Gold Prospecting, Treasure Hunting, Mining, Relic Hunting, and Metal Detecting in South Dakota

Mount Rushmore State

GOLD

Placer Deposits

A placer deposit is a concentration of a natural material that has accumulated in unconsolidated sediments of a stream bed, beach, or residual deposit. Gold derived by weathering or other process from lode deposits is likely to accumulate in placer deposits because of its weight and resistance to corrosion. In addition, its characteristically sun-yellow color makes it easily and quickly recognizable even in very small quantities.

The gold pan or miner's pan is a shallow sheet-iron vessel with sloping sides and flat bottom used to wash gold-bearing gravel or other material containing heavy minerals. The process of washing material in a pan, referred to as "panning," is the simplest, most commonly used, and least expensive method for a prospector to separate gold from the silt, sand, and gravel of the stream deposits. It is a tedious, back-breaking job and only with practice does one become proficient in the operation. Thankfully, technology finally caught up with our gold fever and brought us metal detectors!

Minor amounts of placer gold have been produced in South Dakota (the Black Hills region, particularly in the Deadwood area, and on French Creek, near Custer). In fact, almost all of South Dakota's gold deposits are concentrated in this small southwestern area (Black Hills) contained within the Black Hills National Forest. Thus far, gold has been found in Custer, Lawrence, and Pennington Counties.

While gold panning does not require a permit on National Forest lands, prospecting by other means may. Contact your local district ranger for more information to include maps and regulations.

GEMS

The State's best known chalcedony is its colorful and beautiful Fairburn agates. Named after a community near a very prolific agate deposit in Custer County, these brightly colored banded agates are similar to Lake Superior agates found in Michigan and Dryhead agates from Montana. The color patterns are alternating bands with one of the bands always white. The colors that alternate with white include yellowish-brown, dark red, salmon pink, black, yellow, grayish-blue, and milky-pink.

The agate nodules range in size from about 20 millimeters in diameter to some that weigh as much as 20 kilograms. The nodules are recovered from the weathering of the Chadron formation in an elongated belt covering parts of Custer, Pennington, and Shannon Counties, with the community of Fairburn at about the center of the belt. Nodules similar to the Fairburn nodules weather out of a limestone formation in an area that includes parts of Custer and Fall River Counties.

Other varieties of agate are found in the State. Moss agate, much like the famous Montana moss agate, can be found in river gravels of the Little Missouri River system in Harding County. A wide variety of agate can be found in the gravel pits in the entire eastern part of the State.

South Dakota is also well known for brown barite from Meade County.

RELICS, COINS, & JEWELRY

South Dakota has a rich history of early settlements - the perfect spot for an energetic relic hunter! Here's a few more ideas to get you started:

Schools and College Campuses
Parks / Playgrounds / Picnic Areas
Foundations, Wells, and Cellar Holes of Old Churches or Houses
Downtown Construction Sites
Swimming Holes, Beaches, and Natural Springs
Camp Grounds, Boy Scout Camps, WPA Camps, and Mining Camps
Sports Facilities
Ghost Towns
Rodeo Arenas, Riding Stables, and Race Tracks
Old Fair and Carnival Locations
Old Town Dumpsites

LOST TREASURE

As in other areas of the US, there are several tales of lost treasure in South Dakota concerning caches buried for safety. In many of these stories, people either died or forgot where they buried the stash. Contributing factors include:

1. Federal laws making possession of gold illegal in the early 1900s

2. Distrust of banks during the Great Depression.

Fruit jars filled with cash, the Mexican Ed Sanchez treasure, is hidden on Dirty Woman Creek near the old town of Grinston, Custer County.
Loot amounting to $140,000 was taken in a stagecoach holdup in 1878, hidden along a creek near Fairburn, Custer County, and never found. The treasure was being sent from a mining camp to a bank. The bandits were chased by a posse and killed.
A steamboat was lost near Riverside Park, Pierre, in the 1860s, with much gold aboard. To this day it has not been located.

These excerpts are a sampling from American Coin Treasures and Hoards