Abandoned Gold Mine in Uwharrie National Forest, NC

[@SlycrownDoesEverything]

My grandma lives DIRECTLY on top of a historic gold mine. No clue what's down there but I'm planning on going down there soon.

[@ProspectorAl]

That's some pretty extensive workings for that time period. Must have been some rich ground!

[@geod3589]

Back in the early 1970's, a friend of mine was exploring an abandoned gold mine, I think it was in Randolph County, not sure about that. But he fell into a hole, he said it was about 10 feet deep and could not get out. He was there about 24 hrs and to his good luck, another explorer passed by and he yelled and the guy got him out.. so be VERY careful!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for watching! Indeed places like this can be extremely dangerous. You may not see it in the video because we didn’t need them, but when we’re around places like this we always have ropes, crampons, and other recovery tools that we might could use to self rescue in case of an incident. Of course exercising extreme caution is the first step!

[@VirginiaOutdoors64]

Looked like a fun time...thanks for sharing!

[@SmellNRoses]

We had a blast! Thanks for watching, my friend!

[@BluegrassBushcraft]

Great video. Interesting little history lesson. Thanks for sharing and God bless.

[@SmellNRoses]

Glad you enjoyed it, my friend! Thanks for checking it out!

[@gimomable]

Thank you for this. My family recently bought property back up to a section that was mined. The holes and ditches are everywhere around where ive been exploring as well. New sub 🤗

[@AllenOxendine]

Thanks for sharing.. The thought of treasure always gets my attention lol.. Full View and Like..

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching!! Yes it would be awesome to find some gold, even if it was just a small flake.

[@pertinentparadigm1337]

Thanks for posting!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for checking it out!

[@JimHayesHiking]

Man what a cool spot! The Uwharries have been on my bucket list for awhile now. I see you had Sniff-N-Daisies with you on this one,Lol.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for watching! Yeah me and boy headed down there for a day. The Uwharries are not far away for me yet I often overlook them. So far I’ve only found one spot with a nice open vista from a mountain top. Its mostly just woods but there are a lot of neat rock and water features and tons of human history. The area offers some interesting opportunities when you get a chance.

[@ir4ikyar]

You made a very nice and interesting review! I love beautiful wild places!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment!

[@ir4ikyar]

@@SmellNRoses 👍

[@12STONESADVENTURES]

Hey! Your in my backyard! The deepest vertical pit goes over 300 feet! You missed the rock wall remains of the old stamp mill... Cool video👍

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for checking it out! I can’t really claim it as my “backyard” but this area is not too far from home for me. Admittedly I often overlook the Uwharries but its a pretty neat area, been down there quite a few times. The mining history is particularly interesting. I believe we did see the wall, but I lost several good scenes due to inadvertently changing my camera settings and the footage was unusable. In either case, I would consider another visit to this site to explore further.

[@12STONESADVENTURES]

@@SmellNRoses I hear that. This area is 30 minutes from where I live! We should do a collaboration sometime, and let me show you around a few of the highlights!

[@SmellNRoses]

@@12STONESADVENTURES thats cool! I’ve watched a few of your videos but I didn’t realize you were that close to the area. I enjoyed your Gold Mine Brach vid. I’ve been up that creek a ways but never went all the way up the mountain there. Looks really interesting. I got a couple more vids to throw together from our recent day trip down there. Will definitely hit it again in the future. Maybe we can hit you up.

[@12STONESADVENTURES]

@@SmellNRoses yes sir sounds good! I'll sure you around Nifty Rocks and Moccasin Creek Falls, best after Jan 1 when hunting season goes out, but before the snakes begin to crawl. We've got big rattlers down there! Hit me up and we'll do a little collaboration! Appreciate you watching. Have a blessed week!

[@potatothorn]

super interesting spot thanks for the tour and all the info/ had no idea there was gold in NC!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching, my friend! I thought you might appreciate seeing some our east coast mining history. It’s not widely known but yes gold mining was a big deal in this area and NC had the largest known gold deposits prior to the 1849 California Rush. The Uwharrie Mountains in central NC has dozens, if not hundreds of mining sites, but this one is definitely among the largest. Commercial gold mining ended here a long time ago, but these hills and creeks still produce gold. Amateur panning is a popular activity. You can stop at any local convenience store and purchase pans and sifters lol. People that know what they are doing still find decent quantities. Maybe not getting rich but to take a trip or do a car repair lol. I might have to try my hand at it one day. Maybe it could help finance some of my expensive hobbies haha!!!

[@potatothorn]

@@SmellNRoses i had no idea/ ill be reading more on the internet this is very interesting

[@uptrail7169]

Cool old gold mine area! It would be fun to try panning for gold there.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for watching, my friend!!! Yes the mine was really cool. This is one of the larger ones, but there are dozens, if not hundreds, of sites like this all over that area. It would be fun to try panning. I might go back and try my luck in one of those creeks.

[@generalmadness6832]

Hi do you have any advice on how to get to the spot with the arch? I’ve found the two giant pits one with the trash pile and the other with one big tunnel at the end and

[@rodneypowell974]

Is this in the actual national forest? If so, what area of the forest? Not a specific location. Like to find things in my own, I’ve wheeled and hiked all over the forest and never crossed this.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for checking out my video. I understand what you mean. I prefer to find things on my own as well, its much more satisfying than having everything just handed to you. Yes this spot is in the national forest. Its not really located near any of the popular hiking or off roading trails so its a little off the beaten path. I'll drop one hint its not too far from the Low Water Bridge. There are no signs or anything but once you know what to look for its not hard to find.

[@rodneypowell974]

Thank you sir, I appreciate the reply and hint. I’ve got some trips planned this summer. So hopefully I’ll be able to get out here during the fall! Stay safe during your adventures.

[@WyeExplorer]

Fascinating history buddy. To think it just stopped. Makes you wonder whether not the gold dried up completely or if there is still some left in there. Thanks for sharing. Mark

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Yes, it is interesting that a lot is actually known about this particular mine. There are so many other similar sites who’s stories seem to have been lost. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve always heard that if an area has ever produced gold, then it will always produce gold. There is definitely still gold in that area. Panning in the creeks is a popular activity and people routinely find some. There just isn’t sufficient deposits left to make commercial mining profitable.

[@WyeExplorer]

@@SmellNRoses Thanks for sharing. Yeah I imagine their is still gold there. They no doubt stopped because it was no longer commercially viable.

[@DellahGlaspy]

great job posting

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you!

[@ATravelingAddictSolo]

Hey! I did that hike too! Loved it. I just completed Reed Mine too. Have you been there? That was a cool place to take a video where the tunnel was going into the mine area and I see it's still full of water!

[@SmellNRoses]

Hey thanks for watching! Yes i recall seeing your video too. This is a pretty cool place. There are quite a few of them out there, but this is one of the larger ones. Yes I’ve been to the Reed Mine as well. They’ve done a fantastic job of preserving it.

[@dansadler37]

I have had great luck in the Dan River pm me and I'll tell you about it

[@randomadventures2.0]

New Subscriber and fellow prospector. Great video. 👍

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for checking out my video and I appreciate your support. Honestly I’m not a prospector though, but I am interested in learning more about it and maybe giving it a try sometime.

[@wolfandhoundh.a.e]

How far away is it from uwharrie trail

[@SmellNRoses]

Hi there. Sadly I’m not sure exactly but I think it is fairly distant from the Uwharrie Trail.

[@lorirober2536]

Wow! Cool video!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you so much!!!

[@elirenigar9357]

I love Uwharrie! Where can I find this area? Is it near any of the off-road trails?

[@SmellNRoses]

Hey this is in the northern part of the county. Its not really near the off roading area but certainly not a long drive either.

[@NKRWrestlingVlogs]

Cool vid dude!!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you so much!!!

[@randallrobert332]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this video. Me a my wife have been suffering through various videos to find a good place to explore and try our luck at panning lol. Have you heard of any other really good places in the Uwharrie national forest that would be a great place to try and pan? any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks again.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for checking out my video. I’m kind of getting interested in panning myself but honestly I only know a little from watching a few other videos on KZbin. As I understand it, pretty much anywhere in that area has some potential. I guess just find you a spot on any creek and try your luck.

[@northseekeradventures9032]

Where do I find the trail head? Does it have a name? Help me out I gotta see this!

[@PeakbaggersForCancer1]

Very cool! ....why do the gated mines look the most interesting to me? Maybe some off camera exploring? LOL

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching, my friend. Yeah the gated ones are always interesting. You know they’re just trying to keep the good stuff secret lol! I may have noticed a “back way” into the shaft that isn’t gated, because its so unconventional they haven’t thought of gating it yet. Researching it further. Will let you know.

[@TheShrewdServant]

Do you have a road name wheee i coild check this out?

[@FlyingSquirrelOutdoors]

Pretty neat place, sorry you didn't strike it rich while you were there!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching!!! Wish I could find a few flakes of gold, may have to go try my luck in ones of those creeks.

[@josuesantiago2760]

Where exactly is this trail?

[@SmellNRoses]

Its located in the Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina. Thanks!

[@jeffthomas7836]

where did you go in at to find old mine

[@NathansFerroceriumrods1]

Interesting place. It would be nice if you could find a speck of gold.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching, my friend! Yes I sure would love to find some gold, even just a small flake! May have to try my hand at panning one day just for fun.

[@HikeCamp]

Interesting place... The early version of strip mining... Thanks for the history of the mine... Pretty area.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching, my friend. Yes just like strip mining except much smaller scale. They didn’t have any environmental regs back then lol

[@Andy33399channel]

Hey cool video ❤️🙂

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you so much!!!

[@Andy33399channel]

@@SmellNRoses hey no prob ❤️✌️

[@interstellar1249]

I went out to the coordinates and could not find this part anywhere and I looked really hard lmao so if you could give me any tips that would be great and I would really appreciate it 🤙🏼

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for checking out my video. I don’t use GPS so I’m sorry I’m not very helpful in that regard. This spot is pretty easy to find though. It’s right by Big Creek just south of the county line.

[@KrizAkoni]

Wonder how much that site yielded...

[@SmellNRoses]

I read somewhere that this mine was considered only “moderately” successful. The Russell Mine was one of the larger mines in the area. Thanks for checking it out, my friend!

[@BluecollarBackcountry]

That's a cool place to explore but man, I bet that was hard work back then.

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks so much for watching!! Yes this was a neat place to check out. Anytime I’m at a place like this I do stop and think how difficult the work must have been. With our modern tools and equipment, we still complain about much simpler tasks. I can’t imagine hand digging in solid rock!

[@courtneymelton947]

can someone tell me where to find this mine in the Uwharries??

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for checking out my video. Look for this place off Coggins Mine Road where it crosses Big Creek near the county line.

[@QuisineflipQuinn]

Where in Uwharrie do you go to find this area?

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for checking out my video. This place is off of Coggins Mine Road near the county line.

[@QuisineflipQuinn]

@@SmellNRoses thank you kindly for replying

[@QuisineflipQuinn]

@@SmellNRoses I tried today to find it but wasn't sure where off coggins road to park. Google maps wasn't much help and there's so many entrances to the game land trails. Is there a name of the trail that it's on? Or would you maybe have the coordinates to where to park?

[@raydowdy6914]

How do you get to big creek?

[@randythomas3478]

Good vid!

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you so much!!!

[@ericjohnson510]

Sasquatch has been in that mine eating Bojangles ! It’s Bo time baby

[@SmellNRoses]

Haha! Yeah even Squatch can’t resist BoJangles. Thanks for checking out my video!

[@redknightsr69]

How are the trails for MTB riding?

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching! Most of the trails that are open to bikes also allow horses. Horseback riding is extremely popular, so you can imagine the trail conditions. Some places are also pretty rocky. Check out my Hang Glider Rock video, I biked a couple of horse trails. It was pretty rough, but I should also say that I had just gotten into biking about that time and I was still pretty inexperienced. Maybe if I tried again I’d like it better lol.

[@redknightsr69]

@@SmellNRoses I watched that video right before I watch this one ironically. I've hiked at marrow Mountain State Park across the river. I'm excited to take my REI DRT 2.2 bike down there As friend and I might make a trip. Do you know what trailhead most of the bikers park at?

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for checking that out. The trail up to Hang Glider Rock is technically closed but its one of the few real “vistas” in the Uwharries. Most of the bikes I’ve ever seen around there were just on the gravel roads. I’m not sure if there is a specific route or trail head that is popular for mtb. Parking isn’t a problem out there, there are numerous lots, pull off, roadside campsites, etc. where you can park.

[@myadventureoutdoors]

I give this 5 out of 5 meows for coolness.

[@SmellNRoses]

We need to get you out in the woods. Perhaps you’ve been watching too many cat videos again! I do appreciate the five meows though, sets a high bar for my next video! Thanks for watching, my friend!

[@MrFullautoak47]

Look like fort nocks is govermint property ... or was it ...fort Rocks ? :)

[@SmellNRoses]

It was definitely Fort Rocks...and just line the other fort, this one didn’t have any gold left in it LOL! Thanks for watching, man!!!

[@AgeofRogerio]

Well this was fun 😁

[@SmellNRoses]

Yes it was! Thanks for watching!!!

[@mckwilly]

way cool 👍

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you!!!

[@JeffMeadowsOutdoors]

Interesting find. Did you guys find any gold? 😉

[@SmellNRoses]

Thanks for watching! Yes it is a neat site. There’s still gold to be found down there. We may have to go back with our pans and shovels lol

[@richardhelit3840]

To cool

[@SmellNRoses]

Thank you so much!!!