BLACK HILLS The Hills
The Black Hills are a geological island in the sea of the Great Plains. They contain some of the oldest and most mineral-rich rocks in North America, centered around the legendary Deadwood rush of 1876.
Homestake Mine
Produced over 41 million ounces of gold over its life—the ultimate anchor of the hills.
Deadwood Gulch
The site of the massive 1876 rush. Gold was found in the gravels of Whitewood Creek.
Custer Rush
The initial 1874 discovery by the Custer Expedition in the southern hills.
Field Tips
Northern vs Southern Hills
The Northern Hills (Lead/Deadwood) are dominated by lode gold in complex formations. The Southern Hills (Custer) offer better placer opportunities and coarse gold in the creeks draining the Harney Peak granite.
French Creek
French Creek, near Custer, is where the first gold was found. It remains a popular spot for recreational panning. Look for the contact points between the stream gravels and the Precambrian schist bedrock.
USFS Regulations
Most of the Black Hills are within the Black Hills National Forest. Recreational panning and sluicing are generally allowed without a permit, but motorized equipment (dredges/highbankers) requires a Notice of Intent or an operating plan from the USFS.
Check Claims & PermitsWhat Your Gold Is Worth
Rough spot-price estimate of your find. Real payout depends on purity, weight, and who you sell to — but this gives you a ballpark before you head home.
This is a rough calculator — purity, refinery fees, and market spread all affect what you actually get. Check current spot prices before selling.
Gold Knowledge Resources
Optional gold-culture references for readers curious about bars, coins, purity and storage language after prospecting. These are third-party resources, not financial advice.
BullionVault
Third-party resource for learning how vaulted physical gold services describe storage, fees and custody.
BullionStar
Useful for comparing bars, coins, premiums and purity language after learning field testing basics.
APMEX
Browse mainstream bullion product formats and premiums as gold-culture background, not prospecting advice.
JM Bullion
Reference catalogue for seeing common retail names, weights and purity markings used on coins and bars.
The Digger's Code
- Backfill all holes before you leave.
- Pack out all your trash.
- Respect fence lines and gates.
Legal Disclaimer
Land access rights, safety conditions, and public fossicking zones change. You are solely responsible for verifying regulations with local authorities (DOC/Council/BLM) and assessing river safety before visiting. Paystreak.io accepts no liability for injury, fines, or trespassing. Never dig on private land without explicit permission.
✓ Information last verified: January 2026
Black Hills Panner Pack
The perfect portable kit for hiking the gulches of South Dakota.