Millions of Americans have tried their luck at gold panning. In 1852, the peak production year of the Gold Rush,$81 million worth of gold was discovered in California alone, coming to about $ 3.2 billion in today’s dollars. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 when by chance, a Sutter's mill employee was inspecting the sawmill and discovered an abundance of gold flecks In the water, This would start a cross-country migration that changed the United States forever.

Here are the five national hot spots where you can start your search.

The rocky sediment of Nevada’s (Rye patch state area in Lovelock, Nevada)

The American River in California(The south fork American river in California)

The Alaskan Yukon River (A ben din Yukon River in the Alaskan Klondike)    

In former Colorado mining hot spots (The Cache Creek area of Colorado )

In Arizona’s Lynx Creek ( The lynx area in Arizona’s Bradshaw Mountains)