The gold rushes of the 19th century have long since ended, but there are still plenty of places you can hunt for the precious metal using a shovel, pan, metal detector, and more. In fact, recreational gold mining is a pastime for many people these days, and for good reason: the largest nugget ever found in California was discovered by an amateur. 

Read on to discover destinations around the world where you can still prospect for gold, but be sure to check any restrictions if you're thinking of indulging in a spot of treasure hunting. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

The Lowther and Buccleuch Estates issue gold panning licences for the area. Alternatively, the Wanlockhead Lead Mining Museum offers panning courses for amateurs – a Canadian tourist found a 20-carat nugget worth $12,800 (£9.8k) during a course in 2014.

You can still pull gold out of the water to this day with panning sessions available from $3 (£2.40) per person. Visitors to the area can also learn about other ways of finding gold from the land.

If you're in Alaska and want to look for more than just incredible scenery and wildlife, you might want to try your hand at panning for gold in Crow Creek. The first claims of gold are said to have been made in 1897 near the mouth of the stream and panning has taken place here ever since.

Amateur gold hunters can get private excursions and a practice bag of rocks mixed with gold to make sure they're panning correctly, before heading half a mile downstream to test their gold-hunting skills. Panning starts from $25 (£20) per person.

In 1876 the gold rush swept across the Black Hills of South Dakota after gold deposits were found in Deadwood Creek, with people panning for gold ever since. Panning experiences can be booked in advance at Deadwood’s Broken Boot Gold Mine.

Much of the Black Hills are encompassed by public land and panning is available to whoever fancies wading through the waters. You'll need to rent or bring your own panning equipment and the cost depends on where you want to go panning. 

Rules and regulations differ slightly from state to state, but recreational gold prospecting tends to be permitted in the USA in designated public areas and on private land, as long as the landowner gives permission.

There are many places to mine for gold in California, as it's rich with gold mining history, and Jamestown is no exception. The gold panning tours available here make this a popular choice.

Prices for prospecting here vary and it can be a little steep, but then again, you are going gold mining. Family experiences generally include equipment, instructions and a five-hour time slot.

There's also a large stretch of river about 10 miles upstream from Arapahoe Bar at Clear Creek Canyon where gold panning, sluicing and even suction dredging are permitted. You may even have better luck here given the location is up-river.

The Consolidated Gold Mine is currently open and offering gold panning experiences with prices starting from $30 (£24).

The Warrego area is one of the richest fossicking sites in the whole of Australia. The gold is scattered in the surface soils of the area, so you'll need a metal detector and good dry panning skills to find it.

The appropriately named Gold Mines River in the Wicklow Mountains, which got its moniker in 1796 following the discovery of a nugget of the precious metal, boasts relatively high quantities of gold and is a magnet for amateur prospectors. 

One of Europe's major rivers, the Rhine stretches from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea via Germany and the Netherlands. A popular destination for river cruisers, it also boasts several known gold panning spots. 

In the alpine village of Disentis, Switzerland, for example, budding prospectors can join daily summer courses led by "Swiss gold-prospecting legend" Gold-Gusti. All the gold washing equipment you'll need is provided and you can keep any nuggets you find, with some reviews claiming you're "guaranteed" to come away with a precious memento.

People have reportedly been hunting for gold in the Danube (pictured) for thousands of years, but today, it's mainly the tributaries that attract aspiring panners. The River Enns, a southern tributary of the Danube that forms the border between Lower and Upper Austria, can be particularly profitable...

From the Austrian town of Steyr (pictured) to the mouth of the Danube, it's been estimated the Enns contains an average of 0.14 grams of gold per tonne of gravel. Currently, 0.14 grams is worth around $8.75 (£7.10). In other places, the concentration is nearer 2 grams of gold per tonne of gravel, worth around $125 (£102).

The richest in gold of all German rivers, the Schwarza in the state of Thuringia is a tributary of the River Saale. Precious metals have reportedly been found in the Schwarza since the 12th century, but in 1402, the rights to all of the valley's gold were handed over to the Count of Schwarzburg. 

Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Today, online sources suggest anyone is free to pan for gold in the Schwarza river and keep anything they find. A variety of panning courses and introductory classes are available during the summer months.

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