This story was originally published in May 2024.

You’re likely not going to get rich panning for gold or digging for gems in Maine. But with some knowledge, determination and maybe some help from local mineral clubs, you might have a lot of fun doing it.

Rockhounding and gold prospecting are two activities that anyone with some basic equipment and know-how can partake in. Myles Felch, a curator and staff geologist at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum in Bethel , said that while Maine is far from the gold-rich sites found in California or Alaska, there’s still enough to be found here that it can be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

“Maine just isn’t like those places out West. There’s never been a real lode discovered here. You’re not going to come across some big gold nugget,” Felch sai

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