Historic Gold Mining and Panning Adventure
Description
While you’re in port in Juneau, venture to Gold Creek and Last Chance Basin for a true Alaskan gold adventure! Hear about the historic Alaskan Gold Rush and learn how to pan for gold – you’ll keep all the gold you find! Your guide, dressed in traditional 19th-century attire, will take you to a secluded location along Gold Creek, only accessible with a special permit, and show you what it was like during the Gold Rush for the thousands who flocked to the region. Choose to either pan in the creek or enter the waist-high water in the demonstration trough – either way, you’re guaranteed to find gold!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Catch “gold fever” and experience what it was like to seek your fortune during Gold Rush days! Learn to pan for gold and keep all you find! Discover Juneau’s colorful mining heritage for yourself. Head out with your prospector/guide for a historical tour of Juneau, including the state capitol. Then, turn up the road to Gold Creek and “Last Chance Basin,” where Joe Juneau and Richard Harris struck gold in 1880. In a beautiful, secluded setting near a waterfall alongside Gold Creek — only accessible for groups under our tour’s special permit — your prospector shows you how gold panning is really done. Then, it’s your turn, as you expertly work the pan with helpful tips and advice in the creek, or in the waist-high demonstration trough. People of all ages and mobility limitations can learn how to pan and capture the full gold-rush experience. You’re guaranteed to find gold, and all that glitters is yours to keep! See the remnants of the original buildings of the Alaska-Juneau Mining Company all around you. At the height of production, it was the largest operation of its type in the world. You’ll learn about the mining techniques used, and the quest for gold that is such a major part of Alaska’s history. Take home a souvenir Orelove Brothers Gold Claim Certificate, all the gold you find, and an appreciation of what it was like to seek your fortune in the wilds of Alaska more than a century ago.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
- Children 13-17 must have a signed parental consent form to participate in the absence of a parent or guardian
Reviews(57)
Amazing! Very friendly and knowledgeable guides. 5 stars for sure!! The son and the dog was so amazing too!
The history about the town and the gold rush was very interesting. The scenery was beautiful and the tour guide, Angel, was amazing. Learning how to pan for gold was enjoyable. However, it is a process and the time is limited.
We had a wonderful time gold panning with our entire family. Beautiful spot, Marlin was very knowledgeable and personable. I only wish it was longer. We had a beautiful day! There gold in them thar hills!
The mining adventure was awesome! Thank you Marlin!!!
Stephen was very knowledgeable and friendly. He provided a safe and fun trip. While it rained most of oir time on this excursion, it was still fun to pan for gold and learn about the history of the area.
Our driver/guide was a local who knew a lot of history of the area. he was very excited about the process and was open to all questions. Time was very short though
Marlin was excellent with a wealth of knowledge in prospecting. We loved that he gave us the opportunity to prospect on our own. To which we found a gold picker embedded in a quartz rock. As an avid prospector it was exciting to find someone like Marlin, who had as much knowledge and passion when prospecting. Marlin was very honest in his teaching on how to prospect and what to look for along rivers, creeks and streams. Highly recommend Marlin and look forward to our next trip to Juneau.
Thank you for the awesome review! We're so glad you had a great time and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words!
One of the highlights of my entire trip. Our guide was friendly and explained the whole process well. He was very helpful and went above and beyond to make sure we found gold. He shared information about the town along the way and gave suggestions on what to do after the tour. 10/10 recommend
Thank you for the review, we really appreciate it! We're so happy you enjoyed your tour and we hope to see you again!
Marlin and his son Jacob were very helpful to this novice gold miner. Their demonstrations and individual help were top notch. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your review! We're so happy you had a good experience and we hope the rest of your time in Alaska was great!
Felt more authentic than many Gold panning experiences. Our Guide was patient and entertaining and knowledgeable. My son loved it and we left with some gold! We did not book the Salmon Bake portion and wish we had. We dropped some other families off there and it looked charming and people say it’s excellent.
Thank you for the review! We're so glad you had a good time on your tour and we hope to see you again!
