You’ll find over $3 million in documented lost gold scattered across Idaho’s wilderness, from Ed Long’s 1863 City of Rocks stagecoach heist ($100,000 in gold dust) to the 1878 Kelton stage robbery ($90,000-$200,000 concealed in cave systems). Bannock County holds multiple caches, including $86,000 from twin Holladay coach robberies and 300 pounds of gold from the 1865 McCammon heist. Near Priest Lake, prospector Zak Stoneman buried three burro-loads in 1888 after poisoned weeds killed his mules—he never relocated it. The full accounts reveal precise locations and search patterns.
Key Takeaways
- City of Rocks conceals multiple outlaw caches from 1860s-1870s stagecoach robberies, including Ed Long’s $100,000 heist and $90,000-$200,000 in cave systems.
- Bannock County holds unrecovered gold from three major robberies: $86,000 from Holladay stages and 300 pounds buried at Robber’s Roost.
- Robber’s Gulch near White Bird contains $75,000 from an early 1900s freight wagon heist, hidden before bandits were killed by posse.
- Priest Lake area conceals three burro loads of gold buried in 1888 after prospector Zak Stoneman’s pack animals died from poisoned weeds.
- Brown’s Bench holds 50 pounds of gold from an 1888 stagecoach robbery, hidden in remote canyon terrain 15 miles west of Rogerson.
The City of Rocks and Its Hidden Fortunes
When nearly 100,000 westward-bound emigrants passed through City of Rocks between 1840 and the 1890s, they left behind more than just wagon ruts carved into granite—some left fortunes they’d never reclaim.
The area’s ancient geological formations—2.5 billion-year-old granite spires and sculptured boulders—created perfect concealment for stolen loot. After Ed Long’s 1863 heist netted $100,000 in gold dust from a Montana-bound stage, he disappeared into these rocky crags. A posse from Brigham City tracked the outlaws through the twisting canyons, ultimately catching up with them in a fatal gunfight where Ed Long was killed, but his partner refused to reveal where they had buried the gold.
The 1878 Kelton stage robbery near Treasure Rock followed similar patterns, with bandits exploiting hidden cave systems and natural vaults within the preserve’s maze of canyons. The loot from this Goose Creek hold-up was valued between $90,000 and $200,000, adding to the region’s legendary status as a repository of outlaw wealth.
Bannock County’s Vanished Gold Shipments
You’ll find Bannock County’s most documented gold theft occurred in 1865 when bandits seized 300 pounds of gold during the McCammon stagecoach robbery.
They buried their haul at Robber’s Roost approximately three-quarters of a mile north of town before a pursuing posse killed them all in a gunfight.
Historical records pinpoint the burial location with unusual specificity, yet recovery attempts have consistently failed despite these geographic markers.
The county’s transportation corridors through Portneuf Canyon created additional opportunities for highwaymen to intercept gold shipments traveling between mining districts and territorial banks.
The region’s established mining districts had produced substantial quantities of gold through both placer and lode operations, making these routes particularly attractive targets for robbery.
Meanwhile, Boise County bandits stashed a separate fortune of minted gold coins worth $40,000 in a metal box near Rye Flats, though they never returned to claim their prize.
McCammon Stagecoach Robbery Gold
On July 21, 1865, armed bandits blocked the road with boulders seven miles north of McCammon, forcing Ben Holladay’s Overland Stage from Virginia City to a violent halt by shooting its lead horses.
The stagecoach strategy failed when passengers returned fire, shooting off bandit Willy Whittmore’s finger. Four passengers died, including merchant David Dinan. Driver Charlie Parks survived his wounds.
You’ll find $86,000 in gold disappeared that day—two strongboxes from Boise area mines vanished into Bannock County’s wilderness. The bandits emerged from willows lining the road, heavily armed for their planned ambush.
Vigilantes identified Brockie Jack, David Updyke, Whittmore, and passenger Fred Williams as the robbers. The robbery sparked a $10,000 reward from insurance companies and vigilance committees. The robbery aftermath saw three bandits executed, yet they never revealed where they’d buried the loot three-quarters mile north of McCammon at Robber’s Roost.
The gold remains hidden despite extensive searches.
Portneuf Canyon Heist Mystery
Five days after the McCammon stage attack, another Holladay coach carrying $86,000 in gold bars met a similar fate in Portneuf Canyon on July 26, 1865. Willie Whitmore’s gang executed their meticulously planned ambush, leaving four passengers dead and vanishing with Montana mine gold worth $1.6 million today.
The bandits’ subsequent poverty reveals they never cashed in:
- Dave Updyke captured with only $50
- Fred Williams fled penniless to Colorado
- No gold testing records surfaced in nearby territories
- Brockie Jack disappeared entirely
The conspiracy began in a Boise City saloon during spring 1865, where the notorious escapee Brocky Jack met with Sheriff Big Dave Updike and others to plot the interception. Updyke had purchased a livery stable in Boise the previous year, which became a known meeting point for road agents and criminals. You’ll find treasure maps pointing toward City of Rocks and Portneuf River canyons, where fifteen heavy bars likely remain buried. The gang couldn’t transport such weight far, and vigilante pursuit forced quick concealment—a cache waiting for someone bold enough to reclaim freedom’s ultimate prize.
Priest Lake’s Buried Prospector Cache
You’ll find one of Idaho’s most documented prospector losses at Priest Lake, where Zak Stoneman successfully panned three burro loads of placer gold in 1888.
Historical records confirm his mules consumed poisoned weeds during transport, forcing him to bury his entire cache beneath the dead animals just miles from the lake.
Despite returning with fresh pack animals and supposed location markers, Stoneman never relocated the burial site, leaving an estimated fortune sealed in Northern Idaho’s wilderness.
The treasure remains underground to this day, never recovered since the prospector’s failed attempts to retrieve his 1888 cache.
The burial site lies only a few miles from Priest Lake’s current location, making it one of the more geographically confined treasure searches in the state.
Stoneman’s 1888 Gold Discovery
In 1888, prospector Zak Stoneman struck a significant gold fortune while exploring the pristine wilderness near Priest Lake in Bonner County, Idaho. Unlike typical Idaho mining scams that lured gullible investors, Stoneman’s discovery was authentic. His gold panning operation yielded exceptional results, producing enough wealth to require pack animals for transport.
The prospector folklore surrounding this discovery details his systematic approach:
- Located promising ground in Bonner County’s untouched wilderness
- Extracted substantial quantities through diligent panning techniques
- Accumulated three full burro loads of gold ore
- Prepared for the journey south to cash in his fortune
You’ll find Stoneman’s success represents genuine frontier opportunity—a stark contrast to fabricated claims that plagued Idaho’s mining territories. His discovery established legitimate wealth before tragedy struck during transport.
The Poisoned Mules Tragedy
After loading three burros with his hard-won gold, Stoneman began the treacherous journey south from Priest Lake.
Disaster struck approximately 3-4 miles below the lake’s edge when his pack animals consumed toxic vegetation near Priest River.
The mule poisoning forced an immediate crisis—Stoneman couldn’t transport his substantial cache alone through Idaho’s unforgiving wilderness.
You’ll find this treasure burial decision wasn’t careless; he marked the location before continuing on foot to civilization.
Historical accounts from 1888 document his return with fresh pack animals, yet he never relocated the site.
The wilderness had reclaimed his markers, transforming three burro loads of gold into one of Bonner County’s most compelling lost treasures.
Primary sources confirm no verified recovery has occurred since.
Search Efforts Near Lake
Despite Stoneman’s intimate familiarity with the burial site, systematic search efforts throughout the 1890s yielded no trace of his three-burro gold cache.
You’ll find the Priest Lake region presents formidable challenges for independent treasure hunters traversing its wilderness terrain.
Historical records indicate multiple expeditions scoured river crossings and established prospecting camps along documented routes.
Modern searchers should prioritize:
- Metal detection surveys within 3-4 miles below Priest River’s northern outlets
- Analysis of 1880s-era prospecting tools and typical burial depth patterns
- Topographical mapping of Y-shaped railroad junction markers near Spencer
- Documentation of natural landmarks resistant to century-long environmental changes
The cache’s underground concealment demands sophisticated detection equipment and geological expertise.
You’re not bound by governmental restrictions in most areas, though claim-staking protocols apply where active mining operations exist.
The Robber’s Gulch Mystery Along Salmon River
Along the horseshoe bend of Idaho’s Salmon River, five miles southwest of White Bird, Robber’s Gulch earned its ominous name through a brazen heist that unfolded in the early 1900s.
You’ll find where outlaws ambushed a freight wagon carrying $75,000 in miners’ gold from the Florence district’s prosperous placer operations. The legendary thief band concealed their loot among the gulch’s rocky terrain before attempting escape through a hidden route toward the Seven Devils mountains.
However, a determined posse intercepted them in that rugged wilderness, killing every bandit before interrogation could reveal the cache location. That fortune remains buried somewhere along this horseshoe bend, representing one of Idaho’s most tantalizing unrecovered treasures.
You can view this historic site from the North and South Highway bridge today.
Twin Falls County’s Brown’s Bench Strongbox
While northern Idaho’s gulches harbored their bandits, the southern reaches of Twin Falls County witnessed their own dramatic stage robbery in 1888. A lone outlaw intercepted the Jarbidge-Idaho stagecoach near present-day Salmon Dam, making off with fifty pounds of mineral deposits from mining operations. Though a posse quickly overtook and killed the bandit, the strongbox’s location died with him.
Fifty pounds of mining gold vanished with a dying outlaw near Salmon Dam in 1888, never to surface again.
Historical context places the burial site on Brown’s Bench’s east side, fifteen miles west of Rogerson. You’ll find this cache represents one opportunity still accessible to determined searchers:
- Remote mesa terrain requires off-road vehicles
- Sheer canyon walls exceed 200 feet
- Private residences dot the landscape
- Locals expect treasure hunters
The gold’s never been recovered, making this southern Idaho mystery particularly compelling for those who value independence and historical pursuit.
David Levy’s Boise Treasure Legend
When David Levy arrived in Boise during the 1867 gold rush, he started modestly—selling cakes and crackers from a storefront on Main Street near 6th Street.
He later operated taverns, pawn shops, and houses of ill repute—ventures that reportedly generated substantial wealth. Treasure preservation became Levy’s obsession; witnesses described him retrieving a pot of gold from beneath his walkway.
After his 1902 murder, no estate inventory revealed hidden wealth, prompting speculation he’d relocated his cache.
Mining techniques in nearby Rocky Canyon and the Neal Ranch cabin six miles from Grangeville suggest multiple burial sites.
Despite Boise Basin yielding nearly 3,000,000 troy ounces of gold, Levy’s strongbox remains undiscovered—a testament to one prospector’s determination to keep his fortune beyond authorities’ reach.
Additional Idaho Gold Caches Worth Finding
Idaho’s territorial period between 1863 and 1890 generated numerous documented cases of hidden gold that remain unrecovered, each supported by historical records, contemporary newspaper accounts, or court proceedings.
You’ll find these old legends aren’t merely folklore—they’re backed by verifiable incidents where posses killed outlaws before recovering stolen loot, or where prospectors genuinely lost track of their buried wealth.
The most promising sites include:
- Robber’s Gulch: $75,000 in miners’ gold hidden among rocks five miles southwest of White Bird
- City of Rocks: $100,000 cache buried near Treasure Rock after an 1863 stagecoach robbery
- Rye Flats: $40,000 in wrapped gold coins inside hidden caves near Nevada’s border
- Arco-Blackfoot route: Rich ore bags worth $2,000 each concealed in roadside caves
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Legal to Search for and Keep Buried Treasure in Idaho?
You can legally search for buried treasure in Idaho on private property with written permission, keeping what you find. However, treasure hunting ethics and historical site preservation laws prohibit removing artifacts over 100 years old from public lands under ARPA.
What Metal Detecting Equipment Works Best for Finding Gold Caches?
You’ll want PI detectors like GPX 6000 or multi-frequency models such as Manticore for cache hunting. These metal detector brands handle Idaho’s mineralized soil best. Key gold prospecting tips: prioritize depth and ground balance over high-frequency sensitivity.
Do I Need Permits to Dig on Public Lands in Idaho?
Like crossing a stream without disturbing its flow, you’ll need permits for mechanized digging or processing over one-quarter cubic yard per hour. Treasure hunting ethics and historic site preservation require following Idaho’s regulations—freedom comes through responsible compliance.
How Can I Verify if a Treasure Location Is on Private Property?
You can verify private land ownership by using GPS apps, county property maps, and checking for trespassing laws indicators like NO TRESPASSING signs, orange paint markers, fences, cultivation, or residences near your treasure location.
What Should I Do if I Actually Find a Historical Treasure Cache?
Strike gold responsibly: if you’ve discovered historical artifacts through treasure hunting techniques, immediately stop digging, document the location with photographs, contact Idaho State Historical Society, and notify the landowner. Federal law protects items over 100 years old.
References
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/city-rocks-treasure/
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/more-idaho-treasure/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQrXl6-NhRI
- https://1043wowcountry.com/real-hidden-treasures-in-idaho-and-where-to-find-them/
- https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/idahos-lost-treasures-video/idaho-experience/
- https://www.maladidaho.org/mine-with-iron-door/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5MaIQ7QuH8
- http://mythslegendsandtales.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-legend-of-ed-long-and-city-of-rocks.html
- https://www.nps.gov/places/treasure-rock.htm
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOcq6tjmdzg
