Where to Find Gold in Idaho

Idaho's gold story runs through three corridors. The Boise Basin around Idaho City was the largest historical placer field, and the gravels of Grimes, Mores, and Elk creeks still yield flake gold to recreational panners. The Salmon River and its tributaries (Yankee Fork, Loon Creek, Marshall Lake) carry both lode and placer gold, with the Yankee Fork dredge fields below Custer producing the most consistent recovery for new panners. Florence, Warren, and Pierce in the Clearwater country opened earlier and host coarser nugget gold. Most legal panning is on Forest Service ground and requires no permit for hand-tool work, but mechanical equipment falls under state suction-dredge rules.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Best counties for gold in Idaho

Ranked by the number of mapped gold spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Every gold spot we track in Idaho

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Adams CountyNational Forest Development Road 122	Adams County	Azurite Copper Gold Malachite	44.8918, -116.6388	Public
HaileyCroy Creek Road	Blaine County	Galena Gold Monzonite Sphalerite Uraninite	43.4993, -114.3363	Public
Banner Silver MinesUsfs 384J	Boise County	Gold Silver Pyrargyrite	44.0189, -115.5327	Public
Upper Priest LakeNavigation Trail	Bonner County	Gold Feldspar Quartz	48.7991, -116.9155	Public
Tungsten Hill MinePacific Northwest Trail	Boundary County	Gold Silver Lead Molybdenum Zinc	48.8996, -116.2758	Public
MussellshellMusselshell Creek Road	Clearwater County	Gold	46.3838, -115.7435	Public
North Fork Clearwater RiverPierce-Supirior Road	Clearwater County	Gold	46.7218, -115.2685	Public
Orofino Creek	Clearwater County	Gold Sapphire Epidote	46.4961, -115.8368	Public
Salmon River (Stanley area)Salmon River Scenic Byway	Custer County	Gold Cinnabar	44.2406, -114.9018	Public
StanleyEva Falls Avenue	Custer County	Corundum Gold Sapphire	44.2234, -114.9492	Public
Boise River	Elmore County	Gold	43.5000, -115.3105	Public
Clearwater RiverID 13	Idaho County	Gold	46.1096, -115.9803	Public
Salmon River (near Riggins)Salmon River Trail #96	Idaho County	Gold	45.4337, -115.6656	Public
White BirdLyons Camp Road	Idaho County	Gold	45.7549, -116.3228	Public
LeesburgNational Forest Development Road 242	Lemhi County	Gold Petrified Wood	45.2216, -114.1166	Public
Salmon River (near Leesburg)Salmon River Road	Lemhi County	Gold	45.3867, -114.2677	Public
LewistonEaton Road	Nez Perce County	Agate Aquamarine Garnet Gold Quartz	46.4532, -116.9446	Public
Mountain Home3rd Street	Owyhee County	Cinnabar Gold	43.0147, -116.7339	Public
Deadwood Gulch	Shoshone County	Garnet Gold	47.5376, -116.1510	Public
KingstonTrail of the Coeur d'Alenes	Shoshone County	Arsenopyrite Gold Pyrite Stibnite	47.5565, -116.2431	Public
PrichardCrescent Drive	Shoshone County	Gold	47.6555, -115.9811	Public
Shoshone CountyBig Creek Road	Shoshone County	Gold Lead Silver	47.5022, -116.0711	Public
StibniteStibnite Road	Valley County	Arsenopyrite Gold Pyrite Stibnite	44.8979, -115.3381	Public

Before you go

Read the gold identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Gold in the encyclopedia.

Gold in Idaho FAQ

Where can you find gold in Idaho?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Shoshone County County, Clearwater County County, and Idaho County County. Known collecting areas include Mores Creek and Boise Basin (Boise County), Yankee Fork (Custer County), and Pierce and Florence (Clearwater and Idaho counties). Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many gold spots are mapped in Idaho?+

23 spots across 14 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect gold in Idaho?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 23 of the 23 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

When is the best time to collect gold in Idaho?+

Most Idaho placer ground is reachable May through October. Spring runoff is best for fresh deposition; late summer is best for access into the high country.

Where else to find gold

More minerals to hunt in Idaho

Hunt gold in Idaho with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.