The Gold That's Still There — Black Hills Gold, Part Two | South Dakota Mystery Hunters

Reposted with one fix: the town of Lead is pronounced Leed. Thanks to Chris Hills for catching it. Part One asked who found Black Hills gold first. Part Two asks what's still there — and what the rules say about going after it. Gold mining never fully left the Hills: the Wharf mine near Lead is still running, South Dakota's only operating commercial gold mine. The great Homestake, which produced some 40 million ounces over 126 years, closed over money — the shutdown was announced in 2000 and the last ore came out in December 2001. Hard-rock mining here still runs under the federal Mining Law of 1872. Near Pactola, the Forest Service proposed setting aside about 20,574 acres from new mining claims in March 2023, with a two-year pause while it decides — a proposal, not a final decision. Then there's the Thoen Stone, found near Spearfish in 1887, carved with a message dated 1834. Genuine or hoax? The arguments run both ways, and we leave it open. And if you want to pan a creek yourself: on Black Hills National Forest land, casual panning with hand tools is generally allowed without a permit — but not on active claims, not in campgrounds, and not along the Pactola shoreline. In South Dakota's state parks, panning is prohibited outright. Joshua also tells a story from his own childhood in Keystone — prospector "Wild Horse" Harry Hardin once showed him a gold nugget. That is Joshua's memory, told as his memory, not a sourced fact. The gold never all came out of the Hills. If you could pan one creek up there today, where would you go — and would the rules even let you? Thank you for watching — we appreciate every view. If you like what we do, please leave us a tip to help us on our adventures. Any tip is appreciated. Thank you! PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JoshHarvey307 Cash App: $JoshHarvey9 Venmo: @Josh-Harvey-73 Subscribe:    / @sdmysteryhunters   #SD605 #SD57730