Reed Gold Mine ~ Midland, NC

Alright, so Reed Gold Mine isn't located in Greensboro, but it is located about 2 hours south of Greensboro, in Midland, NC, and is certainly worth the day trip.  Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States in 1799, approximately 50 years prior to the big Gold Rush in California.  


You can spend hours at this park.  I would recommend getting right in and taking the free tour first, it provides you with a great basis of gold mining and Reed Gold Mine and takes you about 50 feet underground to learn about the process.  I do have to forewarn anyone who may have difficulty, there are several steep steps that you must ascend to get out of the mine.  I also thought I'd be slightly claustrophobic in the mine, but surprisingly, I was fine.  After the mine tour, I would suggest wandering through the exhibit hall where you get more of a history lesson about this really neat place and about gold mining, in general.  There are picnic tables for families to enjoy their lunch or a snack, many walking trails, but the really neat part of this historic site is the chance to do some gold panning.  


Gold panning at this site costs $2. per pan.


If you are interested in reading about Reed Gold Mine and gold mining prior to your visit, check out these books:

Golden Promise in the Piedmont:
The Story of John Reed's Mine
by Richard F. Knapp, North Carolina Office of Archives & History, Revised Edition, 1999.

Gold Mining in North Carolina
by Richard F. Knapp and Brent D. Glass,
North Carolina Office of Archives & History, 1999.

The Reed Gold Mine Guidebook
designed and edited by Linda Funk,
North Carolina Office of Archives & History, 1979.

The First Gold Rush: A Master Plan for Reed Gold Mine
National Park Service, 1972.