Attractions Within a Short Drive of Woodrun, Click on the name of the Attraction for More Information
5024 Woodrun on Tillery, Mount Gilead, NC 27306
Phone 910-439-5214, email = woodrun@embarqmail.com
Lake Tillery

Lake Tillery is the storage reservoir for the Tillery Hydroelectric Development (FERC Project No. 2206). The Tillery dam is located at approximately mile 219 on the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in Stanly and Montgomery counties in central North Carolina. The dam has a maximum height of about 89 feet above the river bed.

The Tillery development began operation in 1928 and is owned and operated by Progress Energy. The surface area of Lake Tillery covers about 5,260 acres at the normal full pool elevation of 278.2 feet above mean sea level. At full pool elevation Lake Tillery contains approximately 118 linear miles of shoreline. Total generating capacity of the hydroelectric plant is 86 MW.
Goldpanning and Rockhounding Opportunities

Recreational panning for gold is allowed on most of the Uwharrie National Forest. Stream-bed (placer) gold, in most cases, does not exist in sufficient quantities to constitute economically recoverable deposits. No fee or permit is required as long as only shovel and pan techniques are used and no significant stream disturbance results, but one should check with the Uwharrie Ranger Station. Sluice or "shaker" boxes are allowed, but no mechanized or motorized equipment, such as suction dredges are allowed.

On some areas of the Uwharrie National Forest, the minerals are privately owned. Written permission should be obtained from the mineral owner prior to beginning collection. 

Recreational metal detecting is also allowed on some areas of the Forest. A permit is required, but no fee is involved. A written application is required with a description of the tools that will be used, the amount of disturbance expected, and a map depicting the specific location. The application will be reviewed in order to comply with our environmental laws and regulations. This process takes three weeks at a minimum. If approved, the permit is issued for three months and limited to a one acre area identified on the ground. This permit does not allow the collection of historic or prehistoric artifacts.

Rockhounding is hunting and collecting rocks and minerals as a hobby. A wide variety of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock types are found within the Uwharrie National Forest, and many individual minerals are found in association with these rocks. As a rule, there is no objection to taking a handful of rock, mineral, or petrified wood specimens from the surface of the National Forest System lands. No fee or permit is required as long as:

*  The specimens are for personal, non-commercial use.

*  The specimens are not of archaeological value.

*  No mechanical equipment or blasting is utilized.

*  No significant disturbance results

*  Collection does not conflict with existing mineral permits, leases, or sales.

Mining and mineral leasing laws are applicable to all activities of a commercial nature. During the course of collecting rock and mineral specimens, a person may feel that an area is worthy of detailed exploration to determine whether or not a mineral is present in commercial quality or quantity. This type of detailed exploration can be conducted only under a Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Permit. Applications and additional information may be obtained from: Eastern States Office, BLM, 350 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, Virginia  22304

This page was last updated on: July 7, 2009
Copyright, Momentum, 2009