You've heard the ads.  Everybody knows that the price of gold is high.  But what if you don't have any gold to sell?  Just grab a pan and head to a stream.  There is plenty of gold in Michigan to be found.

I'm not sure any of us are going to get rich panning for gold in Michigan, but it sounds like fun doesn't it?

Mlive.com tells us when and where to get started:

If you’re retired or just looking for a new hobby, gold prospecting could be a fun one - with a return on investment.

“They’d find something in 15 minutes,” said Brad Lasco, owner of Barkus Park Campground in Lyons, east of Ionia off M-21. “It’s amazing, really, the concentrations of gold here in Michigan. There hasn’t been anybody that’s come down here (to the campground) that hasn’t found gold.”

For a daily fee of $10 per person, with a campsite added for free, Barkus invites prospectors to pan or dredge for gold in Stony Creek.

Another hot spot: property along Nottawa Creek in Athens, south of Battle Creek, owned by the Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association, which is part of the Gold Prospectors Association of America. An outing for members is planned Oct. 5-9.

Technically, a state permit is needed (PDF) for dredging and there also are restrictions on panning.

Maybe when ArtPrize is over 50 of us can stop by Devos Place then head out panning for gold.

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