Zebulon Pike reported gold in Colorado in present day Park County, Colorado as early as 1807, but it wasnt until rich discoveries near Denver in 1858 that sparked the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Since then, gold mining has been a major industry in Colorado, with significant lode and placer discoveries throughout the state. Over 1 million ounces of gold has come out of Summit County in central Colorado, both as lode and placer deposits.