Where to Find Gold in Texas: Panning for Gold, Mines & Nuggets

So, is there really any gold to be found in Texas?

It’s not as silly a question as you might think.  Although many states have an abundance of gold that amateur prospectors can find with panning, metal detecting and other methods, Texas is not considered to be one of them.  This seems to fly in the face of common knowledge, since a lot of people associate Texas with the old-west gold mining lore that they see so much in movies.

But the fact remains: if you want to know where to find gold in Texas, you might have to do a whole lot of searching.  Don’t get me wrong; gold has been found in Texas, and there is probably plenty more left in one form or another in different locations across the state.  But the Lone Star State isn’t exactly high on the list of must-visit parts of the country for prospectors who are hoping to pan some valuable gold flakes or metal detect a big gold nugget.

There have been a few notable gold mines in the state over the past couple hundred years, but today commercial gold mining simply isn’t extensive in Texas.  Geologists say that the reason why there is so little gold in the state is because of the type of rock that makes up most of the state, glacial activity (or a lack of) over the last several thousand years, and other factors.  To be sure, no sizable gold nuggets of any note have been found in Texas, and there aren’t many areas of the state that are known for creeks, streams or rivers that are good for panning and sluicing.

If you are set on finding gold in Texas, then there are some mountain ranges where trace deposits can be found, such the Quitman, Allamoore, Van Horn and Shaffer mountains. You might also have luck finding gold mixed in with other mineral deposits and ores in the counties of Williamson, Uvalde, Irion, Taylor and Howard.

In addition to the above locations, here is a list of a few other locations where amateur prospectors have successfully panned for small gold flakes:

Llano River, Texas

Bull Head Creek, Texas

Pecan Creek, Texas

Baby Head Creek, Texas

Big Sandy Creek, Texas

Honey Creek, Texas

Heath, Texas

San Saba River, Texas

Fredericksburg, Texas

Gazley Creek, Texas

Walnut Creek, Texas

Harwood, Texas