Gold in Spotsylvania County, Virginia

VaGoldMaps topo of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, with the county outlined in gold and historic gold inventory pins — Spotsylvania County on VaGoldMaps. Whitehall, Gold Hill, and the belt through the county.

Spotsylvania is the county people mean when they ask where Virginia gold mining began. Whitehall is the first well-known lode locality (1806). Goodwin sat on Gold Hill near today's Lake Anna country.

Open Spotsylvania County on the map

Gold-Pyrite Belt · 28 documented sites

Water to study: Rappahannock River, Hunting Run, and the Gold Hill / Lake Anna side of the county.

Research area, not a public dig. Historic mine pins are inventory locations, not a right of entry. Always get permission.

The inventory has 28 gold mines and prospects in Spotsylvania County. Besides Whitehall and Goodwin (Goodwyn in the inventory spelling), the list includes Mitchell, Smith, Brinton, Quaker, Hunting Run, Powell (Jerdone), and Randolph.

Jefferson's 1782 note of gold-bearing rock along the Rappahannock near Fredericksburg is the early written reference for the region. That specimen was 4 pounds of ore, not a 7-pound nugget, and it is not a public pan spot. See the Field Note on Jefferson's Rappahannock gold.

Lake Anna State Park sits in the same neighborhood as the old Gold Hill story. State parks are closed to mineral collecting. Research the pins and the creeks on the map, then confirm the tract before you go.

Named mines in this county

Whitehall Mine

Spotsylvania County

A gold mine. Believed to be the first locality in Virginia in which gold was found (1806). About $1,800,000 from 1848 to 1881 according to records of the Philadelphia Mint (Sweet, 1971).
Goodwin Mine

Spotsylvania County

Gold Hill beside Pigeon Run, now inside Lake Anna State Park. Local histories call Goodwin a major 1830-1849 producer. You can walk the old mining country on park trails, including the AllTrails Goodwin Gold Mine Loop.

Names that show up in the inventory

These are documented site names, not verified pan spots.

White Hall (Stockton & Heiss)
Goodwyn Mine
Mitchell Gold Mine
Smith Mine
Brinton Prospect
Quaker Prospect
Hunting Run Prospect
Randolph Prospect

Neighboring gold counties

Common questions

Is there gold in Spotsylvania County?

Yes. Spotsylvania County is Gold-Pyrite Belt country. VaGoldMaps lists 28 documented gold mines and prospects here. Historic lode workings and creek drainages are the research story. Confirm land access before you pan.

Can you pan for gold in Spotsylvania County?

Only where you have permission or a lawful public-land allowance. Most of Virginia is private. Parks and wildlife management areas are closed to collecting. Spotsylvania County is a research area, not a county-wide pan permit.

Where should I start on the map?

Open Spotsylvania County on VaGoldMaps, keep streams on, and compare historic mine pins to the drainages. Rappahannock River, Hunting Run, and the Gold Hill / Lake Anna side of the county. Then check land status and ownership before any field day.

All gold counties

Gold in Virginia · Named historic mines

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