Guide
Where Can You Legally Dig and Pan and Keep What You Find?
Real public ground where the finds are yours to keep, from free gem fields to gold-panning rivers and fossil beaches.
There is a whole category of places where the law is simple: you dig, you keep. Free topaz in the Utah desert, gold you can pan on a New Zealand river, megalodon teeth on a Maryland beach, trilobites by the bucket in a Utah quarry. We have charted dozens of them.
This is a plain-language starting point, not legal advice. The rules change and vary by county, city, park, and parcel, and federal land carries its own restrictions. Always confirm with the specific land manager or agency before you search, and record and report finds where the law requires it.
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