Areas mentioned here as open to prospecting now may not be open in the future. Click on the state you are interested in for local info. General notes on where to find gold I get a lot of e-mail asking where to find gold in Kansas or Rhode Island etc. I don't know much about where to go other than a few places in Northern California. Join a prospecting club .
Many clubs own claims for the exclusive use of their members.
Some also have outings in good gold areas throughout the year. The experienced club members you will find at the meetings and outings are usually more than willing to answer your questions. Find the closest mining equipment dealer to the area you are interested in. Keene Engineering advertises in all the mining magazines and the ads have a listing of their dealers sorted by state. Local dealers will probably be your best source of information.