Panning in South Dakota

[NebHunter]

I am taking my frist trip to S.D. next week. Anyone know of a good place to go panning in the black hills?

Thanks in advance.

Nebhunter

[el_gral]

Hey Nebhunter! Im going over to SD next week also for 4th of july weekend, im going to the black hills & badlands area. Ive done a little bit of googling but so far just stuff on panning courses for kids, hopefully someone will give us a few hints on panning in SD.

Have fun cuz i know I will!!!

[NebHunter]

I did find through some research there is still good gold available near Rochford(sp?). The only problem I have is to determine is whether it is private or public land.

Good luck to ya

[jkuk]

how was your trip to the black hills? i know aliitle bit about rochford and the area . my inlaws own some property close too there. i farm and ranch close to the badlands. i`m new but very inerested the metal detecting ,tresure hunting ect..
joe

[NebHunter]

My trip was great, we (my daughter and I) found some gold on rapid creek near Rochford. Unfortunately it is not enough to retire on, well, even to pay for the gas to get there. It was alot of fun. As soon as I figure out how to post a pic I will do that.

Nebhunter

[Itgobang]

Are you going back I am a GPAA/LDMA member and in the Black Hills Club. Maybe this spring, we can meet up?

[Oroblanco]

HOLA amigos,

Most every creek draining the Black Hills has a little gold in it, and much of the hills are National Forest land so is open to prospecting - so long as you are not claim jumping. Fortunately most mining claims are staked/marked. One good place to hit is pretty much ALL private land - Rockerville. It is an alluvial placer set on a high bench so you would have to carry water to pan, and be SURE to get permission before going digging on someone's property but this covers several square miles and at least 80% of the gold-bearing gravels have NEVER BEEN TOUCHED. The paydirt here has a lot of hard clay in it, so soaking your dirt before trying to work it through a rockerbox may help. There was at least one "pay to pan" place there until recently, which may still be in business.

They USED to allow gold-panning in Custer Park (French Creek which flows for miles through the park still produces colors) but I am not sure today, and here is the rule on metal detectors:
"Metal detectors are only allowed on public beaches and their use must have the written approval of the park superintendent."
You can apply for a permit here
http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/General/appMetalDetect.htm
contact Ron.Tietsort@state.sd.us
<from http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/.../rulescsp.htm>
I suspect that panning for gold (only pans, no sluices or dredges, highbankers etc) IS still allowed since they still give gold panning demonstrations.

The GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association of America) did have at least one claim you could pan on up near Rochford, don't have their handbook handy but you can contact them.

BLACK HILLS SOUTH DAKOTA The principal gold deposits of the Black Hills1 are in pre Cam brian schists which like the ore bodies are cut by Tertiary intru sives Since the Cambrian conglomerates contain placer gold 2 some of the ores must have been deposited in pre Cambrian time The most important deposits are comprised in the Homestake belt about 3 miles long and 2,000 feet wide The principal minerals are quartz dolomite calcite pyrite arsenopyrite pyrrhotite 3 and gold with which are associated the minerals of the schist quartz ortho clase hornblende biotite garnet cummingtonite actinolite titanite and graphite 4 Pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite increase greatly with depth where pyrite decreases The ores though uniformly of low grade are very profitable Some of the ores at the surface were below the average tenor while other surface ores were two or three times as rich as the average The valuable minerals extend downward as far us exploration has gone and are fairly uniform to depths about 2,000 feet below the surface In general according to SF Emmons 5 enrichment by surface leaching has relatively small importance MOTHER LODE DISTRICT CALIFORNIA GOLD 327 <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QFQ...clip">Bulletin - United States Geological Survey By Geological Survey (U.S.)</a>
<from US Geological Survey Bulletin 625, 1917>


If you do a bit of research you will find a good deal of info on the Black Hills gold deposits, good luck and good hunting I hope you find LOTS of Black Hills Gold!
Oroblanco

[NebHunter]

I am planning another trip to S.D. this spring. I will be visiting two of the GPAA claims up there. Hopefully all you with the fever in S.D. have left some gold for the rest of us.

[Oroblanco]

Nebhunter wrote

Hopefully all you with the fever in S.D. have left some gold for the rest of us.

You will find gold amigo, Rapid creek alone has at least 120 MILLION cubic yards of gold-bearing gravels that have never been touched! Much is high bank gravels, so be prepared to either haul gravel or haul water, and you WILL find gold. The trick is finding a rich pocket!

I hope you will keep us posted, thank you in advance...
Oroblanco

[sdaupanner]

[quote=Oroblanco ]
HOLA amigos,
One good place to hit is pretty much ALL private land - Rockerville.

This is kind of a real guess but I will say that the whole of the Rockerville Gulch is claimed. As to claim markers we have put them up on several occasions and had them removed with in a week so we just gave up. The USFS has closed off the entrance that we were using off Gondola Road and we have since then been given a key to the gate that allows us in the back way. Any one who is interested in trying your hand at panning it will set you back 25.00 per day or 45.00 for two people a small price to pay for 2 grams per day with a little work. Drop me an e-mail or post on this forum.
sdaupanner@msn.com

[Oroblanco]

WELCOME TO TREASURENET sdaupanner! Thanks for the info!
Oroblanco

[Maitland]

I'm not a GPAA member, and so, I have heard this thirdhand: but supposedly the best claim the GPAA has in South Dakota is the one down the Camp 5 Rd on 14A northwest of Deadwood.