Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas
Nome, Alaska
placer gold
State-designated locality · Free
Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas
Nome's gold beach is the rare place where you can pan saltwater surf, but the rules are specific and worth memorizing before you fly in. All the uplands are privately owned and state land begins at mean high tide - with an average tide of about a foot, that means a pan, rocker box, highbanker or sluice must be worked in the surf, and done that way it needs no permit at all. Suction dredging inside the East and West Public Beach Mining Areas is a different animal entirely, requiring state permits at any dredge size, with the West area capped at a 6-inch nozzle and 23 horsepower and the East at 8 inches and 46 horsepower.
The card catalog
| What you can find | placer gold |
|---|---|
| Access | State-designated locality — Free |
| Fees | Free and permit-free if you use a gold pan, rocker box, highbanker or sluice box in the surf below mean high tide - DNR states that miners using these apparatus in the surf zone are not required to file a permit application. Suction dredging in either public mining area requires a state Annual Placer Mining Application and a Miscellaneous Land Use Permit regardless of dredge size, plus ADEC and possibly Army Corps review, a Department of Revenue mining license, and U.S. Coast Guard registration for the craft. |
| Season & hours | 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. |
| Kids | Better for experienced collectors — Nome is fly-in only - there are no roads in - and because all the uplands are private you must work below mean high tide, which in practice means standing in Bering Sea surf. DNR also notes there are no campgrounds near the recreation areas. Cold, exposed, and not a casual family outing. |
| Official source | Alaska DNR, Division of Mining, Land and Water - Nome Offshore Mining (with Nome Public Mining Area Stipulations) |
| 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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Before you go
What does Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas cost?
Free and permit-free if you use a gold pan, rocker box, highbanker or sluice box in the surf below mean high tide - DNR states that miners using these apparatus in the surf zone are not required to file a permit application. Suction dredging in either public mining area requires a state Annual Placer Mining Application and a Miscellaneous Land Use Permit regardless of dredge size, plus ADEC and possibly Army Corps review, a Department of Revenue mining license, and U.S. Coast Guard registration for the craft. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas open?
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. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas good for kids?
Nome East and West Public Beach Mining Areas is better suited to experienced collectors than young kids. Nome is fly-in only - there are no roads in - and because all the uplands are private you must work below mean high tide, which in practice means standing in Bering Sea surf. DNR also notes there are no campgrounds near the recreation areas. Cold, exposed, and not a casual family outing.