You Can Still Find Gold In These 9 Wild Wyoming Rivers
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Kim Magaraci
Author
Wyoming was a big gold rush state — many Wyomingites laid their roots here as prospectors, fell in love with the landscape, and never left. Did you know there are still several rivers in Wyoming where savvy seekers can find gold? Get ready to get your feet wet for a prospecting adventure you won’t soon forget.
Wyoming's most famous river is one of its biggest gold beds, too! However, the wild Snake River makes capturing gold quite difficult. The gold is super fine, so standard mining methods make it hard to catch enough. If you're determined to find gold in the Snake River, though, you can bring along some special equipment designed for retaining the smaller particles you'll find.
Mines were constructed along Woods Landing on the Laramie River back when prospectors first started sifting through the river. The mining industry around there now focuses on copper, but there's still plenty of shiny treasures to uncover.
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The Sweetwater River is one of the most famous gold mining spots in the state! This area became the Atlantic City-South Pass Mining Town district! The gold was traced upstream to where the Carissa Mine was established, and that was the state's first true gold rush. Today, you can still prospect the Sweetwater and sometimes decent sized gold nuggets are found.
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The waters of the high-elevation Wood River are rich in minerals of all kinds! Even the copper and quartz mined here often contain gold. Dundee Mountain and Spar Mountain are great spots to seek your riches.
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The Middle Fork of Little Laramie is the best chance you have to find some gold, but Falls Creek is another spot worth checking out. It might take some patience, but chances are, it will pay off!
Along the Gros Ventre River terrace, tributaries and alluvial streams, you'll have an easy time prospecting! The scenery is stunning here, as well. Stay out of the Gros Ventre Wilderness Area, though, because prospecting there is off-limits.
You might need some special equipment to capture the find gold found in the Green River, but for hobbyist prospectors, this is one great spot to check off your list. You've got a better chance of finding fine gold in the Northern section of the river.
The hard-to-find Hoback River is a challenging spot for prospectors, but if you've got the equipment to capture fine gold, this is one scenic spot to test your luck.
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The Wind River and its many tributaries contain fine gold that miners have sought out, particularly now that it's not quite impossible to sift for the finer particles that help make this river sparkle.
To learn a little more about the hobby of prospecting, read these tips from Rare Gold Nuggets, a site dedicated to prospecting information!
If you’re interested in learning a little more about some of Wyoming’s gold mining history, these stories about South Pass and Atlantic City will fascinate you.
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