Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning
Ludlow, Vermont
placer goldgarnetmagnetitequartz
State park dig · Fee, seasonal
Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning
A fisherman found gold in Buffalo Brook in 1850, and by 1855 the stream was known as Gold Brook. The park says plainly that visitors may pan for gold in Buffalo Brook for personal enjoyment: only hand panning is allowed, and mechanical sluices and commercial mining operations are not permitted. What you find is placer gold left by glaciers rather than nuggets. Remnants of the old workings are still visible along the brook, most of them outside the park boundary, and the state warns visitors to stay away from abandoned mines.
The card catalog
| What you can find | placer gold, garnet, magnetite, quartz |
|---|---|
| Access | State park dig — Fee, seasonal |
| Fees | standard Vermont State Parks day-use fee applies (a modest per-person charge, reduced for children); panning itself costs nothing beyond park entry. Bring your own pan |
| Season & hours | day use opens the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and closes the second weekend in September; day-use hours are 10am to official sunset. Brook levels drop and panning improves in late summer |
| Kids | Family-friendly — Shallow brook work with a pan, plus a swimming beach for when attention runs out. Watch footing on wet cobbles and keep children well away from any old mine openings |
| Official source | Vermont State Parks (Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation) |
| Last checked | Checked against its source August 16, 2026 |
Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
More drawers in Vermont
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Vermont Recreational Gold Panning (statewide waters)
VT
placer gold, garnet, magnetite
Before you go
What does Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning cost?
standard Vermont State Parks day-use fee applies (a modest per-person charge, reduced for children); panning itself costs nothing beyond park entry. Bring your own pan Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning open?
day use opens the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and closes the second weekend in September; day-use hours are 10am to official sunset. Brook levels drop and panning improves in late summer Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning good for kids?
Yes — Camp Plymouth State Park - Buffalo Brook Gold Panning works for families. Shallow brook work with a pan, plus a swimming beach for when attention runs out. Watch footing on wet cobbles and keep children well away from any old mine openings