There is a surge of gold panning interest every few years, especially following an increase in the price of gold. No great fortunes were made by Maryland gold miners. In 1890, Emmons stated that there was little likelihood of any new ventures that would result in sure riches for the operator. The area around Great Falls has yielded most of the gold found in Maryland. Individuals hoping to find gold in Maryland are still looking in this area.
Gold recovered by panning is mostly very fine grained but can range up to coarse sand size.
Rarely, nuggets were found, some weighing as much as 4 ounces. The gold, freed from the rock by weathering, washes downhill from the outcrop and settles to the bottom of the stream. Since gold is heavier than sand, it will remain on the bottom of a pan full of swirling water and sediment and can thus be easily separated. There are still reports of gold being found in Maryland's streams. Another source of gold is old mine dumps.