Pan for gold in the creek that launched the biggest gold rush the world has ever known. There’s still gold to be found here, all you need is the right combination of patience and luck. Take your pan to Claim #6 on Bonanza Creek, dig some dirt from the surrounding banks and wash it out in the river. Any gold you find, you can keep.
Staked by F Ladouceur in October 1896, Claim #6 is 18 km (12 miles) from downtown Dawson City and about half a mile upstream from the famous Discovery Claim that prompted the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike Visitors’ Association now maintains the claim and welcomes for free anyone who wants to try their luck. If you don’t have your own gold pan, you can rent one or get panning lessons at Guggieville, Gold Bottom Tours, or at Claim 33. Panning is restricted to hand tools, which means only gold pans and shovels.