Our next-door neighbors in Utah have some beautiful lands worth exploring. This is also true for gold prospecting in Utah. While there was never a real gold rush in Utah, there are accessible placer deposits in each quadrant of the state. If you are interested in learning more, you need Alan Chenworth’s book Gold Panning in Utah, second edition. Having looked at everything available, I’m confident this is by far the best resource out there. You can find it on Amazon here.
I started using Alan’s book when my sister-in-law gave me the first edition for my birthday almost a decade ago. It became one of the inspirations for my book about Colorado prospecting. I was also able to have a couple discussions about publishing and gold prospecting books with Alan while I was developing my book (you can learn more about my book here). He was very helpful. Of course, I’ve also had a lot of fun prospecting at sites from Alan’s book. That’s the main thing right?!!
My comments on the book:
– With coverage across the state, over 400 pages of content, and great descriptions of about four dozen dig sites, this book is worth the $24.95 with no doubt.
– The second edition, available in the link above, has twice as many dig sites as the first edition. Before buying a used copy, confirm which edition it is!
– Alan’s sites include some that are claimable so you’ll have to check for that before heading out to a dig site. To do that follow the first few steps in my article on how to find your own mining claim (here).
– A good map of your target area will still be needed as some of his driving instructions are a bit confusing and there’s a lack of GPS coordinates. I suggest this atlas (at Amazon) or this link to free print-your-own maps.
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