prospecting south carolina north east ga

[Oldyoungtimer]

Been bit by a gold bug! I have been prospecting for about six months through cold weather and cold creeks. Found a little here and there. Anyone got any ideas of where to go? Been prospecting Sumter national forest. I find myself loving to prospect more and more everyday. I don't even think it's about having the gold for me as it is about finding it. Anyone else feel the same?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[stanjtown]

Hey Oldyoungtime, I'm visiting my daughter in March and asked the same question for South Carolina and was told the Carolina slate belt area hope this helps and good luck.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Welcome to tnet!

I can definitely relate to getting the urge to get out there prospecting :-)

Solving nature's puzzle and finding the gold is a lot of fun. Then again, so is having it...I am accumulating enough to get a ring made for my wife!

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

Nice! I hope she likes the ring. Thanks for the warm welcome. I live in Oconee county so i think the slate belt is a little to far for me to travel. Been to Georgia today along the Chatooga river panned a couple creeks found a ton of heavies just no gold. There was also a lot of decayed quartz. I think the gold is there just not where i looked lol.

 

[Astrobouncer]

Oldyoungtimer, you are actually in a good area for gold in Oconee county, the problem for that (and almost any) area is getting access. I would be asking friends, family, neighbors, co workers, etc to check their creeks/rivers if you dont have access to one.

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

The only place i have been able to find gold has been in Sumter national Forrest. The only problem is you can only pan there with a permit and no digging. (in South Carolina) I find that kind of weird because how do you get the dirt in your pan? I think it's just a way for the forestry service to keep prospecting from blowing up in the area. Like you said astrobouncer it's a good area just finding land is the hard part.

 

[Sackett]

Yeah it seems that OUR land ain't ours at all!!! I was at the LDMA claim in Oconee yesterday and guess what...You can no longer pan in the creek!!!! That is correct if you get material that did not come from the creek itself, yOu cannot pan it out in the creek,,,and this is private property!!!!! DHEC rules....STUPID!!!!!

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Where would you guys recommend a newb go for the first time. I have read several things about Thermal City. I live in Greenville, SC My nephew and I are interested in learning to do this together. And what would be a good way to start learning to identify what we find?

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

Well i would try gong to the closest creek and practice panning for your first time. Try to get some black sand and heavies. When I went out my first time i didn't find any gold. Actually my first three or four times i found nothing. I was about to give up on prospecting for good i was down to my last pan, last shot for the day and maybe my life. I got down to the black sand and started swirling expecting nothing. When all the sudden that gold spec showed up and that was it! I'm hooked lol. I'm actually glad I didn't find anything my first few times to make me appreciate what I got which isn't much. Lol ANYWAYS I have not heard of thermal city before. Then again all my research is toward Oconee and northeast Georgia. I have heard of the slate belt though it's supposed to be a great producer. google the Carolina slate belt you might be close to that. Good luck and happy prospecting.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

So far we have found vermiculite, white quartz, black quart, granite, gneiss, feldspar, mica chips the size of a nickel, sandstone, yellow sand, and a good bit of black magnetic sand. I had someone help me identify this list.

The origin of our practice creek starts about one mile from where we are practicing. The owner has said we can come anytime to play. It has been fun so far.

We have found several gold flakes but they move to easy in the pan and change appearance when shaded with my hand. They are fun to find no matter what they are. It is just nice being in the creek and hearing the sound of the water.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

It is pouring the rain today, so I guess my practice with be on here reading and YouTube watching. I can dream even if I can't play. LOL

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

I'll be indoors too. Ready for a nice day on the creek tomorrow. Just got done watching gold fever. Old Massie was in Alaska again hunting glaciers and dredging culverts. Name of the show was it's never to cold for gold. I thought i was crazy running through south Carolina creeks in the winter but i think he takes the cake lol. I would be on the creek today only problem is it's just my 2 year old son and I today. He doesn't seem to mind the cold but i mind it for him lol. Sounds like you know a bit about geology that should defiantly help in your quest for gold. I think it's great to get some experience before you invest in prospecting. If anything just to get some help identifying what would best suit you and your area. Hope you really found the gold! Good luck

 

[Desertphile]

Anyone got any ideas of where to go?

You can check out my "free gold maps" web site for Southern Carolina. Free Gold Maps I am working to convert the site over to PHP and MySQL, but at the moment each county has its own page.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I would not say I know much about geology, but I can sort rocks, put them in baggies, drive to someone who does and ask for help.

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

Love the website thanks for the link. Best of all it's free! Happy prospecting! Wish me luck lol

 

[Jwoot]

I'm currently living in Greenville is anyone wants to get together. I've been here about a year and don't know the area all that well. Does anybody have any decent location to get started on?

Just checking out the free maps now. I guess I may have knock on doors and educate myself on the regulations

 

[Davidail]

Not trying to upset you, but alot of the data on those maps is not accurate. Example In the Georgia map Rabun County all of the mines are off by over 1000 meters or more. Many are show to be on private land when they aren't. Our Government doesn't want you on government land prospecting. They changed the data to mislead you and to discourage you in to thinking all the gold is gone. I have worked the rabun county area now for over 2 years and discovered this, Not only are the maps wrong, but they have even removed several key features including creek names water falls and so on from all the maps to keep you from finding the mines...

You can check out my "free gold maps" web site for Southern Carolina. Free Gold Maps I am working to convert the site over to PHP and MySQL, but at the moment each county has its own page.

 

[Davidail]

Chatooga That area is a good area, its mostly hit and miss, I've been working the North Ga Rabun County area for 2 years. was up there last month tried to get into a boxed canyon where an old gold mine is located after 4 hours of hiking, waist deep water and 30' degree temps I ended up climbing 400' feet straight up to a road so I could get out. I have went to this area twice now and both times the area is so rugged and over grown its almost impossible to get in there. Not to mention the high water due to all the rain. I have decided to try again when the creek is low. ended up working another area just a few miles away which I've worked before and found color. worked it for a few hours and only black sand, moved 10 yards upstream and found color again..

Nice! I hope she likes the ring. Thanks for the warm welcome. I live in Oconee county so i think the slate belt is a little to far for me to travel. Been to Georgia today along the Chatooga river panned a couple creeks found a ton of heavies just no gold. There was also a lot of decayed quartz. I think the gold is there just not where i looked lol.

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

You sound as crazy as i am lol