Best spot

Indian Stream: Gold Prospecting in Coös County, New Hampshire

Updated July 2026

Indian Stream drains the remote Great North Woods above Pittsburg and carries fine placer gold in its glacial gravels, a lightly worked alternative to the busier Grafton County streams. The USGS records gold occurrences along the drainage. It offers a genuine wilderness panning experience in New Hampshire's far northern tip. Reported finds include gold nugget, gold placer. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.

Indian Stream photos

Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.

1 photo

The Great North Woods at First Connecticut Lake, Pittsburg, New Hampshire, near the Indian Stream drainage

Quick details

Access: Public area
County: Coös County
State: New Hampshire
Nearest road: Indian Stream Road
Coordinates: 45.28115, -71.29155

Geology at Indian Stream

This spot sits on Ironbound Mountain Formation, undivided, mapped as phyllite and metasandstone that formed roughly 420 to 395 million years ago. Gold in metamorphic belts like this is typically tied to quartz veins and shear zones, with placer color in the creeks that cut them.

Mapped unit: Ironbound Mountain Formation, undivided
Age: 420–395 Ma (Early Devonian)
Rock types: phyllite and metasandstone
Elevation: 1,850 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Best time to visit Indian Stream

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 74°F in midsummer and 22°F in midwinter, with winter lows near -1°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, FIRST CONNECTICUT LAKE station (13 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Indian Stream

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

Nearby rockhounding spots

Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Indian Stream.

Across the state line from Indian Stream

Indian Stream is close enough to the New Hampshire border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.

Indian Stream FAQ

Where is Indian Stream?+

Indian Stream is in Coös County, New Hampshire, at 45.28115, -71.29155. Nearest road: Indian Stream Road.

What rocks and minerals can you find at Indian Stream?+

Indian Stream is reported to produce Gold Nugget, Gold Placer.

Is collecting allowed at Indian Stream?+

Generally open to casual rockhounding. Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

What tools should I bring to Indian Stream?+

A gold pan, a classifier screen, a small shovel, and a snuffer bottle cover the basics. Motorized equipment and sluices fall under separate rules in most states, so start with hand tools.

When is the best time to visit Indian Stream?+

The most comfortable months at Indian Stream are April to October.

How do I get to Indian Stream?+

Open the directions link to navigate to 45.28115, -71.29155 in Google Maps. The nearest road is Indian Stream Road.

More rockhounding in New Hampshire

See all 38 New Hampshire spots →

Open Indian Stream on the map

Use the RockHoundR app for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds.