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Gold Panning
The Most Authentic Gold Panning Opportunities in the Black Hills
The gold-rich streams and soil of the Black Hills are calling you to take part in 24k fun! Home to the Black Hills Gold Rush of the 1890’s, the Black Hills are still oozing with flakey bits of golden goodness and other precious materials just looking to turn up in the pans and sluices of visitors. Try your luck alongside the panning professionals at Big Thunder Gold Mine with our family-friendly, affordable On-Site Gold Panning or put your panning skills to the test with a lesson in authentic gold panning by historic Battle Creek on a Claim Panning Adventure. Oh, and did we mention the best part? You’ll get to take home whatever treasures you find in your pan!
Choose your Gold Panning Adventure
Big Thunder Gold Mine offers two different types of gold panning experiences for you and your family/friends:
![[Photo of On-site Panning]](/assets/images/uploads/992x558/big-thunder-gold-mine-0006-photo-2021-09-22-12-49-54.jpg)
On-Site Gold Panning
Learn the ropes of gold panning and placer mining with our convenient and affordable On-Site Gold Panning, using sediment from the mineral-rich waters of Battle Creek
Claim Panning/Creekside Panning
Spend the morning or afternoon panning for gold treasure by Battle Creek at Big Thunder Gold Mine’s claim site! Here, you’ll head out with one of our panning experts and pan for real Black Hills Gold.
Testimonials
Here's What Our Customers Have to Say About Our Mine Tours
“ My granddaughter and I took the 4 hour panning tour and it was fun. Our guide Mitch was amazing. He was friendly and knowledgeable and made our time interesting and fun. I'd recommend it if you have time. And we came back today for the mine tour and our guide Dan was great. We learned a lot and it was fun. Great place all the way around. ”
“ My gold finding excursion was the highlight of our stay in the Black Hills. Our guide was extremely passionate about the guests having a great experience. He gave a lot of history with visual examples of past mining techniques as we were hiking to the claim site. You get hands on experience throughout the session. I'll be back for another round when we come back to the Hills next summer. Great fun and practical knowledge. ”
“ Well, 5 years after our first claim panning experience, we returned! How lucky we were to have Trent as our guide AGAIN! I can’t say enough how enjoyable, authentic, and worthwhile this is. Definitely a memory maker & we loved sharing the experience with our friends. ”
About Gold Panning in the Black Hills
How To Pan For Gold
The Black Hills of South Dakota has a rich history of gold mining and gold panning. In fact, the Black Hills Gold Rush is what built up the surrounding cities! Since 1892, Big Thunder Gold Mine has been finding gold in the Black Hills. Now, you have the opportunity to learn all about gold mining, gold panning, and placer mining.
Gold panning is an easy process. Once a suitable placer mining deposit is located, some gravel is scooped into a pan. There, it’s gently agitated in water. Doing this allows the gold to sink to the bottom of the pan. Because gold has a high specific gravity, it sinks to the bottom with other materials that have a high specific gravity. The materials with a lower specific gravity spill out of the pan. The gold panner then examines and inspects the sediment collection at the bottom of the pan. Usually, the sediment comprises dense materials like black, magnetite sand and whatever other gemstones or metal dust gold panning might uncover from the source material.
Gold panning can be an effective method with certain kinds of deposits and is essential for prospecting. However, even skilled panners can only work with a limited amount of material. In many situations, gold panning usually turns up only minor gold dust that is usually collected as a souvenir in small clear tubes. Gold nuggets and considerable amounts of gold dust are occasionally found. However, placer mining and gold panning is used to locate the parent gold veins, which are the source of most placer deposits.
Want to learn more about how to pan for gold? Join us for On-Site Gold Panning or get your feet muddy on a Claim Panning Adventure!
Stock Up on Gold Panning Gear in our Gift Shop! Looking to take gold panning gear back with you on the road home? Make sure to stop by the Big Thunder Gold Mine gift shop to check out our large assortment of gold panning gear. We’ve got the widest selection of mining gear for sale in the region ranging from pans to sluices, pay dirt and more. What better way to commemorate your trip to the Black Hills than with the gift of guaranteed gold?
