We1co e
 

lriking it rich! Finding the mOlher lode! 'Tis lhe stuft 

of minen;' dream. nllk profe., ional gold eekel'>, 

............ recreaiional gold panner benefil 010 'Ily from the
 

adventure. Ine enlire family can ~hare in the fun of 

pro peeling and gold panning. 

In Ihi: booklet. we e,plain basic gold panning technique, . 

how to find gold. discu' , mining righh and guideline. and 

identify areas available for recreational panning o'n the 

Chuga h • ational FOre t pomon of Ala ka' Kenai 

Peninsula. 

Recrcalional gold panning on land wilhdraw n from 

mineml entr) is nOt a mining aClivity-1I i, a privilege. Be 

aware Ihat panning. ,luiclOg. and suction dredging can 

adver~ely affect water qualily. thereby impacting vegelation 

fish. \\ ildlife. and uliimately people. 

During the process of scpamling soil from minerals. ill 

may be washed into. !reams. creating turbid waler. Fi h. fish 

eggs. and the aquatic in'lCcts have difficulty living in heavi~

silled water becau of its reduced oxygen upplY'. 

Avoid lI'ashillg soil alld "ege/atioll i"to streams, and do 

1I0t dig ill ~tream ballk . This illcreases iIt i" the stream 

alld is also dallgerolls. Many banks are IInstable alld call 

slide "'ithollt lI'amillg. 

To reduce ilt. dig only in aClive ' tre<lm gravels. Return 

rocks or boulders moved during your efron 10 their origioal 

posilions. quatic in eel . an lmponant food source for 

, almon. oflen make their homes under the, e rock s. A little 

al'\l will help enure a healthy water ecosystem for both 

miners and anglers. 

Good luck and good prospecting! 

" guide to recreational gold pannong on the • Kenai Penin ula. Chueach tional Fore I. \1", ka 

WrtflCD b 

Caroilluber
 

Chugach nllonal ForeSi. Anchorage. AI", ka
 

&
 

Jo eph Kurtak
 

Burenu of Land Management. nchornge. Ala ka
 

(formerly with Ihe .S. Burenu of MlOcs)
 

TccholUI USt$UntC by 

• alhan Rathhun
 

Bureau of Land Management. Anchorage. Alask
 

(fonnerly \\ .th!he '.. Bureau of Mine,)
 

GnphlC dcs'SD 'Dd Cdll'DS b
 

On, id L. nen
 

Chugach ationsl Fore, t. Anchomge. Ala>ka
 

Gnph.c," b)'
 

Kathy. arns
 

Chugach alion.1 Forest Anchorage. Alll!>k.
 

2001 
Gold-significancc and uses
 

hc brightness and ornamental beauty of gold have 

fascinated human for more than 5,000 years and 

"-..L.Io.. sull doe . ThL most noble metal take its name from 

the Gennanic "gulth:' meaning glowing or shining metal. 

Gold oftcn e. tabli he. the st,mdard by which wealth i5 

mea; ured. . 

The phy ieal propenie of gold add to i~ popularity and 

value. On a scale of I (0 10. it has an average hardness of 

2. ; diamond i 10. 0 gold i relative I) oft. malleable and 

tarnIsh reo i tam. It make excellemjewelry. 

The modem electronics industry use· gold for Its 

corrosion re i tance and condu ling propenie . a counting 

for IS of the industrial demand for gold.. 

Gold has a pecific gravity of 19.3, meaning II i more 

than 19 time. heavier than an equal volume of water. 

G Id has a rich yellow color or "kindly" appearance. 

turnmg paler as its silver content increases. Gold i. relatively 

easy to identify when you know it propertie . but novices 

can confuse it with mineral . uch 'IS pyrite and mica. Both 

can occur with gold. Pyrite. or "fool' . gold:' is brassy light 

yellow, and brinle (shancrs v. hen crushed). Mica is light 

:
 

Welcome 

Gold-significance and uses 

Kenai Peninsula mining-a IUstory 

Mining rights and guidelincs 

Geology of the northern Kenai Peninsula 

•	 Equipment you will need 

or your safety 

: Where to look for gold 

How to pan • 

Kenai Peninsula paDning areas 

Bertha Creek panning area 

Six.mile Creek panning area 

Resurrection Crcek panning area • 

Cresccnt Crcek panning area 

How much gold havc you found? 

•	 A glossary of mining terms 

For further reading 

•	 For more information 

• 

MAPS 

oriberD KeD~i PeDiDSub paDning ueas 

Berlba Creek panning sites • Sixmile Creek panning siles 

ResurrecrioD Creek panniDg sites • I CresceDt Creek paDning sites 
Flgun I. f1ydra/lli< 

mint'ng on Ju,,~au

Creek. Olt handfta~k~d bOil/den Dnd 

pruarlouf",11 d· 

barroo' bridg•• 

Figure--2. lulu box 

o/HrDlion on Ljllx 

Crul. Gold.b.uring 

gron:1 from ~,,~ ,f'uam 

e/ll on Ih. righ' of'il. 

ph% was ho",-tt'd 

into Iltt slll;u box. 

" 

Kenai enjn<lU1a mining-a history
 

rew memb<:,.., from the 51 Pell!r. a Ru sian ve ,el 

commanded by Vitus Bering. "ere the first 

_~.... European to sct foot in Rus ian America (Alaska) in 

1741. But it was not untlllS4 that the Ru· ian· mounted an 

expeditionolcly to ,eareh for preciou merals in Alaska. 

In 1848. Peter DOrOshin. a Roo; ian mining engineer. wa 

. em by the Russian-America Co. to pro peer for precious 

merals in Alaska. He found only a few ounce" of pia er gol 

in rhe upper Kenai River (Figure 6) and his mining vemure 

was abandoned. Dor . hin W~ conv·inced. however. thar 

large placer gold depo,iL' were present in the Kenai Mountains. Thirty-eight years later. hi hunch was proven correct 

In the late I880s. after rwo season ofpro.pecting along 

rumagam nn. a miner named King \Va's rewarded wilh 

four poke. of gold. Looking for King' diseovery.orher 

pro pe tors found gold on Resurrection Creek. and other 

nearby,trerun in I 94. 

s word spread of rhe,e di ·coveries. proSpeCIOr> b<:gan to 

trickle inlo the region. In 1895, olaill1l> were staked on Mills 

and Sixmile Creeks and gold wa. discovered near Girdwood 

By I 96. a full-nedged gold ru h wa, on' The fin 

arrival. were seasoned minen; from Ihe merican we t and 

Canada. LaiC comer: tended to b<: mexperienced miner> with 

grand dream of ea y riche.. Thousands of prospectors 

amved m Cook Inlet during Ihl period toeek their 

fortunes. ew of the district's richne b<:camc exaggerated 

ver rime dooming many stampede. 10 bitler failure. 

A record amoum of gold was produced m I 97. A second 

hort-lived ru,h oc urred in 189 -mainl) due ro an 

overflow of mine" from the Yukon gold ru h in Canada. 

1ining was . imple lib<:ral use of a pick and shovel and 
More mining history 

a .trong back. Miners shoveled gold-bearing ·tream gravel. 

inlo luices (long narro" wooden boxe Ihrough which water 

WaJ. run). lats lying cros wise in the bottom of the boxe 

caughl the gold. and let the !!ravel waste (tailing) wa h 

through. Rich. hallow depo,its were soon gone. 

Later. hydraulickin!! was used. A high pre' ure water Jet 

broke up the !!ravels. which in tum were wa.hed through a 

sluice box. Large amounts of gravel could be proce sed in a 

honer lime. allowing lower grade gravel. to be mined al a 

profit. To gel enough water al lh pr~,urc need d. mine .• 

dug long ditches on hillside. above their operations 10 collecl 

"ater and funnel it do)'>n to lhe mining area. One such dilch 

exist today as arra.ight strip of alder brush on Ihe hill ide 

east of Canyon Creek. 3.2 miles soUlh of Hope Jun tion. 

In .orne >!ream. early miner' nOliced milky-while quanz 

boulder. With small specks of gold in them. Curiou, 

prospectors. looking for the ,ouree. di CO\ ered gold-rich 

quanz veins on Palmer. Bear, and awmill Creeks in I 98. 

,ettlemenl. at Hope and Sunrise. prang up along the 

,hore. of Turnagain Aml. Both mining communities served 

as supply and enlenainment ourees for lhousands of people. 

unrie all bUl disappeared after nearby mining played out 

and fire de.slTOyed much of the town. Placer mining on 

• nearby ResuITCct ion Creek and lode deposit in Palmer 

Creek kept Hope going. By 1931. only about 20 men were 

actively engaged in pia er mimn!! on local creek. Toda). 

canl eVIdence eXIt of unrise. bUI Hope Orvl\e.. 

Almost 100 year of minin!! in lhe nonbern KenaI

, Penin.ula has produ ed aboul 133. 00 oz. of placer gold. 

Hard rock mines produced an additional 30.000 oz uClion 

dredgmg i currently the dommate mining method. 

Mining rights and guidelines 

ere are a few imple guideline. that all recreatIOnal 

gold panners should know. 

• Follow all nationalfore t mus IIch as camping limits, 

discharge offireann , lise oftrails, etc. The e regulation 

are found in Title 36 Code of Federal Regulacions (CFR), 

with general prohibitiom in part 261. Copie are al'ailable 

at Chugach ational Forest office in Anchorage, Girdwood, and Seward. Regulation mayor may noC be posced. 

• Gold pans and manual-feed luice boxes are allowed 

year-round in streams listed in chi booklet. Four-inch or 

smaller ~lIction dredge are al/oK'ed in almon tream 

from May IS to July IS only witlr a permit from tire Alaska 

Department ofFislr and Game. 

• 0 hydraulic mining or U.fe ofearth moving equipment 

i allowed WithOI.lt an approved mining plan of operation. 

• Work only the acti"e flream channel or Imvegetaled 

gra.'el bars. Do not dig in stream bank! 

• Recreational gold palming doe not alluw )'ou to build 

structures, cut trees or dig up arclraeological, historical, or 

paleolltologicalobjects. Nor does it give you tire right 10 

obstruct olhers ill recreational p"rsuits. 

\1ining law. The I 72 Mining Law, although amended 

sevemltime . remain e.ssentially intacl. The law allow a 

per. on (0 locate a mining claim on fcdcmlland and 10 mine 

lhal claim. Howevcr. when cenain lands are withdmwn from 

mincral entry. no c131ms can be Slaked (here (although there 

may be pre xi ling claim ). The four designatcd ,vcas in thi 

publication have no mining claims. An) othcr federaJ lamb 

in the Chugach 'ational Fore t not covered by claim are 

available for recreational panmn!!. Remote areas are Ic' 
More mining rights and ~ide1ines

-

likely 10 have active mining c1aim~.

Rights. As a recreauonal panner. you do not have the 

right to keep others from panning. You can walk. fi h. hunt. 

and recreate on a federal mining claim. but you mu t respect 

the claim. nt', eqUipment and operntion. The claim owner 

hal> an exclu ive right (0 mine hi<;/her claIm. You mu t have 

pernli. ion from the claimant to pan on his/her claim. 

Locating eM ling cla;m . Finding out the location of 

exi ting claim. c n be complicated and time consuming. 

You will need to be able to read topographical map~ to 

e tablish whether mining claim exi~1 in a panicular area or 

not. Topogrnphical map· for the Kenai Peninsula are 

available from the U. . Geological urvey (sec For more 

information. ection). 

If you wish to file -a claim. or want to know (he locallon. 

owners. ll11d tat us of legal claim. do Ihe following: 

• Establi"h (he area in which you are interested. (U.S. 

Bure<1U of Mme and .S. Geological urvey publications 

identify gold-bearing streams.) 

• Locate the area on a topographic map by . ection. 

township. and range. 

• ith Ihis information. check with the Bureau of Land 

Management which keep. current re ords for all mining 

claims on federal land (ee For more information section). 

• Mark claim locations on your topogrophic map. and go 

out and look for marker· tn the field 

A placer mining c1aiin is normalI) 20 cres. generoll)' 

measuring 660 by 1.320 fccl. Thc long direction of the claim 

I~ u ually oriented parallel to the tream. Remember. valid 

claims may eXI t with no visible markers. If there I ll11 error 

in the location descnption. the marker on the ground rule. 

Geology of the northern Kenai PenirumJa 

he rock, of the craggy peaks in the Kenai Moumam 

were born from nd. and muds-at leas, a mile 

-......"'thick--depo. ited m an an lent ea about 65 million 

years ago. 1lti material made up large alluvial fan~ at the 

western edge of tonh Ameri a. Carried off hore b) ocean 

currents. the and and muck settled to th ,ea Ooor. 

The tremendou '" eIght of the sedimem caused high 

pre ure and temperature that baked the muck. forming 

. andstone andilt lone. Hot. ilica-ri h nuid . moving along 

fault in the slOne: cry talltzed to milk-colored quartz vel11" 

after cooling. If n ture was smiling. Ihe Ouids in the gold and 

silver became frozen in the veIns. Over lime. the"e veins 

",eathered and released the gold mtO the. treams. Quanz 

vein~ can be seen in road CUt on Ihe we t side of the eward 

Highway. 2.7 miles north of Turnagain Pa. s. 

About 2 million years ago. climalic cooling and hea\) 

precipitation caused the glaciers of the Kenai Peninsula to 

advance down valleys. Acting like bulldozers. the glaciers 

pushed the gravels tmd spread out the placer gold. A warmer 

trend about 12.000 years ago ,lUsed the glaciers'to retreat. 

Glaciers left U- haped valle)'s filled with surface gravels. 

Knoll~ and ridges in the Turnagam Pas area were lefl by the 

glaciers lhat once filled the valley 10 a depth of at lea" 2.000 

feet. Streams running off the glaci rs eroded through the 

thick depo ils of gravel comaining placer gold. What 

remained were bench placers perched above presenttream 

levels. Further ero ion concentrated the gold·bearing gra\'el 

and redeposited Ihe gold in grovel bar. and backwaters of the 

newly formed ~tream channels. Mo I Kenai Peninsula gold 

has come from placers along Crow. Canyon. Reurrcction. 

Lyn~. Bear. Mill . Gulch. and ixmil Creeks. 
Equipment you will need 

he basic equipment is quile imple and requires only 

a mmimum inve tment. A gold pan is 010_ 

............d importanl. Metal pans were used b early 

pro peclOrs; modem ver.;ion are pia lic with buill-in rim 

In a pinch. frying pan and even hub caps will work.• ew 

metal pan. generally come with a coaling of grease and 

hould be cleaned thoroughly by heating o"er an open fire. 

The pan will ru.l. but some rust i. beneficial for collecling 

fine gold. 

uggcsted equipment. 

o gold pan (plastic wilh rim or metal); 14" . iz.e is beSI. 

o hovel to loosen gravel from creek bollom. 

o grizzly pan with ~inch hole. in bollom: lhi pan help 

o;eparale coa.--e gravel. peeding up the panning 

process. 

o magnifying le~ (at lea 1 lOX power) to identify 

mineral. 

luice box. approximately 3 fcct long; (con triJCI or 

obtain commercially; aluminum version i 

available.) 

o IweClcr for picking up gold; a dry finger will also 

work. 

o . mall magnet for paraling OUI magnetic blackands, 

o 'maU glass vials 10 hold gold. 

o rubber gloves to prolccl hands from cold walcr. 

o rubber boolS 10 keep feel dry while, wading in creek. 

Mosl of the. e item are a ailable at local miner; and 

pro peCIOr.;· upply houses. porting goods ,10=. and some 

• 

For your safety 

he Chugach ational Forest is one of th 010 I 

diverse and beautiful of the nallon' 155 national 

160<.:.:..10"-' forests. lLS pectacular mountains, marinc shoreline'. 

wctlands. and wildlife lure visitor from around the world. 

A place as wild a.> the Chugach doe' have iI, danger-. 

however. A lillie knowledge and good judgment can help 

ensure a . afe outdoor experience. Here are a few lip. 

TIle Kens. Pemn ula i home to brown and black bears. They 

have roamed here for lhousand' of years. 

Obviou Iy. lhey can be dangerous. You will be 

ifl the stream channel. home of a bear's favonl 

dinner--salmon. Slay alert and be aware of your 

surroundings. Get a copy of Bear Facts from the Foresl 

Service for more In~ rrnalion. 

We al 0 havc ome of lhe world" larg 'I moose. 

Although they are herbivore, thcy can still be 

dangerous-- ,my criller Ihat weighs 1,000 pounds 

cnn be dangerou . Moo e can gel e pecially cranky if they 

feellheir young are in danger, Watch them from a di. tance. 

The water up here i' cold. After all. this i. nOllhe , tropic' this is LASKA. And you will be getting 

wet-lhe gold is in the water. Wear in ulated boots 

and glove. Wool clothing can keep you warm even when it 

is weI. Bring exIra clothing and dres in layers. 

Mine only in the active lream channel-f1ot alo1lg 

the shore or ifl CUi baflks. Undercuning stream 

banl..s and tree i an extremely dangerou activily. 

Many of these bank are very unstabl . Heavy boulder.; and 
Where to look for gold 

~~;;1 ater is the primary agent in the formation of mo,1 

placer deposilS. \.toving waler can Iran pon large 

~~...,. amount of material, from fine silt to large 

boulders. e pe ially during runoff period . When freed from 

Ihe rock by weathering. gold is add d 10 tream water, alqng 

with rock debri . and is arried along by Ihe tream. Where 

stre m meander, go over falls, or are denected around 

boulders, a drop in water velocity occurs. and the gold drops 

out. Continued agilalion by water cau es gold 10 settle down 

Ihrough the gravel until reaching oodrock or an impermeable 

clay layer. The,e concenlmllon' are called pay 'Ireal.!>. 

The 00,1 places 10 find gold ex,st where turbulence 

chlmge to slower-moving water now. Check OUI slower 

waler below rapid and waterfall, deep pool ,and the 

down'lfeam ,ide of boulders. In ide oonds of meanders. 

upstream ends of 'and or "poim" bars are good place 10 pan 

fine gold. which i renewed yearly during runoff. Bedrock 

crev,ces or pockets acting as nalural rifnes can colieci gOld. 

Scoop OUI and pan malerial from the e pol'>. pring, early 

ummer. and just before freeze up in the lall are good time, 

of Ihe year for panning. Water i. low and gold-ooaring 

gravel i, expo ed. To minimize re ourre damage. confine 

digging to aClive, unvegetated slfeam gravels. 

•

• 

How to pan 

he key to r"covenng pia er gold from gravel i. the 

weighl difference whi h allow, gold to move dow n­

.............. ward (concenIIUte) when agitated. The simplest 

placer mining 1001 for Ihi . purpo,e b the pan. 

Shovel gmvels imo a gri721y po, ilioned over the gold pan 

(see Figure 3a :md 3b). Agitale the malerial through Ihe 

grialy. Check the over-sized malerial f< r nuggels. then lOS. 

Totally ,ubmerge your ~.full pan in water. Panning may be 

done from a squaning orining po,ition allhe ,tream edge. 

in gemly mov ing water, holding the pan betw en the knees. 

Keep pan rimes poimed away from you 10 catch any gold 

thai mlghl lip over the lip. Liooral wal r. agitalion, and 

patience are required 10 persuade gold to settle 10 Ihe bonom 

of Ihe pan. While the pan is ,ubmerged. break up any clOIS 

of dirt and wash any cobbles that may have clay th. t can IIUp 

pia r gold. The clay ha, been removed when the waler in _ 

lhe pan tam, to clear. Pick pebbles from the pan I gel them 

out of the way. Look for heavy pIeces with unuual color or 

hape. You might find a gold nugget r a gold-bearing piece 

of vem quartz. 

Hold Ihe pan level under walet and shake il wilh a sid,,­

ways or circulur motion. 111e gold will enIe 10 Ihe p. n bol10m. Occasionally' tilt the pan. 10 lei Ihe sand-sized material 

wash out. Dipping Ihe pan in and out of the water with a 

slightly forward mOllon wh,le lilted. will WB!>h lighter material away ( ee Figure 4). Altemale underwater wirling and 

dIpping until only a few poonful of heavy mmeral, remam. 

When dark. heavy miner.tl grams (black and ) are pre. em. 

the panning i> being don,e right (see Figure 5). Bla I.ands 

may be a ariety of heavy mineral, including magnetite. 

garnet. scheelitc. zireon. en Silerite. and plaunum. Preciou 

• 
More on how to pan
 

and se'mi-precious stones are uncommon in Kenai Peninsulil 

placers. but keep an eye out for them. If it's Ilea v)', keep it 

and seek identification from a geologit or miner. 

Beginners are often impatient to lind gold quickly. Take 

your time. During the panning motion, black sanu and other 

fines concentrate in the crease or riffles of the pan. Gold can 

be separated from black. ands by rolling water in Ihe pan 

with a combina!i n wirling and rocking motion, Lighter 

material moves to one side. gold stays put. For safety, do the 

final panning over another container 10 kcep gold from being 

lost. Dry the fine . Use a magnet to separate magnetic grain, 

and tWeezers, a knife blade, or a dry finger 10 pick up small 

gold piece,. Save the gold in a water-filled vial. 

Examine your gold. Rough. nuggely gold is near liS 

source. Gold that is flat and moolh has traveled some 

distance from its point of origin. Flour gold has been 

fIallened to a few micron Ihickness and will float on water. 

Panning is a relatively low method for recovering gold. 

Experienced panners can process about 10 large pans per 

hour. A luice or uction dredge can in rease productivilY. 

Suclion dredges. Regulations for suction dredges are 

imposed on some treams by the laka Depanmcnt of Fi h 

'md Game (ADF&Gl, A free ADF&G permit is required 10 

dredge streams that arc imponam for salmon pawning 

habilat, For informal ion on permits, contacl Ihe.ADF&G. 

The Chugach I 'ational Foresl con iders a suclion dredge, 

inch diameter or less. operateu withm the acti C slream 

channel, a recreational activity. 

Even mo.re on how to pan
 

Fif!urc 3a. A Rri~:h' (a pall wah 

holts ill/lit hoUt.n,,' i,\ aUtiiO 

$tparo,~ lurgt'r f(1<:k.sjrom 'hl' 

jiner.mOler;ol 

Figure lb. Pall Cfosj·sruioJI. Aflu 

tilt rorIs ('/JUg)" ill Iht· gri::/)' art 

t'.l."Omfllfld!or /loM. rhty may bl' 

dIScarded 

fin~r cOUTur 

IIRhur h"uwf'r 

matenal ntalf'rlol 

Fig/l"~.$ With tiff pa,,-.\ riJ/lr.l po;nu:11 away/rom yuu, aflrrnutt 

unduwcuer dIPPUl,~ anc! Sl\'trl,nR, IUIIlI tht Itxlrrtr.jinl'r mattnal fj 

washed away alld l"~ IIea\'ft>r maunal rt>mains in tht bottom 0) tile pan 

Ftgure.5, Wh('n d"r~ sonds (ht'Ol'y mmero' grouu' art «II tOOt is f('ft 

(ucept for tlzt RO/d. ofcotlr~4.'.), )'OU 11r( pdwl;ng (onttll)'. HlJp~ftltlJ,

."lUlr /hI" hillloot.liJ., tlJi~ ~he" )'011 Uriftn;~"t:d
Kenai Peninsula gold panning areas
 

Figurr6. 

here is till gold "10 them thar hili ." and we would 

like you 10 find some of il. We doubt Ihat you will 

_ ......... get rich panning gold recreationally. bUI you might
 

find some color-and have a great time doing it. 

We have selecled four ites on Ihe Kenai Penin ula 

parllon or the Chugach Nalional Forest thai we feel would 

have the best parential for yielding gold. TIle e sites arc all 

wilhin two hour's driving lime from Anchorage via Ihe 

eward and Sterling Highways. 

The following page describe the fouritc' in delail. We 

hope thaI our de' riptlon' will help you find success in your 

panning endeavor... 

Good luck. 
Bertha Creek panning area 

- nearly pr \peclor nam d Ihi cream after hi 

daughler. Hand placer and hydruulic mining began in 

"""'......... 1902 and may have yielded up I 600 I. of gold. 

M \1 gold ame fr m the lIuvial fun bel I' Ihe canyon. 

Benh reek cr \'1:\ the eward HI hway 2.6 mile uth 

fTurnagaln Pa". Lower Benha reek lie\ wllhln a 

withdrnwallhat extend\ r I. 00 fe ton ellher "de of the 

w rd Highw y from Turnugain Pa" \ uth I Pele\ reek. 

B nhu re k i\ available r re reali nal panning lrom It' 

jun lion with Granite re k up\tream t Ihe powerlane 

ro ing ( igure 7). ..anll reek. h wever., do d to 

recreation I mining ;lU\ f iI, almon 'paw nang habitat. 

The upper poni n of Benhll reck n w, through a 

gl i r r\'cd v 11 )'. I.lle bed k " , rndi II)' ex <oed 

r 50 I al n the reck taning ISO fccl abovc lhe 

rd Highw )' bridge, Thi lrel h u uall)' give, the bc.\1 

panning re uh, rough I ,I an be 1I0wcd up lhe call 

ide of lhe reck, TIle t n I red I)' la)'cr on bedrocki, a 

ood bel for gold thaI ..ang from n )' I nuggel', ingle 

pan h \ produced pi up lO ineh long. TIle ru 1­

olored quanL n I in the Ire m bed i all)' contain 

pyrile ube nd m ) be lhe pi r g Id rec. 

G Id ha\ al n panned from ne ) pokanc, L)on, 

nd Ti n reck: lhe wilhdrawal inelude lhe lower 

ponion , An infonn I pull-on where lhe ward Hlghwa)' 

em po '3nC reck provide parkin for one or II' 

\'ehl I . L)on and Tine n rec' are e sed from lhe 

'!Urn in p, re I are . Parking. c mping. and picni 

are \ailabl llhe Bcnha reck amp round. \IolorilW 

v hid \ are re\ln I d I tabh hed r 'dwa) in chi area, 

•
 

II 
Sixmik pinning area
 

ixmile Creek was named by early prospectors who 

determined it to be six miles up Turnagain Arm 'from 

Cook lniet. Gold ~as discovered in Sixmile Creek in 

1895. Hydraulic mining was attempted in the 1930s and 

several small suction dredge operations have gone on in 

recent years. Up to 2;000 oz. of gold have been produced 

from the creek, mainly in the area just below the confluence 

of Sixmile and Canyon Creeks. A withdrawal,'bounded by 

the east bank of Sixmile Creek and a line 200 ft. west Of the 

center line of the Hope Road, is available for recreational 

panning-D.7 miles to 5 miles north of the Hope Junction. 

Sixmile Creek flows through a broad glacial valley with 

numerous gravel bars and some bedrock exposures. At mile 

2.2 o'n the Hope Road, park at the pullout on the east side 

and follow a steep trail down the road embankment. Detour 

around the beaver ponds to Sixmile Creek (see Figure 8). 

Gravel bars along this stretch of creek contain flat flour gold 

and occasional small flakes. Pans have produced 15-20 fine 

colors of flat, well-worn gold. The north end of the gravel 

bar is best where a side meander draining the beaver ponds 

returns to Sixmile Creek. Panning of gravel on bedrock at 

this site can also produce gold, but the, sites are best accessed 

during periods of low water. A rusty-colored quartz float 

along the. creek' contains pyrite (fool's gold). 

Suction dredges (4-inch or smaller) are permitted from 

May 15 to July 15. Remember that a permit from ADF&G is 

required for dredging. . ..' 

Good panning can be found at mile 4.3 on the Hope Road 

(not'shown on map). Pull off on a short side road into the 

trees and follow th,e trail to Sixmile Creek. Gold occurs on 

point bars to the east and old channels next to the creek, , ' 

, 

• 
• • • . Resurrection Cree paonmg area 

•
 

~rc'-'I" he second discovery of gold on Ihe Kenai Peninsula. 

wa on Resurrection Creek in abOUI 1888. The creek 

II.-""'-lo.... has produced an elimlUed 30.000 10 40.000 oz. of 

gold ince 1895. Below Palmer Creek. Resurreclion Creek 

nows through a 1.000 ft.-wide alluvial nood plain. Creek 

gravels rest on a Ian (0 yellow clay hard-pan with streak of 

blue cia} pre em. Bench gravels nrc exposed on bolh side.s 

of Ute creek. Gold is disseminated throughoul UtC gravel. but 

is concentrated on clay and bedrock. 

A 1.5-mile tret h of Re uITCCtion Creek lie~ within a 

withdrawal and is available for recreational gold panning. 

This area i a favorite sitc for recreational mining. uction 

dredges (4-inch or smaller) are pennilled from May 15 10 • 

July IS witlt a permit/rollltlleAlaska Departmel/t o/Fislt 

al/d Game. Acce.ss is by the Re IUTeCtion Creek Road out of 

HOlle. The mining area begin at the Reurrection Pa Trail 

footbridge 4.5 miles from Hope. Ii continues upstream for 

1.5 miles. excluding the patented (private land) claim (sec 

Figure 9). The claim bounllary i. 0.5 miles up the road from 

[he footbridge and is markecf with a gate. 111e upper portion 

of thc withdrawal. beyond the private ground. is best 

accessed by tnking the Re.surrection Pass trail. 

Fine gold can be panned from gravel' along the creek beIween the footbridge and private land. Try for fine. nat gold 

ncar the campsile 0.25 mile above the footbridge. 

. Bedrock i e posed on the cast canyon wall just above the 

campsite and just below the private lands. BOIh spot. are 

good bets for gold. Rounded boulders piled along the creek 

are tailings from old hydraulic oper-Hion . Much of the road 

has been built on these tailings. 
Cresce t Creek panning area
 

vidence of early hand mining exist· on Crescenl 

Creek and suction dredging ha been done on the 

.....~.., upper part' of the drainage. Crescent Creek from Ihe 

bridge on Quanz Creek Road to its junction with Quanz 

Creek is available for recreational panning (. ee Figure 10). 

Access the area by turning OnlO Quam Creek Road off the 

terling Highway. 7.4 mil from Ihe eward-Sterling 

HIghway junction. Bear left at tntersections for 2.7 mile' to 

the Crescenl reek bridge. Tum left pasl the bridge il1lo the 

Cre cent Creek campground. For day u,e. park in the day. 

ue parking area. 

Eine gold is disseminated Ihrough the clay-rich. bouldery 

gravels along Cre cent Creek. just. outh of the campground. 

The gravels foml an alluvial fan. where the creek exit 

nearby mountaiil us terrain. ThaI creek ponion, ,tretching 

for 600 feet below Ihe bridge. produces flat to mgged. 

lightly cry;,tslline. flakes up to 2 mm in size. Clay'-rich 

gravels are 001 for holding gold. The south side of the creek 

ha mining claims. 

Because ofJ..ing salmon pawning. Crecent Creek is only 

open to uClion dredging from May 15 10 July 15 wilh a free 

permit from ADF G. 

Old hydraulic workings on claIms can be ·een just south 

of the Crescent Creek truilhead. Re peCt aClive mining 

claims located on Ihe upper ponions of the creek. above lhe 

bridge. 
How much gold have you found? 

u. t how much gold have you found and what is it 

worth? TIle following table i an appro imalc mea. ure 

(as uming the gold is 100% pure). Placer gold 

commonly contain.s mall amount. of. ilver and other 

metal>. It take a lot of work to accumulate a mall amount 

ofgold. Hours of panning may be worth only a few cent . 

Hi tori ally. nugget. weighing up 1012 oz. have been 

recovered from the Kenai Peninsula but these are very rare. 

,
 

0.90--2.0 about 2,200 13, , medium gold color to Ihe .. Iro) Ol. 

.'. 0.40-0.90 11,000 colors U

nne gold 10 tbe lro in. 

<0.40 40.000 colors <I, 

nour gold to the IrO) Ol. 

tmilJlmel~r

"ThIS value j. ba,-.ed on th< .verage pnce of gold In 1999. 

Aglossu-y of mining terms
 

an of any endeavor I. knowing the language. Here 

are a few of the more common terms used in mining. 

.............. Knowing (he'c lem" will help yOll be a beller
 

recreational panner and help you have more fun, too. 

aliI/vialfall---<:one·,haped gravel deposit formed where a 

,Irealll emerges from mountains onto a lowland. 

bedrock- olid rock underlymg gold·bearing gravel. 

clailll-mining ground held.under federal or tate laws by 

virtue of locauon and record. 

color-a panIcle of gold found in the pro pector' pan after 

the gravel has been washed. 

cOllcentrate-mine...d1 which have been separated from les 

valuable malerials. 

fal e bedrock-a hard formation, u uaJly a clay layer. 

within a placer d po it some distance above bedrock. 

jines- 'and or olher fine- Ized material associated with 

placer depo ilJ.. Usually the lall matenal left dunng the 

panning process. 

j7ol/r gold-fine'l gold du.t. much of which will float. 

j7oat-rock separated from the parenl vern by weathering. 

heavies-minerals of highpecific gravity in a placer 

concentrJte. al,o called bill I. and... 

lolle deposit-a vem of mineral ore deposited between 

nonmelallie rock laye",. 
More mining terms 

• 

nugget-a piece of gold that an u,ually b<; pi I.ed up wJlh 

the fingers. 

patent-a government deed thai conveys legaltille of public 

land to the pany to whom the patent is .sU d. 

paytreak-a limited horizon within a placer depo it 

containing a concentrati n of gold rich enough to mine. 

placer deposit-a glacial.or allUVial deposit of ,and or gravel 

containing eroded panicle., of valuable mineral. . 

point bar-th area on the upstream end of a gravel bar 

wlYch can contain 'uperficial concentration of (lour 

gold m a Ihin surface layer. 

poke-a bag or sack of gold. 

prospector-a per 'on who searches for valuable minerals. 

riffles-small ridges in tile bottom of a sluice box thai clltch 

gold in and and gravel. 

luice box-an elongate wooden or metallrough with rimes, 

over which alluvial gravel i. washed to recover gold. 

stake-laying out and marking the comers of a mining 

claim. Originally wooden stakes were u ed. 

suction dredge--u'iCs a water jet and venturi effect 10 suck 

gravel off Ille Iream bed and run il over a 'iel of riffle. 

troy ounce-\'I2-pound. u ed in referen e to am unl of 

preciou melals. 

For further reading 

o learn more about gold panl11ng. Ihe hi"ory of 

mining on the Ken I Peninsula, and the geolog) of 

............."'mmeral dcpo. it. in la ka. you may be interc.,tcd in 

the following publications. 

BarT)', M.. A History of 1iningon tlte Kenai Peninsula. 

lasl.a onhwe. t Publishing Co. 1973 

Black. J., Gold Pro. pectors Handbook. Del Oeste Press. 

Tal7ana. CalifornIa. 19 0 

Hoeklcma. R.. and S.F. Fechner. Placer Gold ompling in 

and Aear tlte Chugach National Pore t. Alaska. U. 

Bureau of Mine Information Circular 9091. 19 6 

John on. B. and other.. Geology and Mineral Resources of 

Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey 

Bulletin 587. 1915 

Lampright. R.• Gold Placer Depo its ear Anchorage, 

Alaska. Iron Fire Publication. Anchomge, Alaska. 1995 

el on. S. and others. Geologic Map oftlte Cllllgacit 

I ational Fore t, Alaska. . G 'ologcial urvey Map 

MF-I645-B, 1985 

West. J.. [fOil' to Mine and Prospect for Placer Gold. .S. 

Bureau of Mines Information Circular 517.1971 

Winkler, G. and others. Guide to tlte Bedrock Geology ofa 

Tra"erse ofthe Chugach Mountainsfrom Anchorage 

to Cape Resurrection. Alasl.a Geologi ocie!)' 

Guidebook. 19 4. 
For more information 

f you would like more. pecific infonnation aboul 

recreational mining on the Kenai Peninsula. we 

en ourage you 10 contact any of the foUowing: 

Fore t Geologist 

Chugach ational Fore>t 

330 I C Street. uite 300 

Anchorage. AK 99503-3998 

Tel (907) 271-2500 

Minerals pecialisl 

eward Ranger Di. mct 

334 Founh A\ enue 

P.O. Box 390 

eWlIrd. AK 99664-0390 

Tel (907) 224-3374 

. . Geological Survey 

4200 niver~ity Drive 

Anchorage. AK 99508-4667 

Tel (907) 561-11 I 

1ineral peciali t 

Glacier Ranger DI tricI 

10narch Mme Road 

Girdwood. AK 995 7 

Tel (907)7 3-3242 

Alaska Department of 

Fhh & Game 

HabItat Disi Ion 

333 RaspbelT) Road 

nchorage. AK 99518 

Tel 907)267-2284 

Bureau of Land Management 

222 West 7th Avenue, No.13 

Anchorage. AK 99513 

Tel (907) 271-5960