Gold Panning

In most cases, stream-bed (placer) gold does not exist in sufficient quantity to constitute economically recoverable deposits. Usually no more than a few cents worth of gold can be panned in an hour; however, there's always a chance of finding a stray nugget or odd pocket of finer gold.

Recreational panning for gold in most stream beds is allowed. Special permission, permits, or fees are not required as long as significant stream disturbance does not occur and when only a small hand shovel or trowel and a pan are used. In-stream sluices and suction dredges are NOT allowed.

Mineral rights on some national forest land may be privately owned. After deciding which stream or general area in which you want to pan, contact that area's Forest Service District Ranger office to determine if the  mineral rights are public or privately owned, and whether any restrictions have been placed on the stream. If the mineral rights are privately owned, panners should obtain written permission from the owner before they start panning.

Contact the District Ranger office to be sure the stream is on national forest land. The district office can also give you information on road access and road conditions. Some forest areas are easily accessible by family autos while others may be inaccessible, or accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. Some roads close seasonally and remote areas may only be accessible by foot.

Rock Hounding

A "rock hound" is any amateur who hunts and collects rocks and minerals as a hobby. Within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, rock hounds may find a wide variety of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock types, along with many individual minerals.

Before selecting a site, rock hounds should check with the District Ranger offices to determine the following:

• The location is on National Forest land.
• Rock hounding is permitted in the area.
• The mineral rights are not privately owned.

Special permission, permits, or fees are not required to take a handful of rock, mineral, or petrified wood specimens from the surface of National Forest lands as long as the specimens are for personal use, non-commercial gain and significant surface disturbance does not occur. In addition, no mechanical equipment may be used and any collection must not conflict with existing mineral permits, leases, claims, or sales.

While there is no objection to collection specimens of local rock types exposed on the surface, mineral specimens which may have some value cannot be collected without permission from the mineral owner, if privately owned. These areas can be identified from records in the District Ranger offices.

Rock hounding must not be confused with commercial mineral activities which are governed by mining and mineral leasing laws. If a rock hound believes a certain area should be explored to determine a mineral's presence in commercial quality and quantity, exploration may be conducted under a Forest Service permit.

Maps of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests are available for purchase on line for your convenience. The best sources of information on minerals are State Geological Survey offices, university geology departments and libraries, mineralogical societies, and rock hounding/lapidary clubs.