Placer Gold Deposits of Utah - Geological Survey Bulletin 1357

There are thousands of old hard rock mines and prospects throughout Utah that produced some gold as byproducts of silver, lead, zinc, etc. Creeks and rivers near these mines always have potential to produce some gold for a placer miner, but many have little reported about them due to lack of any significant concentrations. A few areas that have documented placer workings are listed below. The general area southwest of Salt Lake City has fine gold in the creeks near the Bingham Mine in the Oquirrh Mountains. In addition to lode mining, many placers have been exploited in this area. Johnson and Recapture Creeks in the Abajo Mountains. Gold has been found in the Colorado River, but it is extremely fine and requires great care to recover it. In the northeast corner of the state, the Green River has produced placer gold below Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Several creeks draining the Henry Mountains in Southeastern Utah. The San Juan River in the southwest part of the state has fine placer deposits.