One of the states producing the most gold east of the Mississippi is Alabama. Chambers, Coosa, Clay, Chilton, Cleburne, Elmore, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Randolph Counties have all produced gold.
The first big strike was in 1830 at Blue Creek and also Chestnut Creek, and continued to be found during the next few years. Gold was located in placer and lode deposits, and the east central portion of Alabama, next to the border with Georgia was the richest area.
Fine gold, along with some nuggets of good size, have been found in Alabama. The gold that is found in ore is generally low grade and difficult to extract, requiring cyanide leaching. There are opportunities to prospect on Talladega National Forest land. but you will find richer gold areas on private property. Just make sure to get permission from landowners before you start prospecting on their land.
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.
In Chilton County, gold can be found in Mulberry Creek along with its tributaries, the Coosa River, Blue Creek and Rocky Creek, as well as many drainages that are unnamed that will produce placer gold if you’re willing to work for it.
Placer deposits can be found by gold panning
There are quite a few gold districts in Tallapoosa – Hog Mountain being the one of the largest gold producer in the Alabama, and the nearby creeks will yield placer gold, as well as many creeks in the Talladega National Forest.
Clay County is fairly rich with placer gold in a lot of streams in the county, including Crooked Creek, Wesobulga Creek and the Tallapoosa River.
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.
You might not think gold when you think of Alabama, but it’s there for the hard-working prospector to find.
Next: Gold Prospecting in Georgia
