Undiscovered Gold Attracts Interest In NC

None — Experts think only 5 percent of the gold in North Carolina has been found.

A lot of the undiscovered gold is in local creek beds and in people's back yards, experts say, and there's a growing rush to find it.

SLIDESHOW: Gold Discovered In Charlotte Area

George McDonald recently went digging for gold at an overgrown creek that sits on a friend's property. He found several flakes, which wasn't a lot, but it was enough to tell him that there is gold in that area. For that reason, he and the property owner didn't want Eyewitness News to give the property's location.

"Virtually everybody's property that I've had access to, I've been able to find some gold," McDonald said.

RAW VIDEO: McDonald Describes What To Look For When Searching For Gold

There are 205 documented mines in Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Union counties -- an area known as the Carolina Slate Belt that is said to hold more gold than any other part of the state.

PDF: Map Of Documented Gold Mines

There's no doubt the most famous mine is Reed Gold Mine in Midland. Every week, hundreds of people try their luck in the dirt that's dug up there for panning.

Sharon Robinson manages the site and said interest is up.

"We've heard a lot more stories (and) we can't keep pans on the shelves," Robinson said. "So yeah, there's definitely been a good interest this year."

RAW VIDEO: Robinson Explains Where To Find Gold

Everyone is looking to strike it rich, which is something Robinson said doesn't happen much.

But about one in five visitors discover a gold flake, which is worth a few dollars.

McDonald has had a little more luck. He found more than five ounces of gold a couple of years ago in the area.

"It's the third-largest nugget found in North Carolina in the last 100 years," he said.

But it's much more common to find gold flakes. If you find a lot of flakes, he said, you could be in the money.

McDonald said to first look for quartz. The white rock often contains gold, and heavy rains often break it loose from the ground.

"Walk around (and) look after a rain," he said. "If you see something shiny and gold, pick it up (because) it's liable to be gold."

And if you live near a creek that you haven't explored, McDonald said you're missing a golden opportunity.

The law says gold belongs to the person who owns the property, not to the person who finds it, so don't trespass. McDonald said a lot of people ask him to check their property and then he works out a split of whatever he finds.

More Information: Gold Prospectors Association of America – Matthews Chapter Reed Gold Mine Cotton Patch Gold Mine Mint Hill Historical Society

Previous Stories: March 10, 2011: High Gold Prices, New Technology Attract Interest August 5, 2010: An Afternoon Of Exploring Reed Gold Mine

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