Our Kateel River map shows there are currently 9,175 active gold mining claims, and 1,452 abandoned claims located on state lands. Fans of the reality show “Bearing Sea Gold™” might enjoy seeing who owns many of the off-shore claims (leaseholds?) around Nome, and where they are located.
-
- When you first open our Kateel River gold map you can see the yellow (active) and blue (abandoned) clusters of gold claims throughout the area. These clusters reveal where others are finding gold today. The clusters of abandoned claims doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no gold there—it could mean there just wasn’t enough gold there for a large corporate mining company.
-
- Now zoom in about 40 miles east of Nome Alaska to the Big 4 River Valley area. This area is rich with prospecting opportunity. You can get to part of the area by taking the Snake River, Nome Council or Beam roads out of Nome, but much of the area requires you fly your gear in. The roads are all hard packed gravel, and of course, they are closed during the winter.
-
- If you want to stay close to Nome and do some dredging there are two stretches of beach open to the public for recreational dredging, West Nome Beach and East Nome Beach. They represent about three miles of coastline only available to small-scale dredging rigs. There are permit requirements to dredge and you’ll need permission to camp as well. Dredging rigs can be rented if you don’t have one.
-
- While the Kateel River gold map shows a lot of rich prospecting and mining opportunities, this is very rugged and wild land. Arguments are common among dredgers and grizzly bears are common further inland. Check out the Nome Visitors Bureau website for more information about where to go, how to get there, and what kind of gear you will need once you are here.
Kateel River Gold Mining Notes: None of the images above show just how close you can zoom in and see potential prospecting sites. You’ll be amazed at how crisp the satellite imagery is and how much exploring and planning you can do from the comfort of your home.
