Open Ground
Crow Creek Mine
Pay-to-pan · est. 1896 · Girdwood, AK
Open groundThe prize. Placer gold from a creek that never stopped paying
Where. Girdwood, AK
Status. Open ground
Where. Girdwood, AK
Status. Open ground
The account
Eight men staked Crow Creek in 1896 and took out gold by the bucket; the mine has never truly closed. The original buildings still stand, the creek still runs cold off the glaciers, and the daily fee buys you a pan, a stretch of gravel, and the same odds the sourdoughs had. Most of Alaska's easy gold is gone. This creek didn't get the message.
Leads, where the trail points now
- What you can keep: Placer gold from a creek that never stopped paying. Confirm the site's current rules and any day fee before you go.
- Where: Girdwood, AK. Historic private mine, daily panning fee; keep all the gold you wash.
- Best practice: record anything notable, leave the ground as you found it, and check the latest access notices before you travel.
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