Where to Find Gold in South Carolina

South Carolina has 8 mapped collecting spots that report gold, spread across 6 counties. The largest share sits in Lancaster County with 2 spots. 7 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout gold spots in South Carolina

Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Dorn Mine
McCormick County
The Dorn Mine was one of the richest gold veins in South Carolina, worked from the 1850s, and it now lies within the Long Cane Ranger District of Sumter National Forest.
Oconee County
Oconee County
Oconee County covers South Carolina's Blue Ridge corner, where the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of Sumter National Forest opens up mountain streams for legal recreational collecting.

Best counties for gold in South Carolina

Ranked by the number of mapped gold spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Lancaster County2 spots
McCormick County2 spots
Edgefield County1 spot
Oconee County1 spot
Saluda County1 spot
Spartanburg County1 spot

Every gold spot we track in South Carolina

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Sleepy CreekGold Mine Road	Edgefield County	Gold	33.9693, -81.9492	Public
Flat Creek	Lancaster County	Gold Pyrite Sericite	34.6849, -80.5863	Public
Haile Gold MineHaile Gold Mine Road	Lancaster County	Gold Pyrite Quartz	34.5804, -80.5320	Public
Dorn MineDorn Road	McCormick County	Gold	33.9246, -82.2971	Public
McCormickBaker Creek Road	McCormick County	Gold	33.8978, -82.3538	Permission
Oconee CountySouth Martin Drive	Oconee County	Gold Graphite Pyrite	34.6236, -82.9600	Public
Fork of Big Creek & Little Saluda RiverBarr Woods Road	Saluda County	Amphibolite Chalcopyrite Chlorite Gold Green Hornblende Magnetite Pyrite	34.0618, -81.6766	Public
Spartanburg CountyLakeland Avenue	Spartanburg County	Gold Diamond	34.8935, -82.0381	Public

Before you go

Read the gold identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Gold in the encyclopedia.

Gold in South Carolina FAQ

Where can you find gold in South Carolina?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Lancaster County, McCormick County, and Edgefield County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many gold spots are mapped in South Carolina?+

8 spots across 6 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect gold in South Carolina?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 7 of the 8 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find gold

More minerals to hunt in South Carolina

Hunt gold in South Carolina with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.