I was really looking forward to authentic gold panning in Alaska. The creeks here are allegedly filled with gold, and this gold panning adventure intrigued me because 1) it was in a creek, 2) the prospector was going to show you how to pan for gold, 3) it allotted more time in the creek than the tour with the salmon bake. I wanted the experience of panning for gold in an Alaskan creek, with a knowledgable prospector and to take some stories home, along with maybe a gold flake or two.
However, such was not the case.
We were brought to the creek. There was no 'prospector' to put on the 'prospecting show.' We had two guides who briefly showed us how to swirl the water in the pre-packed pans. The guides were very nice, but they were not at all the 'prospectors' we were promised in the ad. The guides then instructed us on how to swirl the pans in the trough, or, if we wanted to, in the creekbed. At no time did the guides check on us to see if we were doing it correctly, provide further instruction or assistance, or encouragement. They did not provide any prospector stories, instruction on where to look in the creek for gold. There were no stories of the gold rush, and nobody instructed us how to pan for gold in the creek.
AND, the Gold Panning/Salmon Bake van full of people were in our group. I was under the impression we would have two hours in the tour, and if we chose the salmon bake/gold panning tour that was also two hours. I chose this tour because it allegedly offered more timein the creek. It didn't. We panned for the pre-made panned gold in the trough the same amount of time the Salmon Bank individuals did.
On the positive - The guides were nice. There was a creek and it was next to the old gold mine. We swirled our pans outdoors next to the creek.
Overall - Needless to say, very disappointing and I would not recommend. I expected an Alaskan experience gold panning in a creek, with stories from a Prospector. There was no prospector and we panned for gold in pre-made dirt pans which we sifted through in a trough, not a creek (although if we wanted to do so with no guidance we were welcome to jump in the creek.)