Use the official BLM MLRS geographic report. A map marker is never proof that ground is open.
2026 field edition · 16 states · verify before every trip
The American Prospector's Field SystemPlacer
Atlas
Find Gold. Read the Land. Follow the History. A living atlas of public prospecting corridors, field knowledge, claim-check tools and expedition planning.
01 Check claims02 Confirm land status03 Verify current access04 Leave no trace05 Stay out of mines
Layer 01 · Geospatial field atlas
Read the country
before you reach it.
Explore all 63 original Placer Atlas records. Filter by state and activity, save locations, copy coordinates, build trips, and always cross-check current land status.
Loading atlas…
Before boots hit gravel
Quick start field orders
These are the first checks every responsible recreational prospector should make.
BLM, USFS, state parks, counties and private parcels all have different rules.
Hand panning may be allowed where sluices, powered equipment or detecting are not.
Fill every hole, pack out trash, protect habitat and never enter abandoned workings.
Prospector school · illustrated field lessons
The land leaves clues.
Read water velocity, heavy-material paths, geology and changing seasons before committing a full day to one patch of gravel.
Rules desk · public access intelligence
Every state is
a different field book.
Quick-reference summaries are educational starting points only. Regulations and closures change—confirm with the current land manager before your trip.
Official system · about 60 seconds
How to check mining claims
The marker gets you near an area. MLRS and the land manager tell you whether you may actually prospect there.
Use BLM’s Mining Claims Geographic Report and accept its normal government monitoring notice.
Select the state and county or public-land area for your destination.
Use township, range, section or copied coordinates to identify the exact area.
Review active and closed claim records; confirm the parcel on an authoritative map.
No result is a guarantee. Check signs and contact the current BLM/USFS office.
Documented history
Greatest finds in
American gold history.
Stories sourced by the original Placer Atlas from state historic sites, museums, geological records and authenticated reporting—not campfire folklore.
Equipment desk
Carry less.
Know it better.
Practical starter kits for panning, crevicing, detecting and safe day trips. Buy for the ground and rules you will actually encounter.
Membership
Choose your field access.
Safety, legal guidance, claim checking and public-land information remain free. Expedition Pro adds deeper planning, organization and community tools.
Free field access
Trailhead
$0
- Complete public atlas and filters
- Saved locations and trips
- Rules, claim checks and field school
- Community discussion access
Future premium
Expedition Pro
$5.99per month
$39.99per year
Save 44% with annual billing
Founding 100 offer · $24.99/yearThe first 100 Expedition Pro members are grandfathered into the $24.99 annual rate for as long as their membership remains continuously active.
- Advanced layers and updated-location alerts
- Unlimited expedition journals
- Offline expedition sheets
- Members-Only Field Bulletin Board forum access
- Member location reports and photo uploads
Local expedition desk
Plan the route.
Leave room for discovery.
Your trips, notes and saved journals stay in this browser. Driving distance is an approximate straight-line route estimate, not road navigation.
Expedition parameters
Nearby destinations
Set a starting point to calculate nearby atlas records.
Your expedition sheet
Approx. distance: 0 mi
Saved expedition journals
Campfire intelligence network
The community field board.
Share conditions, compare techniques and help newcomers—without posting private claims, unsafe directions or protected sites.
Your local field cabinet
Saved locations
Favorites are stored only on this device. Select any record to reopen it in the atlas.
About Placer Atlas
Built by prospectors, for prospectors.
Two brothers and their wives spent years chasing gold together—packing into remote creeks and wild river valleys, reading water, swinging picks, running sluice boxes and panning until their hands cracked.
They faced freezing water, bear country, broken equipment and long stretches where the gold seemed to disappear. They also found the thrill of bright flakes in black sand and the bond that comes from working side by side.
Good information about proven gold-bearing areas was scattered or outdated. Placer Atlas began as a family mission to make maps, reports, techniques and real public-area references easier to understand—so others can search smarter, safer and more responsibly.
Legal, access & safety
A map is a lead.
Not permission.
Placer Atlas is an unofficial educational community resource and is not affiliated with any government agency.
Claims & private property
Verify active mining claims with BLM MLRS, confirm land ownership, obey signs and obtain written permission before entering private land.
Historic protection
Do not disturb archaeological, tribal, cemetery or protected historic sites. Removal of artifacts on federal land can violate federal law.
Field safety
Check weather, fire closures, road conditions and water levels. Pack out trash, fill holes, protect banks and never enter abandoned mines.
Contact the field desk
Questions, corrections or access updates?
Help keep location notes accurate and responsible.