Striking it rich! Finding the mother lode! 'Tis the stuff of miners' dreams. Unlike professional gold seekers, recreational gold panners benefit mostly from the adventure. The entire family can share in the fun of prospecting and gold panning. In this booklet, we explain basic gold panning techniques, how to find gold, discuss mining rights and guidelines, and identify areas available for recreational panning on the Chugach National Forest portion of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. Recreational gold panning on lands withdrawn from mineral entry is not a mining activity-it is a privilege. Be aware that panning, sluicing, and suction dredging can adversely affect water quality, thereby impacting vegetation, fish, wildlife, and ultimately people. During the process of separating soil from minerals, silt may be washed into streams, creating turbid water. Fish, fish eggs, and the aquatic insects have difficulty living in heavily silted water because of its reduced oxygen supply.

Updated 6th edition with new sites & museums! Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals NORTHWEST Alaska • Idaho • Iowa • Minnesota • Montana • Nebraska North Dakota • Oregon • South Dakota • Washington • Wyoming Whether you're digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or "prospector," with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying. This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of “fee dig” mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms. Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting―and possibly profitable―hobby. Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself). Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods. Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more. Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for). Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state. Other Features: Where to find your birthstone, your anniversary stone or your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more! The Treasure Hunter’s Gem & Mineral Guides to the U.S.A. in 4 regional volumes: Northeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-0-1 Northwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-8-2 Southeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-1-8 Updated 6th edition with new sites & museums! Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals NORTHWEST Alaska • Idaho • Iowa • Minnesota • Montana • Nebraska North Dakota • Oregon • South Dakota • Washington • Wyoming Whether you're digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or "prospector," with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying. This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of “fee dig” mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms. Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting―and possibly profitable―hobby. Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself). Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods. Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more. Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for). Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state. Other Features: Where to find your birthstone, your anniversary stone or your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more! The Treasure Hunter’s Gem & Mineral Guides to the U.S.A. in 4 regional volumes: Northeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-0-1 Northwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-8-2 Southeast ISBN: 978-0-9970145-1-8 Southwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-9-9 Southwest ISBN: 978-0-9904152-9-9

Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals NORTHWEST Alaska Idaho Iowa Minnesota Montana Nebraska North Dakota Oregon South Dakota Washington Wyoming Whether you’re digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or “prospector,” with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying. This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of “fee dig” mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms. Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting—and possibly profitable—hobby. Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself). Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods. Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more. Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for). Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state. Other Features: Where to find your birthstone ... your anniversary stone ... your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more!

A complete guide to finding, collecting, and preparing the state’s gems and minerals Rockhounding Alaska is a must-have book for collecting rocks, minerals, and fossils in the Last Frontier. This guidebook features an overview of the state’s geologic history as well as a site-by-site guide to seventy-five collecting locations that stretch from Kodiak Island to the Arctic Circle, with treasures ranging from ancient fossilized sea creatures to precious gems and gold nuggets. A complete and accurate guidebook to the state’s vast riches, Rockhounding Alaska is the ideal resource for rockhounds of all ages and experience levels. Look inside to find: • Maps and detailed site descriptions with directions and GPS coordinates • Suggested tools and techniques • Land-use regulations and legal restrictions • Contact information for land managers • Additional information on rock shops, attractions, and local history

“Colonel” James Girdwood kept a photographic record of his journey to Alaska, of his work on his gold claims and his life in Glacier City. This book is the digital archive of that photo album, the result of preservation and archival work undertaken by The Roundhouse at Alyeska Museum. After more than 100 years, the physical album is fragile and time-worn, but it will now live on in this digital format.