Swift River

The Swift River, running through Byron in Oxford County, is Maine's best-known gold panning destination — gold was first found here in 1849, and there's still color in the gravels today. The centerpiece is Coos Canyon, a roadside 32-foot gorge on Route 17 with a large parking lot, picnic tables, restrooms, and a gift shop that rents pans right there. The stretch of river between Route 17 and the canyon has numerous public access points and sees a steady stream of casual panners and families every summer. Beyond that public stretch, much of the river frontage is private property — some of it timber company land where panning is tolerated with permission, not open by default. Coos Canyon itself is the easy, reliable pick; anywhere else on the Swift River, check who owns the bank first.

Coos Canyon sits directly on Route 17 in Byron, Oxford County, Maine, with a large roadside parking area. Other Swift River access points lie along Route 17 between Byron and the canyon.

Gold panning is the standard method — a simple pan works the gravel bars and eddies along the public stretch near Coos Canyon; no permit is needed there. Elsewhere on the river, including a known spot on the East Branch Swift River near Byron on Boise Cascade Corporation timberland, panning is allowed only with permission from the company's timber manager — don't assume access just because a spot looks good from the road.

The public stretch between Route 17 and Coos Canyon is the reliable, no-permission option. Away from that corridor, much of the Swift River corridor is privately owned, including significant timber-company land — confirm ownership and get permission before panning outside the Coos Canyon area. The Coos Canyon Rock and Gift Shop rents pans on site if you don't want to bring your own.