But don't take this
The Wilderness Act of 1964 closed the Superstition Wilderness to new mineral claims effective January 1, 1984. In the Wilderness the Forest Service requires existing valid mining claims to show valuable and locatable minerals. These claims must operate with an approved Notice of Intent and/or Plan of Operations. The Forest Service has definted several categories of mineral-related activities to help clarify the regulations. Ask the Forest Service for a copy of the regulations.
Mining is the extraction of minerals and is subject to the Forest Service rules described above.
Prospecting is only allowed with an approved Plan of Operations. Extraction of a small grab sample is permitted. Anything more than what you can carry in your hands is considered mining.
Gold Panning is considered a type of mining if a mineral is extracted. If a mineral is not extracted, Gold Panning is allowed and is considered prospecting.
Treasure Trove Hunting is only allowed with a Permit from the Forest Service. A treasure trove is defined as money, gems, or precious worked metal of unknown ownership. You must prove you have treasure, gems, coins, etc. before the permit will be issued. If a permit is approved, it is issued for a specific number of days and the search site is subject to inspection.
Under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, no artifacts may be removed which are over 100 years old. Archaelogical sites may not be disturbed. Historic sites and artifacts are government property and your permit may exclude collection of these items.
Metal Detecting is allowed but may be considered Mining, Prospecting, or Trasure Trove Hunting depending on what you find.