Welcome to Coos Canyon Rock and Gift in Byron, Maine!
472 Swift River Road, (Rt. 17), Byron, Maine 04275
207-364-4900
Our family has been prospecting for minerals and gold here since the 1950’s. Our passion for prospecting bloomed into our small family run business where we share what we’ve learned through the years with our customers.
Coos Canyon is a beautiful, natural gorge along the
Swift River. It is a very popular swimming and picnicking
area, with waterfalls and great swim holes. It is known
as one of the best places to pan for gold in Maine.
We offer free hands-on demonstrations to teach you to
pan for and find gold on your own. We have all the equipment you need, either for rent or for sale. You can pan in our on-premises sluiceway trough or we can guide you to areas along the Swift River and its tributaries. It’s great fun and an exciting outdoor activity for all ages.
We have a display of local gold nuggets at our shop as well as jewelry made of local gold. We sell buckets of gold paydirt (gravel with gold flakes mixed in) for you to pan, or you can pan your own gravel in the River.
Our gift shop is a tasteful mixture of crystals, rocks, locally handmade jewelry, unique gifts, souvenirs, tee shirts, moose
memorabilia, prospecting equipment, books, etc. Much of our jewelry is handmade by us of gemstones and crystals with some Maine Tourmaline jewelry as well.
There is also great hiking in the area and fishing in the river for trout. We are in the heart of Moose Country. So don’t forget your camera as there are many opportunities to capture some beautiful mountain and river scenery and maybe even a moose.
If you’re hungry, we serve ice cream, milk shakes, sandwiches and pizza.
We look forward to meeting you and sharing in an adventure for you and your families or just chatting with you as you browse our fun little gift shop.
Sincerely, Rosey and the Crew at Coos Canyon Rock and Gift Shop
Directions
We are located along the beautiful scenic Route 17 in the Western Maine Mountains’ Moose Country
(GPS reading N44 43.226, W70 37.968)
From the South: Turn onto Rt. 17 West at the traffic light in Mexico. Drive 13 miles to the Coos Canyon Rest Area (just past the Campground). We are located across the road from the Rest Area.
From the North: Turn onto Rt. 17 East in Oquossoc. Drive 24 miles to the Coos Canyon Rest Areaand we are right across the road at the Canyon.
Hours
May-June Open every Friday-Saturday-Sunday and most weekdays 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
(Please call ahead weekdays to confirm we are open)
July and August Open 7 days a week 10:00 am -6:30 pm (6:00 pm on Sunday)
September-October Open every Friday-Saturday-Sunday and most weekdays 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
(Please call ahead weekdays to confirm we are open)
November - mid April: Open by Appointment only