June 24, 2009 - Vancouver, British Columbia. Appleton Exploration Inc. (AEX - TSX.V) has received gold assay results from the final drill holes of its spring 2009 drilling program on the Manalo Gold Project in the Republic of Mali, West Africa.  The final drill holes principally focused on the southern segment of the 3 kilometre long Dialafara gold soil anomaly.

The Company conducted reconnaissance level aircore drilling to step back and broadly test the southern segment of the Dialafara gold soil anomaly, which covers an area of 1.8 kilometres x 300 metres. To date the southern segment has received only limited and selective cluster drilling. Five 200 metre long transects of multiple shallow, angled aircore drill holes prospected for additional gold-bearing structures to those discovered by previous drilling. The transects were spaced 200 to 500m apart to cover a strike length of 1.5km of the anomaly and totaled 54 holes. The drilling has been successful in identifying corridors of  quartz veining on the southernmost four transects and provides a framework for follow-up closer spaced drilling. Highlights include: AC-09-93 on Transect 5 with 1.50 gpt Au across 8.0 metres, AC-09-61 on Transect 2 intersecting 7.53 gpt Au over 1 metre and AC-09-75 on Transect 4 intersecting 0.72 gpt Au over 3 metres.

Also within the southern segment of the Dialafara gold anomaly two additional RC holes were drilled to test the southeast projection of holes MDL-09-053 and MDL-09-054, which encountered 10 metres of 1.53 gpt Au and 10 metres of 5.03 gpt Au, respectively, reported in NR 09-06. Holes MDL-09-057 and MDL-09-058 encountered abundant quartz throughout their lengths. Hole MDL-09-057 was abandoned at 51 metres due to poor ground conditions. Hole MDL-09-058 was collared immediately behind Hole MDL-09-057 and was completed to a depth of 87 metres. Hole MDL-09-057 returned a 3.0 metre interval of 0.81 gpt Au. Hole MDL-09-058 returned a 9.0 metre interval grading 0.72 gpt Au. Further drilling will be required before estimates of true thickness can be made.

Results from the lower core segment of Hole MDL-09-056, the upper part of which was reported in NR 09-07 last week have been received. The drill core section of this hole tested the down dip extension in MDL-08-036, which was 16 metres of 15.64 gpt Au. The interpreted down dip extension in MDL-09-056 returned 11.5 metres grading 1.27 gpt Au from 138.2 to 149.7 metres in the hole.

Appleton President Tim Henneberry states "We have made great progress on Manalo's evaluation in terms of new significant gold intercepts and geological understanding from our spring 2009 drill program. Once the rainy season is over in Mali we plan to return for a fall 2009 drill program on the Dialafara anomaly as well as the other large gold anomalies on the Manalo permit."

The Company has instructed Mr. Christopher J. Wild, P.Eng., the project QP, to initiate a check assay program on all significant mineralized zones encountered during the spring 2009 drilling program, including MDL-09-056, to verify anomalous results.  ALS Chemex in Bamako, Mali will complete metallic assays on approximately 455 individual samples from the program with final results expected to be provided to the Company in mid July. At that time the Company intends to provide a complete summary of the program.

Maps of the current exploration program are available for viewing on the Company's website at www.appletonexploration.com.

The drilling program was conducted under the supervision of Mr. Christopher J. Wild, P. Eng., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.  QA/QC protocols of standards, duplicates and blanks were incorporated in the sampling program. Assaying is being completed by ALS Chemex in Bamako, Mali.

Appleton is earning a 100% interest in the Manalo Gold Project, subject to a 2% Net Smelter Return (NSR) Royalty, from Delta Exploration Inc. ("Delta") a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rockgate Capital Corp. (RGT - TSX.V).

About Mali

Mali is the fastest growing gold producing country in Africa. Production in 2007 amounted to 2 million ounces of gold making Mali Africa's third-largest gold producer after South Africa and Ghana. AngloGold Ashanti Limited, one of the largest gold mining companies in the world, has interests in three operating mines in Mali: Sadiola, Yatela and Morila.

"R. Tim Henneberry"

R.Tim Henneberry, P.Geo.

President and CEO

R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo., President and Director of Appleton Exploration Inc., is the Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements.  All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.

Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology.  All such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company's management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances.  These statements, however, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed, implied by or projected in the forward-looking information or statements.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: risks related to the exploration and potential development of the Company's projects, risks related to international operations, the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold, as well as those factors discussed in the sections relating to risk factors of the Company set out in the Company's MD&A filed on SEDAR.

There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements.  Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.