The federal mineral record holds 12,965 entries for Alaska — 3,932 mines that shipped ore, 4,838 prospects that never became mines, 4,050 recorded occurrences. Below it: 13 places where you can legally collect.
Mineral history, not an invitation. This mineral history comes from a federal record of historic mines, prospects, and occurrences. It is not a list of places to collect. Historic mine sites are usually on private land, under active mining claims, or unsafe to enter — and often all three. The places you can actually collect are in the legal-access directory below.
The commodities that drew miners and prospectors to Alaska, by number of historic records:
Gold · 8,287Copper · 3,736Silver · 3,302Lead · 2,285Zinc · 1,991Tungsten · 1,066Antimony · 838Tin · 744
Records from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System, a legacy federal database last revised August 2022 and no longer updated.
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Bertha Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Girdwood / Moose Pass, AK
placer goldpyritequartz
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Hand tools year-round on paper; the Seward Highway corridor here holds deep snow, so plan on June through September. Suction dredges of 4 inches or smaller, May 15 - July 15, with a free ADF&G permit.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Caribou Creek Recreational Mining Area
Sutton / Chickaloon, AK
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free · Gold pans and hand shovels year-round. Metal detectors, small sluice boxes (under 16 inches wide and 6 feet long), highbanker/rocker boxes and suction dredges with a 6-inch or smaller nozzle (18 hp or less, 30,000 gallons a day max) are allowed only May 15 - July 15, because Caribou Creek is anadromous fish habitat. Realistically snow-free June through September.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Chicken, AK
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The Taylor Highway in is unpaved and closed in winter.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Crescent Creek Panning Area (Quartz Creek Road)
Cooper Landing, AK
placer gold
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Open-water season, roughly late May through September. Suction dredging only May 15 - July 15 with a free ADF&G permit, because of king salmon spawning. Because the streambed is state land, the Forest Service points you to Alaska DNR's Mining Division for current information.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Girdwood, AK
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Open 7 days a week, 10am-6pm, May 15 - September 15.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fairbanks, AK
placer goldpyritequartz crystals
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Memorial Day through mid-September. Open daily 10am-6pm, dropping to 12pm-4pm after Labor Day.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Fairbanks, AK
placer gold
Fee dig · Fee, seasonal · Summer season only. The operator was taking 2026 bookings when checked, but departure dates and times are published only on the booking calendar - confirm there rather than assuming a fixed daily schedule.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Independence Mine State Historical Park
Palmer / Wasilla, AK
placer gold
State park dig · Fee · Visitor center open daily June 18 - September 30. The upper lot gate is open 9am-7pm daily and the concessionaire's guided tours run 10am-6pm. Hatcher Pass Road is snowbound much of the year.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA)
Fairbanks, AK (Steese Highway MP 57, then 7 miles of US Creek Road), AK
placer gold
BLM collecting area · Free · BLM's summer season for the area runs May 1 - October 14. US Creek Road is a summer-only gravel road, and the valley campgrounds open in late May and run until snow closes them in October. Call the BLM Eastern Interior Field Office at 907-474-2200 before going.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas
Nome, AK
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free · Open-water season, roughly June through September; winter under-ice dredging is prohibited in both public mining areas. DNR says permit processing takes a minimum of three to four weeks and often many months, so apply in winter. Set-net buffers apply mid-June to mid-September, and mining is barred year-round within half a mile of any anadromous river mouth.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Petersville Recreational Mining Area
Trapper Creek, AK
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free · Open whenever the road is passable, roughly late May through September; Petersville Road is closed to through traffic in winter. Suction dredging allowed May 15 - July 15 only, closing at midnight on July 15 to protect salmon habitat.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Resurrection Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Hope, AK
placer gold
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Gold pans and hand-fed sluices year-round; suction dredges May 15 - July 15 only. Practically, June through September. This reach was substantially reshaped by the Resurrection Creek stream restoration project - as of August 2026 no closure for it appears on the Chugach alerts page and it is not among the forest's current projects, but the 2010 guide's landmarks may no longer match the ground. Call the Glacier Ranger District in Girdwood at 907-783-3242 before you drive out.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Hope, AK
placer goldpyrite
Forest Service collecting area · Free · Hand tools year-round, suction dredges May 15 - July 15. Best at low water, generally late summer; snow and high runoff make spring poor. The Forest Service guide describing this area dates to 2010, so confirm conditions with the Glacier Ranger District at 907-783-3242.
Checked against its source August 16, 2026
GoldSilverCopperQuartz CrystalsGarnetsFluoriteBerylGemstones
Yes — at places that allow it. This page lists 13 in Alaska: fee digs, designated collecting areas, and official localities, each checked against its source. Everywhere else, legality depends on who owns the land and what rules apply. Before any trip: check land ownership and current mining claims, get permission, respect closures, and never enter old mine workings.
Treat Alaska's historic mines as history, not destinations. Most sit on private land or active mining claims, and old workings are dangerous even to walk. The mineral record on this page tells you what the ground holds — the directory tells you where you are welcome to look for it.