Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Hope, Alaska
placer goldpyrite
Forest Service collecting area · Free
Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
Prospectors named this creek for its distance up Turnagain Arm from Cook Inlet and struck gold in it in 1895. The open ground is a mineral withdrawal bounded by the east bank of Sixmile Creek and a line 200 feet west of the Hope Road centerline, running from about mile 0.7 to mile 5 north of Hope Junction, with the best-known pullout at mile 2.4. Pans off the south end of the gravel bar nearest the road have produced 15 to 20 fine colors of flat, well-worn gold - work the downstream side of the larger rocks, and check the rusty quartz float for pyrite cubes.
The card catalog
| What you can find | placer gold, pyrite |
|---|---|
| Access | Forest Service collecting area — Free |
| Fees | Free; hand tools need no permit. Suction dredges of 4 inches or less require a free ADF&G permit. |
| Season & hours | 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. |
| Kids | Better for experienced collectors — Access at the mile 2.4 pullout is a steep trail down a road embankment, and Sixmile is a fast, frigid creek that commercial rafting companies run as whitewater. Not a place to turn small children loose on the bank. |
| Official source | USDA Forest Service, Chugach National Forest - Gold Panning: A Guide to Recreational Gold Panning on the Kenai Peninsula |
| 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 Alaska
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Bertha Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest)
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Crescent Creek Panning Area (Quartz Creek Road)
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Before you go
What does Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest) cost?
Free; hand tools need no permit. Suction dredges of 4 inches or less require a free ADF&G permit. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
When is Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest) open?
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. Hours, fees, and access rules change. Verify with the operator or land agency before you go.
Is Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest) good for kids?
Sixmile Creek Panning Area (Chugach National Forest) is better suited to experienced collectors than young kids. Access at the mile 2.4 pullout is a steep trail down a road embankment, and Sixmile is a fast, frigid creek that commercial rafting companies run as whitewater. Not a place to turn small children loose on the bank.