Reed Gold Mine
Historical place museum · North Carolina
★ 4.7 (1,451 reviews)
9621 Reed Mine Rd, Midland, NC 28107
Hours on Google: Tue to Sat 9 AM to 5 PM
MSHA records list no gold mines in North Carolina that are open or idle. The 12 records here are abandoned.
Historic gold producers in North Carolina (USGS)
USGS records 467 historic gold producers in North Carolina: 401 past producers and 66 listed as producers or plants. For 307 of them USGS gives an output size (2 large, 50 medium, 255 small). Production years are recorded for 147 sites, from 1800 to 1963. The most common deposit type is low-sulfide Au-quartz vein (154 sites).
Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (retrieved 2026-10-13), last updated around 2011. The county pages list the sites.
Counties
| County | MSHA, not abandoned | MSHA, abandoned | USGS historic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 0 | 0 | 65 |
| Union County | 0 | 1 | 51 |
| Cabarrus County | 0 | 2 | 49 |
| Randolph County | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Montgomery County | 0 | 1 | 33 |
| Moore County | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| Rowan County | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Davidson County | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| Guilford County | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Burke County | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Gaston County | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Mcdowell County | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Stanly County | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Cleveland County | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Orange County | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Rutherford County | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Caldwell County | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Nash County | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Ashe County | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Franklin County | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Macon County | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Person County | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Catawba County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Chatham County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Halifax County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Swain County | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Alleghany County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Davie County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Henderson County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hertford County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Iredell County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jackson County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lee County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Vance County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Warren County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Watauga County | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Visit a gold mine in North Carolina
Working mines are closed to the public. 8 places in North Carolina offer tours, panning or mining history.
Rose Creek Mine
Tourist attraction · North Carolina
★ 4.9 (1,338 reviews)
240 Terrace Ridge Dr, Franklin, NC 28734
Hours on Google: Wed to Sat 9 AM to 5 PM; Sun 11 AM to 5 PM
Gold Hill Mines Historic Park
Park · North Carolina
★ 4.8 (455 reviews)
735 St Stephens Church Rd, Gold Hill, NC 28071
Hours on Google: Mon to Sat 8 AM to 5 PM; Sun 11 AM to 5 PM
Questions about gold mines in North Carolina
How many gold mines are in North Carolina?
MSHA lists 12 gold mines in North Carolina. None are marked as open or idle. 12 records are marked abandoned. USGS lists another 467 historic gold producers that are not in the MSHA records.
Can I visit an abandoned gold mine in North Carolina?
Old workings are dangerous and most are on private land or active claims, so the answer is almost always no. Do not enter them.
Other states
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew MexicoNew YorkOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWisconsinWyoming