Alabama Gold …Panning in the creek for gold in Alabama.
Is the Alabama gold belt waiting for you? Alabama has a long a solid history as a gold producing state and one of the most gold rich states east of the Mississippi. The Alabama gold rush made a huge impact for many families and business owners. Both placer deposits and lode has been found in Alabama within the gold belt. Around 1830 major gold discoveries were found at Chestnut Creek and Blue creek in Alabama alone. Gold has been found in Alabama in the following counties: Talladega, Elmore, Cleburne, Randolph, Chilton, Clay, Chambers, Tallapoosa, and Coosa counties.
Most of the gold found in Alabama was found as small grains within rock and leaching vats were used to harvest it. Gold miners used dangerous chemicals to leach the gold from the rocks. Chemicals such as cyanide and mercury were used to dissolve rock leaving the beautiful Alabama gold. Alabama’s gold rush left high toxicity in the groundwater near mining locations. Wouldn’t it be something to find a huge mercury ball filled with gold in the creek panning?
The Alabama gold belt has some great gold prospecting locations that were once active Gold mining sites. Chestnut Creek and Blue Creek in Alabama was the first large gold strike producers that occurred in 1830 and the next few years. From good sized nuggets to fine gold has been found in Alabama. You can find Alabama gold in lode and placer deposits.
Where to find gold in Alabama?
Wouldn’t it be nice to strike gold in Alabama!
The Talladega National Forest is a great destination to pan for gold on Federal land. If you are looking to find the mother lode in Alabama, your best bet may be on private property. If you could find the right creek that hasn’t been touched, there is no telling what you might could find. The Alabama gold rush took place after early European settlers came to the region in 1820’s, 1830’s, and 1840’s.
The Arbacoochee district was a major producer in Alabama and was home to about 5,000 with hundreds working in the mines. One town which was a boom town for Alabama was Goldville, Alabama with a population of around 37. You can find a good story about the gold found in Alabama and the town of Goldville. Alabama’s Gold Rush: A tiny town once worth millions. 834 mining deposits have been found near Goldville, Alabama.
Gold in Alabama, Goldville, Alabama, once home to an Alabama Gold Rush
Once Goldville, Alabama was home to over 3,000 people with a strong economy with 14 stores 200 gold mines in the area. Gold was in the blood of these people and many left in 1849 when the California gold rush started. They left the gold in the creeks and mines to search for larger wealth out west and virtually left Goldville, Alabama a ghost town over night. What was once a booming gold town in Alabama is now just a small town with around 38 people and almost all of the old buildings and mines have falling to the passage of time.
The Cholerine Mining District has been a very successful area to find rich placer gold in Cleburne County. Throughout the Cleburne county area there have many gold and silver mines.
Other good places to find Gold in Alabama
The Tallapoosa River, Crooked Creek, and Wesobulga Creek are good locations for placer gold in Clay County. Look throughout this beautiful county along smaller streams and creeks, you may find some good Alabama gold locations.
The Gold Ridge Mine in Coosa County Alabama once produced placer gold. Also, Placer gold was found on Weogufka and Hatchett Creeks. Alabama has been home to some great gold
Cleburne County offers the richest placer opportunities, and all the waters in the Chulafinnee Mining District will yield gold. The county has many lode mines, primarily copper and gold, and there are rich gravels all through these areas.
A prospector should find quite a few good spots for placer gold in Coosa County. During the gold rush days, the Gold Ridge Mine produced gold, and Hatchett & Weogufka Creeks produced placer gold.
Gold Panning In Alabama
A great site we have heard folks looking for Alabama gold is at the Alabama Gold Camp. We are not sure how much gold has been found at the gold camp, but it is defiantly a beautiful location to give your gold panning skills a shot. The Alabama Gold Camp offers lodging and a general store for goods. They offer pay per night camping as well as RV Hookups. The Gold Camp looks like a sweet location for a mini vacation. www.alabamagoldcamp.com
Hunting Gold in Alabama- This looks like a great resource –>>Hunting Gold, Minerals, Fossils and Artifacts in Alabama
Another great resource for gold prospecting in Alabama Gold Locations in Alabama
One of the best known and richest is Devil’s Back Bone crossing Tallapoosa County
What is the largest gold nugget found in Alabama? Most likely the largest gold nugget found in Alabama is a mystery and if you found that nugget you most likely would not share where you found it. I once heard of a story of an old timer who decided to show his discover that he found as a child in the cotton field near Goldville, Alabama.
A friend of mine was looking in the countryside Tallapoosa County for a creek to gold pan. As he rode down the road he came across an old farmer and he asked him if any gold had been found in the area. To my friends surprise the old farmer went into his house and came out with a large chunk of quartz with plentiful gold veins running through it. My friend was shocked and asked about the beautiful gold-filled quartz. The old timer proceeded to tell him how he found the Alabama gold while they were turning the field and getting ready for a new cotton crop to be planted. Could the largest gold nugget in Alabama be in a cotton field waiting to be found?
During the Gold Rush in California many fled to find riches on the west coast. Much of the Gold in Alabama has been left in the streams and veins waiting to be found. What was once a booming gold industry in Alabama now is a weekend hobby for those who wish to venture out for riches or just a little time on the creek. Alabama gold waits for you!
