Gold prospecting is the practice of choosing where to look for gold and then testing the ground carefully. If you’ve already spent time with a pan in your hands, you know how to separate gold from sediment. Prospecting is the layer underneath that—the strategy behind deciding where and how to pan so that you’re giving yourself the best chance of …

In most of the Western United States, there is a creek, a river, or a park within driving distance where you can show up with a pan and try your hand at gold panning—often closer than you’d expect. In the East and Midwest, options are thinner but they exist, especially through prospecting clubs, state parks, and pay-to-pan operations. What follows …