Dorn Mine: Gold Prospecting in McCormick County, South Carolina

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

McCormick County

State

South Carolina

Nearest road

Dorn Road

Postcode

29835

Coordinates

33.92457, -82.29710

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Access note: On Sumter National Forest (Long Cane District) land. Recreational panning is allowed but the district requires a free written Letter of Authorization first, so call the Long Cane ranger office before going. Pan and hand shovel only: no sluices, dredges, or motorized equipment. Do not dig or disturb the historic mine workings themselves, which are protected.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Best time to visit Dorn Mine

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 56°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 33°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MCCORMICK station (1 mi away).

Geology at Dorn Mine

This spot sits on Persimmon Fork Formation, mapped as metavolcanic that formed roughly 1000 to 485 million years ago. Gold in volcanic terrain like this is usually tied to old vein systems and the gravels that drain them, so nearby washes tend to carry the color.

Mapped unit

Persimmon Fork Formation

Age

1000–485 Ma (Neoproterozoic to Cambrian)

Rock types

metavolcanic

Elevation

470 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

• South Carolina Geological Survey
• South Carolina State Parks rules
• Sumter and Francis Marion National Forests
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules