it.

 

In Skagway, we took the kids to the Klondike Gold Dredge. We got to play with puppies and go in the 40 degree below zero chamber, which was pretty fun. We also did gold panning. Like the other place, the pans were seeded, BUT "double dipping" was not allowed. Once you were done with your pan, you were done. The container they gave us for our gold was black and opaque, like a film canister, so you could not see the gold in it. They tried to sell very expensive jewelry and stuff to "display" your gold.

 

Both tours were good for different reasons, but the actual gold panning experience was better at the Juneau gold mine tour.

[AKStafford]

I've done Crow Creek Mine before. It was fun.

http://www.crowcreekmine.com/Crow_Creek_Mine/History_of_a_Gold_Mine.html

[Budget Queen]

I too would recommend Crow Creek Mine for a little less touristy experience. The tours on shore excursion lists, and land tours are all seeded panning.

[Gardyloo]

Off topic a little, but years ago I flew up to Dawson from Anchorage with some friends; one of them had a floatplane that we landed on the Yukon at the town. We visited with an acquaintance who was mining a claim on the Eldorado Creek up the Klondike valley. We helped him repair his pump, and he let us pan some of the concentrate from his sluice. OMG gold fever! Sadly, he didn't let us take home samples. :(

 

 

 

By the way, here's what a gorgeous valley looks like after 100 years of mining...

 

[dhmom99]

We researched into this and found the gold was seeded. Not sure if we really want to spend the money and time to pan some man-made gold. LOL.

[bottom-dragger]

[quot]

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, here's what a gorgeous valley looks like after 100 years of mining...

 

 

those trails are the spoils that came out the stern of the gold dredges as they turned over the entire valley. They're about 20 feet high. I spent a month panning just outside of Chicken, each morning I knew that this was going to be the day........

[zqvol]

Clearly it depends on where you go panning on whether or not it is "seeded". We did an excursion out of Telketna, went into the back country to a river, were given shovels and pans and shown how to pan for the mineral.

 

Clearly no seeding here but everyone came away with a lot of flakes.

[plenox]

Off topic a little, but years ago I flew up to Dawson from Anchorage with some friends; one of them had a floatplane that we landed on the Yukon at the town. We visited with an acquaintance who was mining a claim on the Eldorado Creek up the Klondike valley. We helped him repair his pump, and he let us pan some of the concentrate from his sluice. OMG gold fever! Sadly, he didn't let us take home samples. :(

 

 

 

By the way, here's what a gorgeous valley looks like after 100 years of mining...

 

 

very nice aerial view

[brentp]

I've done Crow Creek Mine before. It was fun.

http://www.crowcreekmine.com/Crow_Creek_Mine/History_of_a_Gold_Mine.html

 

Thanks for the tip, looks like fun!