Panning for Gold

The Heritage Gold Mine Park is a National Historic Register site, therefore, digging and damage to the property are prohibited by law.

All of the crushed rock for the gold panning operation comes from an open-pit gold mine in Dahlonega, Georgia.  It is coarse and easy for kids to pan if they have reasonably good technique.  Buckets of crushed rock can be purchased and panned out at the covered panning trough.  Keep whatever you find and we can put it into a small vial of water to show your friends back home.  Once you get comfortable with the technique, you should be able to pan a bucket in about a half hour or less.

1 gallon bucket: $5 including tax.

Panning instructions are available at no charge from our knowledgeable staff.

Panning (or screening) for Gemstones

The gemstones in our crushed rock come from gem dealers. Some are raw rocks, right out of the ground, some are chips from a crushing operation, some are chips from gemstone cutting, and some have been polished in a tumbling operation.  No two buckets will be alike.  Buckets of gravel can be purchased and cleaned up at the covered panning trough.  Keep whatever you find and we can help you identify your gems.  Gemstones are particularly interesting for the smaller children and anyone else that does not have the patience required for the gold panning.

1 gallon bucket: $5 including tax.

There may be times when gemstone material is not available for screening.

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