SUN JOURNAL • July 2, 2023
Maine has some of the purest gold in the world hidden in the sediment of its streams. But local enthusiasts say that unlike operations out West, prospecting in the Pine Tree State isn’t about making money – the gold is pure, but there isn’t enough of it. “It’s just the thrill of discovery,” said Darin Thomason of Winthrop, president of Central Maine Gold Prospectors. “I don’t think you could find one person that would ever sell the gold (if they found it).” While finding gold in Maine can be tricky, interest in the hobby has grown over the last 10 to 15 years, partly in response to a growing number of prospecting shows like “Gold Rush” on the Discovery Channel.