The places listed below are user submitted gold prospecting locations. Things change over time - these places may or may not still be open. Be sure to fill your holes, pick up your trash and don't trespass. We are losing good spots all the time.
We really need more info on this state! If you know of any other prospecting locations in this or surrounding areas, please fill out this form. What we need here are fairly specific places like "downstream from where Highway 20 crosses Dry Creek". There are lots of books that say something like "The gold belt runs through ABC & XYZ Counties" or "Gold has been found in ABC River and some of its tributaries". That really doesn't say much about where YOU can find gold, private property issues or Forest Circus rules etc. Please use this form only for suggesting fairly specific places to be added to this page where new prospectors or folks visiting from other areas have a good chance of finding gold. Thank you
From Tom Bunch
Gatesville in Brown County
You can prospect here year round if wanted. Twice yearly the Southern Indiana
Chapter of GPAA has 3 or 4 day outings there. Camping is available. Unbelievable
amount
of flour gold and a few small flakes of gold and garnets. No rules on equipment
you can use (I saw a guy using a 5" dredge and I use a 2" combo),
just try to refrain from digging into the bank and keep the area clean and free
of
trash.
Directions to Gatesville are as follows: Go to Junction 135 & 46 in Nashville, Indiana and turn right at stoplight. Go 2 and 3/10 miles until you see a Shell Big-Foot gas station on left. Turn beside this station (Salt Creek Road) and go 6 and 1/2 miles to Gatesville store on the right, gold bearing stream is behind this store.
From Jeff Kidd
Delaware County
We found gold in the White River in Muncie. We were only using a pan and digging
up the rocks. We weren't there very long and found SEVERAL pieces.
From Jason Yoke
Knightstown IN.- Gold found at Jelly Stone camp ground
From Wayne A. Langman
May I recommend the book " Gold and Diamonds in Indiana" available
from the DNR printing office in Indianapolis. Glacier morains stretching roughly
northeast from Terre Haute to Greencastle then southeast below Indianapolis
mark one band of "color". Another runs parallel about but about 30
to 50 miles to the south. Good placer finds,for Indiana, in the north are in
Parke and Putnam counties along Sugar, Misquito, and Big Walnut Creeks. In
south
central try Monroe, Morgan, and Brown counties. In particular try Bean Blossum,
Sycamore, and Indian creeks. Several diamonds up to a carat have been found
in this area. Many state forests and parks in these areas.
Much of the area is private property, however for those of us who do not live
next to huge areas of BLM or other public lands, asking for permission is not
that hard. Much of the land is pasture and fields which if one talks to the
land owner and shows some care can be crossed. Few if any prospectors here use
more than a pan or sluice box. The only large scale "mine" was a hydraulic
operation that was washed out in the spring rains. This took place in the early
part of this century. Sorry I can't be more specific but I loaned out my copy
of the book on the history of the operation. As for open access, the counties
contain several fish and wildlife areas, state forests and parks. A check with
the rangers will direct you to areas that are available for panning. Also most
streams have access areas for fishermen and free flowing navigable streams are
public waters.
Hope this helps out
Good Hunting.
From Tim Bowman
I have just been informed that there are open waters for panning at
the East Fork of the Whitewater River from the north side of Brookville Lake
to just north of Brownsville, Indiana. It's about 75 mills southeast of Indianapolis
in Union County. Take 70 east to Connersville/Cambridge City exit. Go to Connersville
on State Road 1 then 44 east 9 miles to sign "Brownsville left 2 miles".
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