The Mountain Maid gold mine ghost hunt
Copeland Tops State Conservation Area
Overview
As night falls, head deep into the woods of Copeland Tops State Conservation Area on a ghost hunt with Newcastle Ghost Tours. Explore Gloucester Museum and the relics at Mountain Maid gold mine by torchlight.
- When
Contact Newcastle Ghost Tours for a tour schedule.
- Accessibility
- Hard
- Grade
- Easy. A basic level of fitness is required for this tour.
- Price
-
Contact Newcastle Ghost Tours for pricing.
- What to
bring - Torch
- Bookings
- Bookings required. Book online or email or call Newcastle Ghost Tours on 0411 357 519. Bookings available on request.
- Please note
- The minimum age for this tour is 16 years.
- It’s a requirement of the tour that you wear closed shoes and long pants. This is to protect you as you walk through Copeland Tops State Conservation Area in the dark.
Join Newcastle Ghost Tours as they take you into Copeland Tops State Conservation area on a ghost hunt like no other.
First up is a visit to Gloucester Museum where you’ll see historic artefacts and learn about life during the gold rush. Silent vigils with your guides will reveal if some of the museum pieces can attract spirits and if some are still possessed with the energies of their owners.
Then venture out to Mountain Maid gold mine, deep in the forests of Copeland Tops. Explore the historic relics by torchlight and discover where the miners stayed overnight in the last years of the mine’s operation. Get up close and personal with the machinery at the mine and see if you can hear the ghosts call out amongst the overgrown tracks.
Newcastle Ghost Tours is a licensed commercial tour operator with a Parks Eco Pass.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/guided-tours/mountain-maid-gold-mine-ghost-hunt/local-alerts
Operated by
Park info
- in Copeland Tops State Conservation Area in the North Coast region
Copeland Tops State Conservation Area is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about The Mountain Maid gold mine ghost hunt.
Getting there and parking
Contact Newcastle Ghost Tours for directions.
Road quality
- Sealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Contact Newcastle Ghost Tours for information on parking.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
People with mobility restrictions will need assistance to access this area. There are steps, steep slopes and rough surfaces.
Learn more
The Mountain Maid gold mine ghost hunt is in Copeland Tops State Conservation Area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
From little things big things grow
From the delicate epiphytes, only one cell in width, to the gnarled sprawling branches of the ancient grey myrtles, each plant has its place within the ecosystem of the rare dry rainforest. The tract within Copeland Tops is the largest accessible section in the district of Gloucester. Take a walk through the green corridors overhung by strangler figs, shatterwood and grey myrtle. On the ground between mossy rocks and on the sides of trees grow birds nest ferns, staghorns, elkhorns and orchids. The rare stuttering frog is commonly heard around these parts, its call emitting from a preferred habitat of stream-side leaf litter. Its repetitive song is often joined by the screech of glossy black-cockatoos, the "wollack-wa-hoo" of the wompoo fruit-dove and the unpredictable calls of lyrebirds. At night, the masked, powerful and sooty owls come out to hunt and hoot.
- Basin loop track Basin loop track continues from Hidden Treasure track to form a longer walk with scenic views of Copeland Tops State Conservation Area via historic Old Copeland Road.
- Copeland Tops twilight tour Experience the magic of Copeland Tops at twilight. Explore Hidden Treasure track and the historic buildings of Mountain Maid gold mine on this evening tour near Gloucester.
- Exploring the rainforest Join us and explore a unique rainforest environment on this Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion at Copeland Tops State Conservation Area. Students will conduct field exercises and learn what makes rainforest areas so special.
- Hidden Treasure track Take a walk through the rainforest along Hidden Treasure track in Copeland Tops State Conservation Area, near Gloucester. You'll pass remnants of the area's mining heritage, including a historic boiler and disused mine entrance.
- Junior ranger: Mountain Maid gold mine tour Step back in time this school holidays and uncover the hidden treasures of Mountain Maid gold mine at Copeland Tops.
Land of plenty
This is the traditional lands of the Worimi and Biripi people who live in the area and previously moved around in response to the seasonal availability of food. Such a broad ecosystem would have provided many resources for medicinal, ceremonial and cultural purposes. It is very likely that people travelling from the coast to Barrington Tops area would have passed through Copeland Tops. Their history will forever be an integral part of this landscape.
Striking it rich
It was the red cedar cutters who, battling to log 'red gold' in this unforgiving terrain from the early 1800s, first discovered gold here in 1875. The area soon became known as Copeland and over the next 60 years more than 50 gold mines were dug in the area. According to the records, over 1800kg of the valuable metal were extracted during that time. Many relics of this mining heritage remain in the form of historic sites and derelict equipment. However, the bushland and rainforest now dominate once again.
- Basin loop track Basin loop track continues from Hidden Treasure track to form a longer walk with scenic views of Copeland Tops State Conservation Area via historic Old Copeland Road.
- Copeland Tops twilight tour Experience the magic of Copeland Tops at twilight. Explore Hidden Treasure track and the historic buildings of Mountain Maid gold mine on this evening tour near Gloucester.
- Hidden Treasure track Take a walk through the rainforest along Hidden Treasure track in Copeland Tops State Conservation Area, near Gloucester. You'll pass remnants of the area's mining heritage, including a historic boiler and disused mine entrance.
- It's gold! Stage 3 History students will learn about the critical role national parks play in preserving our unique native plants, animals and rich cultural heritage. Learn about the long history of mining in the area and see where gold-hungry souls toiled in Mountain Maid gold mine – one of New South Wales’ longest-running operational gold mines.
- Junior ranger: Mountain Maid gold mine tour Step back in time this school holidays and uncover the hidden treasures of Mountain Maid gold mine at Copeland Tops.