Gold Mining

Deer hunter, Benjamin Parks, tripped over a rock 2 ½ miles south of what is now Dahlonega and, upon inspecting the rock, he discovered that it was full of gold! Within one year’s time some 15,000 miners rushed to Dahlonega to find some gold for themselves. At that time there was so much gold in and around Dahlonega that it laid on top of the ground. Gold had been washing off the mountainsides for centuries.

Most of the gold that could be mined economically has been removed from the earth below Dahlonega, dug and carried out of many tunnels by miners since 1829. However, you can still experience a taste of America’s first gold rush in Dahlonega as you pan for your fortune in one of the area’s creeks and rivers and at the Consolidated or Crisson Gold Mines -- or you could always cross your fingers and hope to trip over that stray nugget. Tour an old gold mine and visit the Dahlonega Gold Museum, Georgia’s oldest, which offers visitors an up close look at Georgia’s gold mining history, including a complete collection of gold coins -- worth a small fortune -- minted right here in Dahlonega..

Gold Fever Package

Experience Gold Fever in Dahlonega! The Gold Fever Package offers discounted tickets to local gold attractions where you can learn about the history of the Dahlonega Gold Rush, explore an underground gold mine, and try your hand at panning for gold yourself!

Gold Panning

Though you may not strike it rich, in most cases the wealth is in the experience! While you can usually pan no more than a few cents worth of gold in an hour, there's always a chance of finding a stray nugget. Recreational panning for gold in most streambeds is allowed. Special permission, permits, or fees are not required when only a shovel and pan are used and no significant damage is done to the streambed. In-stream sluices and suction dredges are not allowed.

Contact the Blue Ridge Ranger District office at (706) 745-6928 to determine whether the mineral rights of a stream are publicly or privately owned or if any restrictions have been placed on the stream.

The Consolidated Gold Mines and gold processing mill, built in the early 1900s, was the largest gold mining operation east of the Mississippi River. Most of the mill buildings are gone but the tunnels deep below in gold-bearing rock still remain. Travel 200 feet underground and 100 years back in time to explore those same tunnels with the Underground Adventure package, where you and your family will enjoy a 40-minute underground adventure of the mine with one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff members. As you descend the stairs, you will hear tales of miner’s struggles to uncover gold deep within large Quartz veins. Your tour guide welcomes interaction from the group as you experience life as a miner at the turn of the century. After your tour, you will receive gold panning instructions from some of the best panners in the world, having won numerous awards in the field. Then you will get a chance to try if for yourself and hopefully you’ll strike it rich!

The Mines remain at a comfortable 60 degrees year-round. Tours are conducted daily. Your tour guides are actual miners who are open to questions during your tour of underground mine tunnels. This is a walking tour - guests enter the mine via three flights of stairs and two ramps. Tennis shoes are recommended and closed-toed shoes are a must! Flip Flops are not permitted for the Underground Adventure. Strollers are not permitted in the mine.

(706) 864-8473
185 Consolidated Gold Mine Road, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533
www.consolidatedgoldmine.com
Open Mon - Fri 10am-4pm; Sat & Sun 10am-5pm. Closed some holidays.

Crisson Gold Mine is an actual open pit gold mine that was established in 1847, and was worked commercially until the early 1980s. At Crisson Gold Mine, there is a 125-year-old stamp mill that is still used to crush quartz rock which contains gold. This crushed rock is called ore. In addition to the stamp mill, the mine has rod mills and jaw crushers that are occasionally used. All of these antique gold mining machines along with the open pit mine can be seen when you visit the gold mine.

Crisson Gold Mine sells ore by the 5-gallon bucket, so you can pan for the gold at the gold mine, or you can take the ore home with you.

For our more serious gold miners, trommels are available for your use during your visit to Crisson Gold Mine. These machines are used to separate the gold from the sand at a much more efficient pace. Several buckets of ore can be finished in less than half the time it takes to pan them out. The use of the trommel is free when you purchase six (6) buckets of ore. This is a great mining experience.

Crisson Gold Mine also has Gem Stone grubbing. You can find rubies, emeralds, sapphires, crystals, amethysts, garnets, and many more. This dirt is from Franklin, North Carolina which is famous for its rubies and sapphires. There have been some very good quality gems found at Crisson Gold Mine and some gems have even been made into jewelry.

(706) 864-6363
2736 Morrison Moore Parkway East, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533
www.crissongoldmine.com
See website for hours of operation. Closed certain holidays.

Though you may not strike it rich, in most cases the wealth is in the experience! While you can usually pan no more than a few cents worth of gold in an hour, there's always a chance of finding a stray nugget. Recreational panning for gold in most streambeds is allowed. Special permission, permits, or fees are not required when only a shovel and pan are used and no significant damage is done to the streambed. In-stream sluices and suction dredges are not allowed.

Contact the Blue Ridge Ranger District office at (706) 745-6928 to determine whether the mineral rights of a stream are publicly or privately owned or if any restrictions have been placed on the stream.

Experience Gold Fever in Dahlonega! The Gold Fever Package offers discounted tickets to local gold attractions where you can learn about the history of the Dahlonega Gold Rush, explore an underground gold mine, and try your hand at panning for gold yourself!

Purchase a Gold Fever Package and Enjoy One Admission to Each:

• Dahlonega Gold Museum
  - Includes 17-minute high-definition film
• Consolidated Gold Mine
  - One 45-minute Underground Adventure tour
• Crisson Gold Mine
  - One pan of ore for gold panning OR One 2 gallon bucket of ore for gemstone grubbin'
  - One glass vial to hold your gold
  - One admission to a tour of Georgia's only working 126-year old stamp mill

Prices:

• Adults (Age 13 and Over)
  $37.95 per person
  (Save $5.00 off normal retail prices)
• Children (Age 12 and Under)
  $32.95 per person
  (Save $1.50 off normal retail prices)
  Prices are subject to change.

Purchase:

Purchase yours today at the:
Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center
Located in Historic Downtown Dahlonega
13 South Park Street, Dahlonega, GA 30533
(706) 864-3711