🥇 Public panning reserve · Similkameen, BC

Princeton Gold Panning Reserve — Similkameen River

✓ VerifiedBritish ColumbiaHand panning
Map showing Princeton Gold Panning Reserve — Similkameen River in Similkameen, British Columbia
Approximate location · © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap · open in the Explore map
Latitude
49.459
Longitude
-120.506
Region
Similkameen
Type
Public panning reserve

About this spot

Community panning reserve on the Similkameen River in Princeton, from the Blue Bridge to Memorial Park, with easy sandy-bar access at Two Rivers Park. The Similkameen–Tulameen is one of only two river systems on Earth where you can pan platinum alongside gold.

Before you go

Hand pans and shovels only — no claim or licence needed inside the reserve. The Visitor Centre (105 Hwy 3 E) loans pans and hands out a reserve map. Verify current status with the Town of Princeton before visiting.

Source

Town of Princeton — princeton.ca/p/gold-panning; Discover Princeton (discoverprinceton.ca)

Marked Verified: confirmed against an official or authoritative source at the time of writing.

This guide is general information for recreational prospectors — it is not legal advice. Mining, land-access, and environmental regulations change and vary site by site. Always verify the current rules with the official sources linked above before heading out, obtain permission from private landowners and mineral-claim holders, and respect First Nations rights, settlement lands, and treaty areas — some lands require permission or are closed to panning entirely.