Colorado Placer Gold Locations

Colorado's most productive gold producing county with over 25 standard tons of placer gold! All found in the upper Blue River and its tributaries.

Locations: Gold was discovered in the Georgia, American, French and Humbug gulches and along the Blue and Swan rivers. The Weaver brothers who discovered the 'Gold Run', recovered ninety six pounds of gold in the first six weeks of digging.

Produced an incredible 12 tons of placer gold. Prospectors discovered gold along the upper Arkansas River in the fall of 1859.

Locations: California Gulch near Leadville, Lake, Corske, and Box creeks. Iowa, Colorado, Twobit, Birdseye, Empire, Buckeye, East Tennessee, Thayer and Little Fryingpan gulches. Cache Creek on the Lake and Chaffee county line.

14 tons of PLACER GOLD from the upper south platte river drainage containing over 100 miles of gold bearing creeks.

Locations: Penn Hill Nugget 11.95 oz, 'Colorado's largest known gold nugget'.

George Jackson discovered placer gold at the site of Idaho Springs on January 7th, 1859, reportedly washing out 100 troy ounces of gold in one week.

Locations: Clear Creek and tributaries, Chicago Creek, Fall River, Mill Creek, Georgetown and Empire areas.

Most has come from Cache Creek Park near Granite. Cache Creek Park and the Arkansas River channel near Granite are popular panning sites.

Locations: Placer gold is present in the Arkansas River for a distance of twenty miles below Granite.

From the upper drainages of the North Fork of Clear Creek and South Boulder Creek.

Locations: Gregory Gulch, Nevada Gulch, and Russell Gulch were very rich in coarse gold. Many prospectors were said to have panned out two ounces of gold a day.

Eight years before the Pikes Peak gold rush a placer discovery at the confluence of Clear Creek and Ralston Creek.

Locations: The creek was named for the man who found gold there near what is now the Wadsworth Avenue bridge in Arvada.

Mostly from Washington Gulch near Crested Butte and the Taylor River headwaters near Tincup.

Locations: Gold also occurs in Gold Creek near the town of Ohio Creek. Prospectors reported placers that would yield $25-$50 dollars in gold per pan.

Most was recovered from Deep Creek and Ways Gulch on the southeast side of Hahns Peak.

Locations: Go 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs on Routt County Road 129 following the Elk River.

Highest among the San Juan Mountain counties.

Locations: Fine placer gold occurs in the gravels and terraces of the upper San Miguel River from its headwaters above Telluride downstream through Sawpit, Placerville and Keystone.

From the streams along the Iron Springs Divide northwest of Craig.

Locations: Timberlake Creek (biggest producer), Fourmile Creek, Scandanavian, Dry, and Bighole gulches. On the southern drainage: Lay, Blue Gravel and Fortification Creeks.

From the Dolores and San Miguel rivers.

Locations: The San Miguel River contains placer gold for 75 miles downstream from its source near Telluride. From the confluence of Cottonwood Creek downstream to Naturita.

Gold Run, Fourmile Creek and North Beaver Creek are all tributaries of Middle Boulder Creek.

Locations: In January of 1859 prospectors discovered gold at the confluence of North Beaver Creek and South Boulder Creek, 3 miles southeast of Nederland. Called the Deadwood Diggings.

Historically interesting—first worked six years before the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.

Locations: Grayback Gulch, Placer Creek and Spanish Gulch, twelve miles east of Fort Garland.

Was a major source of lode gold but only limited placer gold.

Locations: Most around the Summitville district.

Colorado's easternmost placer deposits.

Locations: Russellville Gulch, Ronk Gulch and Gold Creek placers near Franktown. Poor concentrations and deep overburden has kept the areas from being worked extensively.

Charles Baker discovered placer gold on the upper Animas River above Silverton in 1860.

Locations: Cement Creek, a tributary of the upper Animas above Silverton, has limited but fairly rich placers from tailings of early stamp mills.

Colorado's smallest county but still produced placer gold.

Locations: The South Platte River has fine placer gold from Littleton north to the 6th Ave bridge in Denver. Most was recovered during the 1930s depression years.

From the gravels of the Animas river near Baker's Bridge.

Locations: 16 miles north of Durango on US 550. Gold also in the La Plata River from Bedrock Creek downstream to Hesperus.

From the Willow Creek tributaries.

Locations: Gold Run, Denver, Elk, and Kauffman creeks and from Stillwater Creek. All originate on Gravel Mountain, 12 miles northwest of Granby on Colorado Route 125.

From the upper East, Middle and West Mancos rivers.

Locations: Headwaters in the La Plata mountains. County Road 44 leads into the Mancos River Placer districts.