NC Gold Trail Runs Through Montgomery County, NC!
To say the NC Gold Trail runs through Montgomery County might be a bit understated. After all, the first documented gold discovery in the nation was found at the nearby Reeds property in 1799, and before long, the first gold rush in the United States was on, and Montgomery County was at the heart of it!
As word spread of the gold in North Carolina, the rush began in the early 1800s. William Thornton of Maryland, designer of the United States Capitol building, purchased 35,000 acres of land in Montgomery County and formed the North Carolina Gold Mine Company.
Taking a step back let us look geographically and geologically at Montgomery County. The Uwharrie Mountains were once a coastal mountain range but now are in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. They are in the Uwharrie National Forest and are believed to be more than 500 million years old. They once reached over 20,000 feet in height, but with erosion the mountains in the Uwharrie National Forest peak out now at around 1,100 feet. The Uwharrie National Forest is nearly 80 sq. miles with 79% of it in Montgomery County along with Badin Lake, Falls Reservoir, Lake Tillery as well as several rivers where gold panning is big. Imagine the geologic changes that have occurred and the rocks that can be found – or better yet, come see for yourself.
Getting back to the gold mining, many mines of various kinds were opened in the early 1800s but things slowed with the California gold rush in 1849 and again during the Civil War when finding workers was difficult. However, mining continued, and more than 30 active gold mines were operating in Montgomery County alone in the late 1800s. Those mines combined to produce more than $60 million worth of gold by 2017 standards. Once in the 1900s, many of the mines had closed, but there is still gold in those hills!
Recreational panning for gold is allowed on most of the Uwharrie Forest. No fee or permit is required as long as only shovel and pan techniques are used and no significant stream disturbance results. Sluice or "shaker" boxes are allowed, but no mechanized or motorized equipment, such as a suction dredge, is allowed.
A wide variety of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock types are found within the Uwharrie national Forest and many individual minerals are found in association with these rocks. As a general rule, removing is allowed to a "handful" of rock, mineral or petrified wood specimens from the surface of the National Forest System Lands. No fee or permit is required as long as the specimens are for personal, non-commercial use; the specimens are not of archaeological value; no mechanical equipment or blasting is utilized; no significant disturbance results and collection does not conflict with existing mineral permits, leases or sales.
While the clamor of the gold rush has long since faded through the forests of the Uwharries, prospecting pits, open mines and the ruins of mining operations can be found in many places. The Russell Mine is located on the present-day lands of the Uwharrie National Forest. The mine has been designated as a site with special historic significance, and the forest staff plans to document, preserve and interpret it.
For more information about gold panning, the Uwharrie National Forest or Montgomery County, please contact Market Montgomery Chamber & Tourism at (910) 572-4300; or mscott@marketmontgomery.com or visit marketmontgomery.com.
As word spread of the gold in North Carolina, the rush began in the early 1800s. William Thornton of Maryland, designer of the United States Capitol building, purchased 35,000 acres of land in Montgomery County and formed the North Carolina Gold Mine Company.
Taking a step back let us look geographically and geologically at Montgomery County. The Uwharrie Mountains were once a coastal mountain range but now are in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. They are in the Uwharrie National Forest and are believed to be more than 500 million years old. They once reached over 20,000 feet in height, but with erosion the mountains in the Uwharrie National Forest peak out now at around 1,100 feet. The Uwharrie National Forest is nearly 80 sq. miles with 79% of it in Montgomery County along with Badin Lake, Falls Reservoir, Lake Tillery as well as several rivers where gold panning is big. Imagine the geologic changes that have occurred and the rocks that can be found – or better yet, come see for yourself.
Getting back to the gold mining, many mines of various kinds were opened in the early 1800s but things slowed with the California gold rush in 1849 and again during the Civil War when finding workers was difficult. However, mining continued, and more than 30 active gold mines were operating in Montgomery County alone in the late 1800s. Those mines combined to produce more than $60 million worth of gold by 2017 standards. Once in the 1900s, many of the mines had closed, but there is still gold in those hills!
Recreational panning for gold is allowed on most of the Uwharrie Forest. No fee or permit is required as long as only shovel and pan techniques are used and no significant stream disturbance results. Sluice or "shaker" boxes are allowed, but no mechanized or motorized equipment, such as a suction dredge, is allowed.
A wide variety of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock types are found within the Uwharrie national Forest and many individual minerals are found in association with these rocks. As a general rule, removing is allowed to a "handful" of rock, mineral or petrified wood specimens from the surface of the National Forest System Lands. No fee or permit is required as long as the specimens are for personal, non-commercial use; the specimens are not of archaeological value; no mechanical equipment or blasting is utilized; no significant disturbance results and collection does not conflict with existing mineral permits, leases or sales.
While the clamor of the gold rush has long since faded through the forests of the Uwharries, prospecting pits, open mines and the ruins of mining operations can be found in many places. The Russell Mine is located on the present-day lands of the Uwharrie National Forest. The mine has been designated as a site with special historic significance, and the forest staff plans to document, preserve and interpret it.
For more information about gold panning, the Uwharrie National Forest or Montgomery County, please contact Market Montgomery Chamber & Tourism at (910) 572-4300; or mscott@marketmontgomery.com or visit marketmontgomery.com.