Gold Panning Creeks

[BrettCo124]

Hey everybody,

I'm new to this area of the forum, and thought I'd ask a couple of questions:

Quick background:
I live in Bucks County, Pennslyvania
I have been searching a creek across the street from me for arrowheads (Which is mainly how I found this amazing forum).
I have recently been suggested to possibly pan my creek for gold.

I know NOTHING about panning for gold, however, I have been (and will continue to) search forums and youtube for advice on how to pan for it. So, my question is most likely the most common newbie question:
Could ANY creek hold gold? I am by new means trying to do this to get rich, it is strictly for the hobby. One flake of gold in the bottom of my pan would be all I talk about to friends and family for the next month straight.

The reason I ask, is because I would not want to travel to pan for gold. I am only interested in my creek. Maybe later on down the line I would, but for now, I am strictly talking about my creek. I know that nobody knows what creek I am speaking of, but here is a quick description:

It has great running water. Subject to flooding almost every time it rains. Rocky, pebbly, sandy, muddy bottom. Connects to a major river (Delaware River) about ten miles down the road. Lastly, the creek seems to just begin about eight miles away from my house in the opposite direction of the major river. It was used as a way of passage for Native Americans (its an older creek).

What I want to avoid (if I can) is purchasing the panning kit online if my area (Bucks County, PA) does not seem like a good area. I did a lot of research on Google, but I could not find any evidence of people discussing panning in my immediate area.

Obviously the kit is not going to break the bank, but I just wanted your opinions on what YOU WOULD DO if you singled yourself out to one creek. The description above about my creek is spot-on, so I hope that offers a good enough description. Again, I've never done this before, so thanks for everybody's advice!

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Yes it could have gold. Go see!
Much of PA has gold in the creeks due to the ancient glaciers pushing it down from Canada.

 

[chlsbrns]

USGS soil, stream and sediment sample reports show quite a bit of gold close to you.

 

[arizau]

Held to your restrictions and your research I would not bother to buy any equipment just for that stream. If you already had basic panning skills then there are common items such as old hubcaps, frisbees, kitchen pans and the like that I have heard of being used with some success but those were used mostly in desperation by already skilled panners....There is a learning curve to gold panning and gold pans are fairly inexpensive and you have the info from above so....

Good luck.

 

[BrettCo124]

That's all great and exciting news! So you all still believe that even though the creek is only a 20 mile long tributary (leading to a major river) that it could still potentially hold gold? If so, I would buy the panning kit.

Would you you reccomend the sluice box? I could research enough to learn it, but do you think it would be worth me getting both?

im surprised my area could have gold. I never heard of it before! Very exciting!

 

[OwenT]

I would buy just a pan, like one for $5-10. It might be hard to tell if there gold there or not if it's small and you don't really know what you're doing. Try to find someone who knows what they're doing maybe that can either go pan it or teach you. Otherwise it won't hurt to just try and you'll get the hang of it.

 

[BrettCo124]

Great advice. I could potentially get a sluice box for the same amount as the panning kit... But if the pan is good enough, I'll just go with that. Unfortunately I do not know anybody in my area to help me. But I'm a fast learner and dedicated.

 

[brianc053]

Hey Brett, there's a local Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) chapter right in your area, the Delaware Valley GPAA (I'm a member). If you search the web you'll find our chapter website, and it has great local information on the forum (not taking anything away from Treasurenet, which is awesome). We meet during the Winter at the Pottstown Diner; next meeting is on 3/12.
The chapter/club has four local streams where we have permission to prospect from the landowner, and we do find (a little) gold (and on one property some of the club has found arrowheads). Like some of the guys said, panning for super small (what is called "flour gold") takes practice. You might scoop some flour gold into your pan but without practice and some advice you might not keep it in the pan.

If you're interested, check out the DVGPAA chapter and come out to a meeting. It's free and fun. The people are great. Our President Dave could give you a pan, too - he often hands them out to newbies at meetings.

Private message me if you want to discuss it further.

- Brian

 

[BrettCo124]

Hey Brett, there's a local Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) chapter right in your area, the Delaware Valley GPAA (I'm a member). If you search the web you'll find our chapter website, and it has great local information on the forum (not taking anything away from Treasurenet, which is awesome). We meet during the Winter at the Pottstown Diner; next meeting is on 3/12.
The chapter/club has four local streams where we have permission to prospect from the landowner, and we do find (a little) gold (and on one property some of the club has found arrowheads). Like some of the guys said, panning for super small (what is called "flour gold") takes practice. You might scoop some flour gold into your pan but without practice and some advice you might not keep it in the pan.

If you're interested, check out the DVGPAA chapter and come out to a meeting. It's free and fun. The people are great. Our President Dave could give you a pan, too - he often hands them out to newbies at meetings.

Private message me if you want to discuss it further.

- Brian

hey Brian,

i tried to write you privately but when I check my outbox sent items, it says zero. Can you tell me if you received it? Thanks so much Brian.

 

[goldenmojo]

Brett As OwenT stated get a cheap pan, a large one and pan the creek. The skill of panning is the most valuable skill because it will tell you if you are on Gold and how much. You might learn from sample panning your creek that there is enough gold to afford the proper sluice (Bazooka) for your situation. If you think you are going to be at it for a while a good panning kit is the way to go. Check through the recent threads panning comes up about once a week. Good Luck in your pursuits

 

[chlsbrns]

We are friends with a family that lives on the Pennsauken Creek. Once we took a boat out to the Delaware River and went north to the Rancocas Creek. We then crossed the river to the PA side. There are two creeks that empty in to the Delaware River. Pennypack and Poquessing. One of them has gold but I forget which one?

 

[BrettCo124]

Brett As OwenT stated get a cheap pan, a large one and pan the creek. The skill of panning is the most valuable skill because it will tell you if you are on Gold and how much. You might learn from sample panning your creek that there is enough gold to afford the proper sluice (Bazooka) for your situation. If you think you are going to be at it for a while a good panning kit is the way to go. Check through the recent threads panning comes up about once a week. Good Luck in your pursuits

EXCELENT advice. I will go ahead with a panning kit. Would you suggest a sluice if it would cost the same though?

 

[BrettCo124]

We are friends with a family that lives on the Pennsauken Creek. Once we took a boat out to the Delaware River and went north to the Rancocas Creek. We then crossed the river to the PA side. There are two creeks that empty in to the Delaware River. Pennypack and Poquessing. One of them has gold but I forget which one?

The pennypack is the creek I keep looking in! I keep trying for arrowheads, and then I was suggested to possibly try panning for gold, which brought me to you guys!

 

[flyadive]

Brettco, I've recently got the bug too. I live near by in NJ . I purchased the Gold rush Bucket off the Internet. Same one as on shark tank. It comes with everything you need except for a secondary catch pan so you can re-pan your panned tailings. I also purchased paydirt from Goldstrike. Great practice! I have to make a miller table to get all the Flour gold , and it's loaded!
I think I know the creek you are speeking about but I'm new to this myself and I am about to start test panning random areas on my own too. Have some places in mind!
Anyway there is great info here on TNET.
Watch the gold panning videos.

 

[chlsbrns]

Search google for:

DCNR › dcnr_20027562

And open the first result to read...

 

[chlsbrns]

Brettco, I've recently got the bug too. I live near by in NJ . I purchased the Gold rush Bucket off the Internet. Same one as on shark tank. It comes with everything you need except for a secondary catch pan so you can re-pan your panned tailings. I also purchased paydirt from Goldstrike. Great practice! I have to make a miller table to get all the Flour gold , and it's loaded!
I think I know the creek you are speeking about but I'm new to this myself and I am about to start test panning random areas on my own too. Have some places in mind!
Anyway there is great info here on TNET.
Watch the gold panning videos.

There is gold in the stream and pond at the airport in Medford. (Flying w)

 

[BrettCo124]

Search google for:

DCNR › dcnr_20027562

And open the first result to read...

There is great information in there. I just read up on a few areas not far from me. It sounds like gold could possibly be found in just about any creek. I'm still contemplating on whether I should go right for the sluice as well as the panning kit.

 

[flyadive]

There is gold in the stream and pond at the airport in Medford. (Flying w)

Yes , thank you ! You have told me this before. You are part of the reason I got the fever!
The ingot you smelted , was that from panning around NJ?

 

[BrettCo124]

Brettco, I've recently got the bug too. I live near by in NJ . I purchased the Gold rush Bucket off the Internet. Same one as on shark tank. It comes with everything you need except for a secondary catch pan so you can re-pan your panned tailings. I also purchased paydirt from Goldstrike. Great practice! I have to make a miller table to get all the Flour gold , and it's loaded!
I think I know the creek you are speeking about but I'm new to this myself and I am about to start test panning random areas on my own too. Have some places in mind!
Anyway there is great info here on TNET.
Watch the gold panning videos.

I just checked out that panning kit. Looks awesome! Quick question, will you eventually (if not already) get a sluice? I'm just trying to decipher how one may be better than the other.

 

[flyadive]

No sluice yet, you must first find a honey hole. The bucket should be enough, For now.

Chlsbrns does the Pennsauken creek entail gold?