There’s gold in these hills……
Gold prospecting has many opportunities for the recreational gold prospector to the professional. It is fun for any individual or even the whole family. East Tennessee has many places to prospect including the Tellico River zone and Coker Creek zone, all of which is part of the Cherokee National Forest. There is no permit needed for panning only, but if you plan to use a sluice box or a dredge you must first receive a permit from the ranger stations in those areas. There is currently no fee for a gold sluicing/dredging permit. You are free to use a gold pan in any state owned waters, but most of the gold is found along the Eastern mountain range bordering North Carolina. Please note you cannot prospect for gold in the Smoky Mountains National Forest.
The best way to start prospecting is to use a pan. A good starter set includes a 13.5” pan, snifter bottle, shovel, classification screen and a 5 gallon bucket. Panning is the most important thing to get good at. Well, that, and where to find gold. The two will go hand in hand. With these tools and a bit of knowledge you will be finding that golden nugget in no time. I found my supplies at Workshop Tools in Sevierville, Tennessee. They have everything you need to get started. When you’re ready to start prospecting, check out http://shop.workshoptools.com/category-s/2026.htm
I hope this entry has inspired you to want to start prospecting. Stay tuned for further updates on how to use a pan, snifter bottle & classification screen.
Benjamin T Harrison
Workshop Tools
Since I was old enough to hold an axe I knew what he meant (though I didn’t know what he’d said until many years later). Cutting wood was the one chore my parents could count on me getting out there and doing even if it wasn’t officially a chore. I enjoyed exercising the physical ability needed to chop with an axe or maul and there was a direct result – split wood in a nice pile. After that I could immediately go inside to the fireplace and build a fire with that wood I had just labored over – again, a direct result. Thoreau specified a woodpile in his quote, but the idea can apply to any number of accomplishments. Now is a time when firewood delivery, carpenters, mechanics, landscapers, or any other service you might need are just a mouse click and phone call away. Still, we find ourselves looking at something we own in need of fixing or upgrade and though we may know very little about the entirety of the project, we think to ourselves, “I can do that.” A great feeling of accomplishment and pride can be found once the job is completed. You walk away with new skills, knowledge, and confidence that can be used indefinitely in the future. Not to mention the money that can be saved by doing the job right and the exactly the way you or (maybe more importantly) your significant other want it.