Gold Panning in Jamestown, CA

If you want to step back in time and experience the life of an 1849 gold prospector, plan a trip to Gold Prospecting Adventures, 18170 Main Street, Jamestown. The experience will transport you into Gold Rush history.

Your guide will show you how to slip on boots, wade into the river with a gold pan, then shake and swirl it and look for the glint of yellow that started the gold rush. There’s a thrill in spotting even the tiniest glistening of gold in your pan. Gold is still being discovered in the Mother Lode, and you get to take home what you find. Natural erosion replenishes gold in the waterways.

Their Jimtown 1849 Gold Mining Camp is a replica of an authentic mining camp. Guides dress in period costumes to lend further authenticity. Be sure to be on the lookout for claim jumpers – Mark Twain may even stop by.

The camp has been featured in more than 200 movies and television shows, including Little House on the Prairie. They offer both family-fun and serious courses in gold prospecting. Bring a picnic and eat under the cottonwoods. Two-hour gold panning experiences start at $25; visit goldprospecting.com for more information.