There are plenty of great places where you can prospect for gold in New Mexico. Most of these places have been mined hard over the past century, but they will still yield some gold to a hard working prospector.
Below are some of the richest places you can prospect for gold in the state. Always check current land status prior to doing any mineral prospecting. This includes private lands, active mining claims, etc.
1. Hillsboro
Gold was discovered in the Percha Creek in 1877 by two prospectors Dave Stitzel and Dan Dugan. The news about this discovery brought in thousands of miners leading to the creation of the Hillsboro. In the next few months, gold was being mined in several places around Hillsboro including Percha Creek, the Grayback Arroyo, Wicks Gulch and the Ready Pay Gulch among others. By 1940 the rich ore had been mined out and commercial mining had mostly come to an end. Today, Hillsboro is a small town popular with gold prospectors. You can find some gold in the surrounding hills.
2. Los Cerrillos
Gold was first discovered in the Cerrillos in 1879 leading to the establishment of Los Cerrillos. In just a few months after the discovery, more than a thousand miners were swarming the area and more minerals such as silver, copper, zinc, and coal had been discovered. Prospectors still find some valuable gold nuggets in original placer gold mines especially in the region to the south of the town.
3. Mongollon
James Cooney was prospecting the Silver Creek Canyon in 1876 when he discovered gold that eventually turned the fortunes of the region. In the following few months, the region became a rich mining center with several silver and gold mines being set up. The mining began to decline during the First World War and the last mine was closed in the 1950s. Today, Mongollon is a ghost town popular with gold prospectors who have reported finding large gold nuggets in the surrounding areas and especially the old mines.
4. Pinos Altos
Gold was discovered by Robert Birch in the Pinos Altos Mountains in 1860. This led to the creation of Pinos Altos as hundreds of miners converged on the area. The town flourished until the 1900s when mining began to decline and most of the bigger mines closed. Now the town is a ghost town just like most of the early mining towns in the area.
5. White Oaks
White Oaks started as a mining boom town following the discovery of gold and coal deposits in the Jicarilla Mountains. The town was home to the famous Homestake Mine which was quite productive and employed hundreds of miners. In the early 1900’s, mining began to decline and the town slowly became a ghost town. Today, gold prospects visit the area regularly to prospect. There is still gold that a hard working prospector can find.
6. Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown was the epicenter of one of New Mexico’s most productive gold mining district during the early days of gold mining in the state. The most productive areas included Humbug Creek, Grouse Creek, all along the western slopes of Mount Baldy and Moreno River among others. Many large nuggets have been found on the eastern side of the Mount Baldy. Willow Creek was especially productive. Many places around the town are also known to contain rich gravels where you can dig for gold.
7. Rio Grande River
The Rio Grande River is known to contain gold in many places. The geology of the area points to the Taos Mountains as the sources of the placer gold on the river. Gold deposits are also found in areas along the river and creeks draining in the river. The old mining camps along the river are some of the best places to start your prospecting if you are new to this area.
8. San Pedro Mountains
The San Pedro Mountains have a rich gold mining history. In the boom days, the mountains were home to several gold mining towns including Golden, Puerto and the San Pedro. There are several places in the mountains that are still rich in gold where you can prospect. Placer mines on the western and the southern sides of the mountains are particularly rich in gold. Old mines such as Old Timer Creek and San Lazarus Creek are also worth checking out.
9. Ortiz Mountains
The Ortiz Mountains were home to some of the richest placer gold mines in New Mexico. The richest placers were located on both the southern and the eastern slopes of the mountain. Today, many prospectors report making some awesome finds in this placers, although most of the large-scale mining ended close to a century ago. Some of the places that you can search for these rich gold deposits includes Cunningham Gulch, Arroyo Viejo, and Dolores Gulch among others.
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