The Diggings™ lists millions of claims across the United States to help identify where gold, silver, copper, and other materials are being mined or were mined in the past. With our interactive maps, discover mining activity in your area.
San Francisco, 1851.
Mining claims represent a claimant's right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit. Claimants identify potentially lucerative mining sites and register these locations with the Bureau of Land Management. Remember: these claims do not represent exclusive rights to the land. They represent specific rights for the mining activity that has been granted.
The Diggings™ uses past and present mining claim records to create a rich recource of mining data on public land.
To learn more, visit our FAQ: "What is a Mining Claim?"
Read about mining news, places of interest, and tutotials to better understand mining claims on our blog. Learn more about the Bureau of Land Management, Public Land Survey System, and mining claims. Discover gold, silver, and other mining museums, landmarks, and other places of interest. Keep ahead on mining claim activity with exclusive analysis by The Diggings™.
Understanding Claim Ownership
We receive lots of emails from people who find their name or a relative’s name on our site and want to know if this means they have some right to the land listed under that name.
Understanding BLM Administrative Areas
Whether it is filing a mine or researching one, the administering BLM office is going to be the definitive source.
Understanding Location Data
Mine handled by the Bureau of Land Management are not mapped by latitude and longitude, instead, these mines harken back to the Public Land Survey System.
Understanding Townships
A “township” can refer to two different things. Both are part of the PLSS measurement system but have different uses.
Mining claims can yeild silver, aluminum, copper, iron, gemstones, and even uranium. We refer to these items that are being mined as "commodities." While not all claims have listed commodities, you can browse what is being mined and where on our commodities page:
Not sure what to do next or how to get where you are headed? Take a quick look at our "Getting Started" page where we outline some of the tools at your disposal.