When prospecting and panning for gold in South Carolina, you will find an abundance of nice creeks and branches. Gold panning and prospecting locations are numerous and many gold sites are near primary and secondary roads. If you are a treasure hunter, you will be delighted with the treasure hunting possibilities in South Carolina. South Carolina was one of the original colonies and has many old towns, old plantations, old churches and old rural schools where treasure may be found with a metal detector. A good gift.

Gem stones are sought by rockhounds in the same general areas where prospecting and panning for gold and treasure hunting for nuggets is done. Gem stones reported from the northwestern part of South Carolina include beryl (aquamarine, emerald, yellow beryl ), corundum (sapphire), diamond, garnet, sillimanite, topaz, tourmaline and zircon.

WHERE TO LOOK FOR AND FIND GOLD IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Big Ten, Inc.'s South Carolina Gold Prospecting and Panning Map shows places where to look to find gold near:

Abbeville, Belton, Blacksburg, Easley, Calhoun Falls, Camden, Chesnee, Clemson, Clinton, Clover, Gaffney, Greenville, Greenwood, Greer, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Pageland, Pickens, McCormick, Newberry, Ridgeway, Rock Hill, Saluda, Seneca, Spartanburg, Union, Walhalla, Westminster, Woodruff and York.

It shows one hundred thirty (130) gold mines and prospecting and panning locations from official geological records of the State of South Carolina and the federal government. Locations for finding gold are shown within 15 miles of each of the above listed places. These gold deposit locations, which show where gold has been found in the past, are clearly marked.

The map is done in color. The margin of the map has text that tells where to look for gold in a streambed, how to tell "fools gold" from real gold and gives step-by-step gold panning instructions. You can quickly learn to pan by following the instructions on the map.

Comments on Mining of Gold, Gold Prospecting, Gold Panning, Treasure Hunting and Rockhounding in South Carolina

The gold mining, prospecting and panning areas are in the northwest quadrant of South Carolina and continue directly over into Georgia and North Carolina. 

Information on this page as pertains to gold mines, gold prospecting areas, and minerals and gem stone occurrences was obtained from research of geological records and documents of the South Carolina Geological Survey, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey and similar sources. Prior work by Arthur H. Maybin III, Camilla K. McCauley and J. Robert Butler is acknowledged.

Butler mentions that most of the earliest production of gold in South Carolina came from placers. Many of the gold placers occur very close to a lode which is the suspected source of the gold. One of the most productive gold placers was the Tanyard pit at the Brewer Gold Mine in Chesterfield County. The estimated placer gold production was about twice the lode gold production. Butler’s writings mention that an interesting feature of the Tanyard pit is the evidence of deposition and sorting of the sands by sea waves (Pardee and Park) and that the placer must have been formed partly by wave action along an ancient coastline.

The Martin Mine in York County produced a considerable quantity of placer gold from a clay-gravel bed of several acres and from the underlying weathered material. Lieber (1856) reported that gold nuggets weighing 9.5 and 17 ounces were found at the Martin Mine and also large pieces of quartz were found that contained 10.5 ounces and 200 ounces of gold. 

Other important gold placer mines were in Oconee County and along the Middle Tyger River and its tributaries in Spartanburg and Greenville Counties.

The gold mines and prospecting and panning areas of South Carolina are part of the gold belt that extends from Central Alabama to Northern Virginia. There are many gold mines and prospecting and panning sites near Rock Hill, York and Gaffney. The famous Haile Gold Mine is near Kershaw in Lancaster County. The Ridgeway Gold Mine is about 25 miles from Columbia. The city of McCormick, South Carolina is built over a gold mine that was owned by Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaper. 

When prospecting, panning or treasure hunting in South Carolina, don’t overlook the gold near Clemson and near the Chatooga National Wild and Scenic River, which was used as a location for filming of "Deliverance". Try treasure hunting for gold nuggets with a metal detector.

ALABAMA/SOUTH CAROLINA GOLD MAP

One hundred forty (140) gold mines and prospect locations are shown in Alabama. Gold mining in Alabama began in the 1830's and the hobby of recreational gold prospecting and panning is enjoyed by many people today. A geological report states: “The Hilton Brothers reopened the pit. They succeeded in obtaining 65 ounces of gold from a hole 3 feet by 2 feet by 20 inches; the result of half a day’s work.” 

One hundred thirty (130) gold mines and prospect locations are shown in South Carolina. There were several operating gold mines in South Carolina in recent years. Treasure hunters using metal detectors like to "gold nugget shoot" in the gold areas and "coin shoot" at the rural schools and churches shown.

To request gold maps please go to REQUESTING GOLD MAPS .