Marianne Martinez
Gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874, and two years later, the Black Hills Gold Rush was in full swing. The Black Hills Gold Rush is what built up the surrounding cities, and the gold-rich streams and soil of the Black Hills are still oozing with flakey bits of gold. Visitors can experience locations that showcase how this population surge of gold hunters and mining camps changed the area and created the communities we know today. Gold panning is an easy process: once a suitable placer mining deposit is located, some gravel is scooped into a pan and gently agitated in water. This allows the gold to sink to the bottom of the pan. Today, visitors can try their hand at gold panning in the Black Hills at various locations, including Big Thunder Gold Mine and with RattleSnake Randy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Gold discovery | 1874 |
| Gold rush | 1890s |
| Gold panning locations | Battle Creek, Rapid Creek, Rochford, Rockerville, Big Thunder Gold Mine |
| Gold panning tours | Big Thunder Gold Mine |
| Gold panning gear | Pans, sluices, pay dirt |
| Gold panning cost | $75 per person |
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What You'll Learn
Gold panning tours and courses
Broken Boot Gold Mine in Deadwood, South Dakota, offers underground tours that showcase the history of gold mining in the region. Visitors can also try their hand at gold panning for an additional fee.
In addition to these mines, there are other gold panning experiences available in the Black Hills. "Rattlesnake" Randy, a professional speed panning gold miner, offers gold panning tours in the Black Hills region. The Black Hills Gold Rush Experience also includes gold panning as part of its itinerary, allowing visitors to explore the remains of mines and learn about the history of the gold rush.
The Black Hills Mining Museum in Lead, SD, offers guided simulated mine tours and exhibits that showcase the history of mining in the region. While gold panning is not specifically mentioned, the museum provides a wealth of information and context for those interested in the area's mining history.
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The Black Hills Gold Rush
Gold was indeed discovered in French Creek, just outside the town of Custer, South Dakota, which prompted a dispatch announcing the discovery and confirming the existence of gold in the Black Hills. By 1876, the Black Hills Gold Rush was in full swing, with thousands of people flocking to the area in search of gold. The gold that was found was placer gold, loose gold pieces mixed in with the rocks and soil around streams. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills had a significant impact on the Sioux nation, as their land was invaded by gold hunters and mining camps, leading to the formation of new communities.
The gold rush also led to the development of underground wonders in the Black Hills, with gold seekers discovering new caves and mining tunnels. One well-known community that formed during the gold rush was the lawless town of Deadwood, which became famous for its residents, including Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, and Sheriff Seth Bullock. The Homestake Mine, located in Lead, South Dakota, became the largest and deepest gold mine in North America, producing over 41 million ounces of gold over 126 years.
The spirit of the Black Hills Gold Rush still lives on today, with visitors able to explore the remains of mines and flumes, try their hand at panning for gold, and learn about the history of the gold rush and its impact on the region. The Black Hills Gold Rush has also been featured in popular culture, such as the HBO series Deadwood, which is set during the gold rush.
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Gold panning locations
The Black Hills in South Dakota have been a popular destination for gold prospectors since the Deadwood gold rush of 1876. While the process of gold panning hasn't changed much since then, the equipment has been upgraded. Prospectors start with placer deposits, which are old streambeds containing a mix of loose soil, gravel, and valuable minerals like gold, platinum, tourmaline, and garnets.
There are several locations in the Black Hills where prospectors can try their luck. The Black Hills Prospecting Club, with over 250 members, maintains five claims, two of which are along French Creek, where gold was first discovered in 1874. The club takes stewardship of the land seriously, and members are expected to backfill and seed any holes they dig in placer deposits.
In addition to the club claims, there are vast areas of the Black Hills National Forest open to panning. The forest offers over 3,800 miles of roads and trails for motorized vehicles and 450 miles of hiking trails, many of which wind through ideal panning locations. Campgrounds specific to horse camping can also be found at Sundance and Iron Creek.
For those looking for a more guided experience, "RattleSnake" Randy offers gold panning tours in the Black Hills. Participants receive detailed instructions and are allowed to keep what they find.
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Gold panning techniques
Gold panning is an inexpensive and mobile method of extracting gold from waterways. It is a simple operation, but it is difficult to describe and there are many different techniques.
Firstly, you will need a gold pan. The standard gold pan is made of stiff sheet iron, 16 inches in diameter at the top and 2.5 inches deep, with a flared rim. Smaller pans are used for testing, and a 12-inch pan is the most widely available. Frying pans or other cooking utensils can also be used but are less effective. Before using a pan, it should be thoroughly cleaned and burned of any grease.
Next, find a waterway. Gold panning is usually done in icy-cold mountain streams. Break up lumps of dirt and clay with your hands, and knead and stir the material until all clay is dissolved and floated away. Wash off and throw out all large rocks.
Now, fill your pan with gold-bearing gravel and sand, and submerge it in quiet water, resting on the bottom of a shallow pool or tub. Agitate the contents so that the gold sinks to the bottom, and the lighter material washes away. Eventually, all that is left in your pan are the heaviest minerals, including, with luck, some gold.
Gold panning is a skill that is learned through practice. Experienced gold panners can wash about 10 large pans per hour, equivalent to approximately 0.5 to 1 cubic yard of gravel per day.
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The history of gold in the Black Hills
The Black Hills gold rush took place in the Dakota Territory in the United States. Rumors and reports of gold in the Black Hills date back to the early 19th century. In the 1860s, Roman Catholic missionary Father De Smet reported seeing Sioux Indians carrying gold, which they told him came from the Black Hills. The United States government recognized the Black Hills as belonging to the Sioux by the Treaty of Laramie in 1868.
Despite the land being within Native American territory, white Americans were interested in the gold-mining possibilities of the Black Hills. In 1874, a force of 1,000 men led by George Armstrong Custer was sent to investigate reports that the area contained gold. They found small amounts of gold in present-day Custer, South Dakota, and looked for better-paying locations. They moved north, establishing the towns of Hill City, Sheridan, and Pactola. At each spot, they found flakes of gold, but not in the quantities they had hoped for.
Things changed when the miners discovered Deadwood and Whitewood Creeks in the northern Black Hills. The gold they found here was placer gold, loose gold pieces mixed in with the rocks and soil around streams. By 1876, miners had claimed all the land around the creeks, but thousands more flocked in, hoping to find a missed spot. The Black Hills gold rush forms the background of the HBO series Deadwood.
During the gold rush, "Treasure Coaches" transporting large quantities of gold worth up to $300,000 on each haul to Cheyenne, Wyoming, became a favorite target for robbers. In one famous incident, robbers bound and gagged the stableman and opened fire on the coach as it approached the station. After a shootout with the guards, the robbers made off with the gold, dividing the loot and riding off in different directions. Aroused citizens in the area organized manhunts, and the stage company offered a $2,500 reward. Several suspects were lynched, others were convicted at trial, and more than half of the gold was eventually recovered.
For many years, the Homestake mine operated as the only major gold mine in the Black Hills. Gold existed elsewhere in the Black Hills, but it was not in a state suitable for free-milling, a kind of gold extraction used by miners. In these conditions, gold was chemically bound to the rock and very difficult to remove. It was called refractory gold ore. Chlorination and smelting were seen as two methods that could remove gold from the refractory ore in the 1890s, leading to more rock mining regions opening up around Lead and Deadwood.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, gold panning is available at Big Thunder Gold Mine, where you can learn about gold panning and take home whatever treasures you find.
Big Thunder Gold Mine is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874 during Colonel George Custer's expedition. The Black Hills Gold Rush was in full swing by 1876, and the surrounding cities were built up by gold seekers.
Gold panning involves scooping gravel into a pan and gently agitating it in water. Due to its high specific gravity, gold sinks to the bottom of the pan along with other dense materials like black magnetite sand. The gold panner then examines the sediment at the bottom of the pan for gold and other precious materials.
Yes, there are several other gold-related attractions in the Black Hills. These include the Journey Museum & Learning Center, the Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold Factory, the Homestake Gold Mine in Lead, and the 1880 Train that takes passengers between Hill City and Keystone.
