In the southern Oregon Medford area the BLM has set aside four places to pan or dredge for Gold.
Little Applegate River
Tunnel Ridge
Gold Nugget
Hellgate Recreation Area
petname, Creative Commons
The Hellgate Recreation Area covers a big area on the Rogue River from where the Applegate flows into it to where Grave Creek flows into it. You may pan for gold only on public lands along the Rogue River and up 1/4 mile of the Rogue's tributaries in this area. There are public day-use only parks as well as parks for over-night camping in this area. See
Rogue River.Camping
Derek Diamond, Creative Commons
The Gold Nugget site is on the Rogue River outside of the town of Gold Hill on Highway 234.
The BLM has a wonderful online brochure that gives specific directions, Oregon gold panning regulations, and instructions. Note: If you want to dredge for gold you need a permit from the State of Oregon. All Oregon Scenic Waterways are now closed to dredging. Here is the link for the Medford area BLM Brochure.
On the edge of the Willamette Valley outside of Cottage Grove is the Sharps Creek Recreation Area. Gold panning is allowed here from June 1st through September 15. Dredging for gold is allowed July 1st through September 1. Note: You need a permit from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in Salem, Oregon in order to dredge for gold. You can read a nice brochure on the Sharps Creek Recreation Area
for more details.
South of Roseburg there is a gold panning area on Cow Creek. To get there take Exit 103 from I-5 and travel through the town of Riddle. Continue on past the first railroad tunnel until you come to a rest area next to Cow Creek.
Outside of Sweet Home, Oregon is the Quartzville Recreation Mining Corridor. You can pan and dredge for gold in Quartzville Creek from Rocky Top Bridge to the boundary of Willamette National Forest. You can camp in Yellow Bottom Camp Ground.
