Entry No. 5 — the Charlotte file — filed under: underground tunnels

Reed Gold Mine

The site of America's first documented gold discovery in 1799—where a 17-pound gold nugget served as a family doorstop for three years—features dark underground mining shafts steeped in local ghost tales of a murdered woman thrown down a shaft.

The move: Take the cool, damp underground mining tunnel tour beneath the hills, then pay $5 to pan for real gold flakes in Little Meadow Creek.

• 📍 Midland
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 9621 Reed Mine Rd, Midland, NC 28107

Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: historicsites.nc.gov · Atlas Obscura

last checked: 2026-07-21