Above the Arctic Circle in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland, the Lemmenjoki and Ivalojoki rivers had a real gold rush in the 1870s, and, remarkably, you can still pan them, Finland hosts the world gold-panning championships, and a few hardy prospectors still work the remote creeks each brief summer. The gold is coarse enough that Lapland has produced some famous nuggets. PUBLIC panning is allowed in the national park under permit; this is deep, roadless, mosquito-thick country reached on foot or by boat.
Placer gold
See it on the map
Other places on the map within a couple of hours.
