Real Hidden Treasures in Idaho and Where to Find Them

There is so much history in our amazing Gem State. Also there are a lot of gems, and gold and overall treasures hanging out, hidden just waiting to be discovered in Idaho. Here are some amazing tales of the wild west, robbers, criminals and hidden treasures that are still believed to be unfound and untouched.

Camas Creek came up on multiple Idaho treasure searches. Only in your State says that three bandits robbed a Jefferson County station in the early 1900s. Two out of the three were killed in the robbery but the third got away with the loot. He was later thrown into prison but made maps trying to lead others to the $50,000 that he stashed but it was never found.

McCammon - Back in the 1860s one of the biggest criminals was also Ada County's first sheriff, Big Dave Updyke. History describes him as gangster-like and his robbery story is an interesting one. According to Only in your State, he stole gold bars from the Portneuf Stage that at the time were worth around $80,000, today that is around $4 million. He was caught years later but the gold or its whereabouts have never been discovered. Treasure hunters come from all over, still to this day searching for the Portneuf treasure.

Priest Lake - A prospector named Zak Stoneman had major success panning for gold in 1888. On his way to cash in his mules ate poisoned weeds and died. He was forced to burry his own treasure to come back for it later. When he came back with new mules he couldn't find the exact location he buried the original treasure, and apparently it is still there, hidden underground a few miles from the lake.

Cassia County - According to Legends of America, a range war broke out between cattleman and sheepherders in the 1890s. During the range war both sides were said to have hidden their valuables in the area around Deep Creek and Shoshone Creek. Much of it was never recovered.

Get our free mobile app

Robbers Gulch - The name says it all. Robbers Gulch is along the Salmon River and in the early 1900's outlaws held up a stage coach that had $75,000 in miner's gold. Legend has it the outlaws hid it among the rocks. Before they could get back to it they were caught and killed and the miners gold was never found.

Grangeville -If you ask anyone, there is not much doubt that prospector turned tavern owner David Levy had a cache, stored in a metal strongbox. First-hand accounts describe that when workmen were putting a walkway in near his house in Boise, he had them lift a section of it so he could retrieve a pot of gold he had hidden underneath. When Levy was murdered in 1902, no gold or other money was found in his estate. Townsfolk speculated that Levy had moved his cache back out to his old cabin outside Grangeville, but the loot was never found.

According to Legends of America, there is a lot more gold to be found in Boise County. Almost 3,000,000 troy ounces of gold have already been found and taken out from the gravels of the Bose Basin. Treasure hunters believe there is tons more to be found though. Places to search - watercourses and gravel arroyos northeast of Boise, near Idaho City.

Boise County at Rye Flats brand new coins worth $40,000 when they were stolen in the late 1800s are still believed to be hidden in a metal box. This is right near the Nevada boarder. Apparently it was stolen and hidden but never recovered.