It is a piece of the landscape here in Central Minnesota. It winds itself from Itasca State Park, south to the Gulf. It transports people and products, and even songs are written about it. It's the Mighty Mississippi River, and it's been holding onto a secret. That secret is gold. Did you know that portions of the Mississippi may contain that glittering precious metal?

Gold in the Mississippi?

I stumbled across a YouTuber called Glacial Gold Hunter. The Glacial Gold Hunter travels around the Midwest in search of gold, and he seems to be panning for gold in some of the oddest places, but he seems to know what he is looking for, as he almost always seems to find some gold, even if it's just a few flakes.

Recently, the Glacial Gold Hunter met up with the Twin Cities Gold Prospectors, as they were having a meetup along the Mississippi River.

I was astonished that he found gold along the banks of the river!

Is There Gold In Minnesota?

While the Minnesota DNR confirms that Minnesota does have gold, the gold found in Mississippi isn't going to let you retire early. The DNR reports that a majority of the gold in Minnesota can be found to the North. 

Do I need a permit to 'pan for gold'?

The Minnesota DNR states that you don't need a permit to pan for gold in streams and rivers, as long as you "have a minimum impact on the area prospected. Minimum impacts would be the same type of impacts as caused by wading or swimming. Gold panning must not disturb fish and aquatic plant habitat and may not be conducted in areas where mineral collecting activities are prohibited, such as state parks."

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A new 'Gold Rush'?

While you probably aren't retiring early from panning the Mississippi, there was a brief gold rush in Minnesota, you can learn more about that here.