Gold was discovered in North Carolina in 1799, the first recorded discovery in the United States. Both Placer and lodes have been discovered. Today almost all of the gold production in North Carolina comes as a by product of copper and Tungsten. Around 2,000,000 ounces came from North Carolina. The biggest obstacle in North Carolina is that most of the gold locations are on private property, so you will need to work with the owners to gain permission.