Gold in "them thar hills" in Oregon attracted miners a century ago and still draws recreational gold-panners today. Although strikes in southern Oregon attracted more publicity, miners staked claims for placer gold -- free gold mixed with river gravel -- in the northwest corner of the state as well. No town boasts more river access than Astoria in Clatsop County. The Columbia River and Young's Bay wrap around Astoria as it points westward toward the Columbia Gorge, and countless coastal streams pass through city limits.
Take the gold pan and shovel to a stream in Astoria. Look for a place where the current slows enough for the gold to settle out.
Select public land. You can pan for gold without a permit on streams and rivers on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land in Oregon, as well as on state-owned land. Under Oregon law, areas below the vegetation line on navigable rivers and streams belong to the state and are open for gold-panning.
Use the shovel to fill the gold pan half-full of river sand and gravel. Remove rocks and break up clay lumps.
Hold the pan level under water, one hand on each side. Rotate it halfway back and forth to wash out clay. Tip pan away from your body slightly, then rotate and shake. Allow small rocks and sand to tip out the front.
Repeat until most material washes out, leaving fine-grained dark material at the bottom of the pan. Remove pan from water and rotate slowly, looking for flakes of gold in the remaining residue.
