FAQ: Can you prospect for gold in national parks?

We get the question on where you can and cannot prospect quite frequently.  Most commonly people are asking about prospecting on federal land.  The answer is YES and NO. National Parks are closed for prospecting for example.  Certain land within the parks that are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service, however are open to mining and prospecting but rules and restrictions apply.

There are a great number of claims already staked on these properties, which makes them open to only the claimant for mining and prospecting.  There are areas, however, that are still available for prospecting.  If they are open for claim and you find gold on them, you can then turn around and file a claim on certain tracts of land.

To determine which properties are already claimed, which ones aren't, and ownership land records, the prospector will need to contact that State's BLM office.  Here you can search records, buy maps, and get more information on rules and regulations.