Our Oregon Gold Maps show there are currently 6,817 active gold claims and 105,708 abandoned gold claims located throughout the state. Of those active claims, 3,761 are lode claims and 3,056 are placer claims. Of those abandoned claims, 75,585 are lode and 30,123 are placer. Oregon’s roughly 6,817 active gold claims represent about 1.5% of all active gold claims in the lower 48 states.
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- When you first open the Oregon gold map you will get a satellite view of the state boundaries with little yellow/orange clusters throughout. Those yellow (lode claims) and orange (placer claims) clusters represent high concentrations of active gold mining claims. This view of these clusters gives us a very accurate idea of where most of Oregon’s gold is being found. Abandoned claims will appear as little blue (lode) and green (placer) clusters.
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- Now zoom in about 20 miles SW of Grant Pass to a little mountain town called Selma Oregon. You can clearly see the active placer (orange) and abandoned placer (green) gold mining claims throughout the area. You are just outside public land in the Siskiyou National Forest. Once inside Siskiyou you can find dozens of non-claimed public gold prospecting locations for you and your family to try your luck at. Our maps will save you at least $200 in gas alone by showing you exactly where to go.
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- Zoom in further still and you can click on the active or abandoned placer claims for the MTRS number to determine ownership and other information about the claim(s). This information is for professional prospectors that understand the claiming process. Recreational gold panners should not try to contact claim holders and always stay away from claimed property. Please read more about the MTRS numbers on our Viewing Tips page.
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- Still looking at the Selma area, turn on the Google Earth™ overlay entitled Parks and Recreation within the More overlay. Now you can see Siskiyou National Forest campgrounds, ranger stations, hiking trails, hotels, gas stations and stores. You can zoom in further still to get a birds-eye view of roads, creeks and other points of interest. Using Google Earth™ satellite imagery, altitude and distance measuring tools will eliminate most surprises like, “I didn’t know that hill was so steep.”
Oregon Gold Maps Note: None of the Oregon images above show just how close you can zoom in and see potential gold 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. And Google Earth™ is a free download.
