Gold Prospecting in Wyoming: BLM Public Land Guide

DIRECT ANSWER

Wyoming gold prospecting is centered on the South Pass area of Fremont County — one of the oldest and most historically significant placer districts in the west — and the Rattlesnake Hills volcanic complex. Wyoming has approximately 18 million acres of BLM land with significant mineral potential and relatively low small-scale claim competition.

South Pass, Wyoming is where the Oregon Trail crossed the Continental Divide — and it also happens to sit on top of one of the most productive placer gold districts in the Rocky Mountain region. The South Pass City area produced significant placer gold from the 1860s through the 1880s, and the geology that drove that production still exists in largely undisturbed gravels away from the historic workings.

South Pass Historic Placer District

The Sweetwater River and its tributaries drain the South Pass area through open BLM and State of Wyoming land. The historic lode mines — Carissa Mine is the best known — are now a state historic site, but the surrounding placer ground includes BLM parcels with documented gold occurrence. Atlantic City and South Pass City were the supply centers for this district; BLM offices in Rock Springs manage the land.

Rattlesnake Hills

The Rattlesnake Hills volcanic complex in Natrona County is a less well-known but geologically interesting target. Alkalic intrusions similar to those that host deposits at Cripple Creek, Colorado, are associated with gold-silver mineralization in this central Wyoming range. BLM land covers most of the complex and claim activity is historically low.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where is the best gold prospecting in Wyoming?

The South Pass area of Fremont County — one of the oldest placer districts in the Rockies — is the primary gold prospecting target. The Sweetwater River tributaries carry placer gold on open BLM ground. The Rattlesnake Hills volcanic complex in Natrona County is a secondary target with lower claim competition.

Is South Pass in Wyoming still productive for placer gold?

Yes, though the easily accessible surface gravels were extensively worked in the 1860s–1880s. Modern small-scale prospectors focus on terrace gravels, bench deposits above the current stream, and less-accessible drainages that received less historic attention. BLM land surrounds the historic core workings.