Llano River — Kingsland Placer Gold

The Llano River drains the Llano Uplift and is among the best-known Texas streams for recreational placer gold. Gold is fine-grained and widely dispersed; productive spots shift after floods. Prospecting tips: Focus on inside bends, bedrock cracks, and gravel bars below rapids and the Kingsland Slab crossing. Honey Creek and other tributaries feed additional sediment into this reach. Panning, sluicing (where permitted), and careful sniping in crevices are common methods. Access note: Much of the riverbank is private ranch land. Use TPWD leased access at Kingsland Slab, public road crossings where parking is legal, or obtain explicit landowner permission. Low river turbidity (clear water) makes panning easier. Historical context: 1853 newspaper reports of a "Texas Gold Rush" drew miners to the Colorado and Llano river country; production never matched California, but local placer work continued intermittently for decades.