Part 1 - Abandoned Mine In North Georgia Mountains

A visit to an old mine in a very remote section of the north Georgia wilderness

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• abandoned
• gem
• mine
• north
• georgia
• mountains
• rainmaker
• brawny
• bear
• scratching
• tree
• wilderness
• rabun
• hike
• hiking
• exploring

[robertmartinez]

My own take on that would be that it wasn't a 'gem mine' but rather a hiding place to store the illegal booze you say was being manufactured at the nearby still. Otherwise, why would you call it a 'gem mine?' No records. Why gems?

[rainmakerat92]

Well, you could be right, but I've lived in Georgia most of my life and I've never heard of anyone digging a 50 - 60 ft. mine shaft through solid rock just to store alcohol. There are no records that I know of; I referred to it as a "gem mine" because gem mining is very popular locally and I think there is a good chance that they were mining precious stones.  At this point, I don't think that what they were after matters too much. It is just a beautiful, unusual and interesting place.

[carolinatinpan]

Rabon county has: Citrine,Smokey Quartz,Amethyst,Clear Quartz,Star Rose Quartz,Epidote,Beryl,Amazonite­,Corundum,and Kyanite. The mine is very likely a Gold or Copper mine. Pan in the stream close by and you should recover some clues as to what was there.The old "still" could be mining equipment. If it is rusty it wasn't a still. They were made of copper.I would love to hear more about it.

[rainmakerat92]

There are several amethyst and corundum mines in the area and none (that I know of) that were used for gold mining. Most of the gold mining done in this area was (and is) done by panning in streams. I feel that this mine was used to mine precious stones, but no one really knows for sure. The old still .25 mile downstream is similar to other old stills in the woods around here. Mainly it is old metal barrels that have been split open with axes, along with some lead pipes lying around.

[rainmakerat92]

The first 10 - 15 feet has already collapsed, effectively creating a dam across the entrance. There's about 2 feet of water inside, and barely enough room to stand-up in. Its very creepy and spooky, and there's not much to see inside. Once was enough!

[GregoryD57]

YA DIDN'T EVEN PAN THE CREEK FOR GOLD ? ARRG !

[TheModifier70]

Looks suspiciously familiar!

[52969RST]

any ghosts?

[gamereaper98]

doe anybody else see a lizard-looking head in the middle of the screen?? 3:09

[abacobeachbum]

"any fool can get to the bottom of gorge...but the trick is getting back out again." Ha ha ha! Very true. I envy you. That's a great find. I love the mountains of N. Georgia and W. Carolina. I've been all over them, but barely made a dent in the things there are to see. You could spend a lifetime and still not see everything. Thanks for sharing...well, you didn't exactly share because you didn't tell us where it is, but...Ha ha ha!

[joe1969812]

Paddle faster l hear banjo's!!!!!!!

[saintpaddydaybride]

or just wade in the summer time, ya, I would have tried panning too...lol.

[YoshiTheShiba]

nice place to play , not necessarily in the mine tho :)

[iorixs]

did you find any joolz?

[Jman955i]

Are you sure this is a mine. I do know that there is an old railroad alignment that was started back before the Civil War but it was never complete. Some tunnels were started and never complete. One is Stumphouse Tunnel on Hwy 28 in South Carolina just north of Wahalla. There is another tunnel just west of the Chatooga River that is 1390 ft which is also unfinished. You could have found another one. If so would like to know where it is and see if it could be.

[ooplik]

That looks like a gold mine to me but there was probably quartz and other minerals that are often associated with gold taken out. Probably Gold was being panned out of the stream for some time until that "mother load" vein was found and chased till it probably petered out. Just speculation.