Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA)
Fairbanks, AK (Steese Highway MP 57, then 7 miles of US Creek Road), Alaska
placer gold
BLM collecting area · Free
Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA)
BLM sets aside a stretch of Nome Creek inside the million-acre White Mountains National Recreation Area for recreational panning, reached by the seven-mile US Creek Road off Steese Highway milepost 57. Two BLM campgrounds, Mount Prindle and Ophir Creek, sit in the same valley, so you can camp on top of the panning. One caution: BLM's current pages and highway brochure confirm the panning area exists but do not publish its boundaries or an equipment list, so confirm the open reach and gear limits with the Eastern Interior Field Office before you commit a day to it.
The card catalog
| What you can find | placer gold |
|---|---|
| Access | BLM collecting area — Free |
| Fees | Free, no permit required - hand panning is casual use under BLM rules. Mount Prindle and Ophir Creek campgrounds in the same valley are fee sites. |
| Season & hours | 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. |
| Kids | Family-friendly — One of the better family gold trips in interior Alaska - two BLM campgrounds sit in the panning valley and the creek is shallow and slow. The gravel roads in are bumpy but fine for a highway vehicle, and there are no services at all once you leave the Steese. |
| Official source | Bureau of Land Management - White Mountains National Recreation Area, Alaska |
| 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.
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Bertha Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
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Caribou Creek Recreational Mining Area
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Chicken, AK
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Crescent Creek Panning Area (Quartz Creek Road)
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Before you go
What does Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA) cost?
Free, no permit required - hand panning is casual use under BLM rules. Mount Prindle and Ophir Creek campgrounds in the same valley are fee sites. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA) open?
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. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA) good for kids?
Yes — Nome Creek Valley Gold Panning Area (White Mountains NRA) works for families. One of the better family gold trips in interior Alaska - two BLM campgrounds sit in the panning valley and the creek is shallow and slow. The gravel roads in are bumpy but fine for a highway vehicle, and there are no services at all once you leave the Steese.