Treasure hunt: where in the USA you can get gold and precious stones on your own

Treasure hunters from Utah and other states have embarked on an exciting journey across the state in search of riches. What came of it and where else in the USA you can hunt for treasures, reports Fox5.

Photo: IStock

Using only the secret riddle in the form of a poem as a guide, the horde of hunters struggled to decipher its meaning.

Iowa resident Chelsea Gotta went out searching three times and nearly gave up before deciding to make one last try. It took her 51 days to find the $25 prize in the 000 Utah treasure hunt.

“One day I went home and said to myself: I’m done with this. However, she couldn’t let go of the idea of ​​treasure. So, I just continued my search this week,” Gotta said in an interview with hunt organizers.

“This is an inspiring story,” said John Maxim of Utah Treasure Hunt. “It’s very impressive that she put in all this work to get the prize.” Treasure hunting, as we've always said, should be free and open to everyone, and this just goes to show that anyone can do it."

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The treasure itself was located in Mueller Park in southeast Bountiful. A video was later posted that talks about each part of the poem and how those parts relate to the clues.

There is no word yet on when the Utah Treasure Hunt sequel will be released.

History in brief

Dave Kline and John Maxim first launched Treasure Hunt in Utah as a passion project while the pandemic forced everyone to lock themselves in their homes in 2020. Since then, the annual hunt has become a welcome activity for Utahs across the state.

The first two treasure hunts were self-funded. Since then, several companies have joined in and wanted to contribute. They gave the organizers full creative control to make each hunt as enjoyable as possible.

Where in the USA can you find treasures

There are active mines and state parks in the United States where gold, sapphires, rubies and other gemstones are available for public mining, whether you're an aspiring miner or an experienced prospector. Cheapism. Here's a list of some of the best treasure hunting spots in America, but just be sure to check their websites—many of them are open seasonally.

Alabama Gold Camp

Lineville, Alabama

Head to Lineville for your chance to pan for your own gold in Alabama Gold Camp, where treasure hunters can rent a shack to stay overnight or camp on the property for a small fee.

Accessible to both beginners and experienced prospectors, the camp will offer 16 miles of creek for hunting. There, visitors can mine for gold using their own equipment or dredges or other tools rented from the camp. The on-site store offers drinks, snacks and other essentials for a long day of treasure hunting.

Spectrum Sunstone Mine

Plush, Oregon

Precious sunstones are known for their rare qualities - they shimmer with a metallic sheen. On this mine in Oregon, which is open to the public from May to November, it is quite possible to find many of these stones.

Visitors can mine them in several ways: sift through a pile of fresh, unprocessed ore for free, or, for a fee, use a high-grade pit. At this mine, you can sift ore containing sunstone, or collect sunstones from the conveyor belt of the mine's sifting plant. If you're mining for more than a day, on-site camping is available, as well as Spectrum's own cabins.

Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine

Franklin, North Carolina

If you are mining for the first time, Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine offers an excellent introduction for beginners. At a North Carolina mine, visitors are shown how to identify "rough" gemstones and then given a screen box and seat cushion to use on a trough line (an artificial water channel in the form of an open, sloping gravity trench whose sides are instead raised). over the surrounding area). After grabbing a bucket of precious ore, treasure hunters can head to the chute line to begin sifting through the dirt in their bucket, looking for not only rubies and sapphires, but also garnet, moonstone, rutile.

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Murfreesboro, Arkansas

Ever since 1972 Crater of Diamonds first opened as a state park, over 33 diamonds have been found in its volcanic mud.

Visitors can bring their own equipment or rent equipment from the park to find glittering gems. Before heading out on their quest, treasure hunters have the opportunity to view rough diamonds and brush up on mining techniques at the Diamond Discovery Center. Need a break from diamond hunting? The park features hiking trails, picnic areas, a gift shop and Diamond Springs Water Park, among other amenities.

Herkimer Diamond Mines

Herkimer, New York

You can keep everything you find in Herkimer Diamond Mine, where double-sided quartz crystals have been hiding in plain sight for nearly 500 million years.

An all-day hunting ticket includes a stone mallet (most visitors like to break rocks to find crystals) and zip-top bags to store your trophy. On-site camping, lodges and a luxury resort are available for multi-day trips.

Emerald Hollow Mine

Hiddenith, North Carolina

While treasure hunters can find not only sapphires, but also garnets, amethysts and aquamarines, emeralds are the main attraction in this area.that popular mine, located in the Brushy Mountains. The seasonal mine offers different types of treasure mining.

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If you like what you find, you can make an appointment with the mine's lapidary to have your treasures cut, polished, and turned into jewelry.

Old Hundred Gold Mine

Silverton, Colorado

Mine silver, copper and gold old Hundred Gold Mine, whose visitors go on an excursion to the heart of Mount Galena.

Each tour includes demonstrations of mining equipment, a ride on a vintage electric mine train, and the opportunity to mine your own treasure (which you can keep). Be sure to dress warmly - it's cool underground.

Benitoite Mining Company

Coalinga, California

As the name implies, Benitoite Gem Mine specializes in the extraction of benitoite, a rare blue gemstone that is the official gemstone of the State of California.

Gem mining requires a reservation, after which ticket holders have access to the equipment. On-site attendants help identify gems and demonstrate mining techniques to ensure your treasure isn't just a pile of rubble.

Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine

Denio, Nevada

There are several opal mines scattered throughout Nevada's Virgin Valley, where mining of these gemstones began in the early 1900s. IN Rainbow Ridge Treasure hunters have two options: cleaning up the materials left over from the process of separating the valuable fraction from the unprofitable, and sifting the fresh dirt for opals.

Prospectors have had great success at Rainbow Ridge before. For example, the Roebling opal, mined in 1918 and decorated with beautiful blue and green flecks, is in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.

Jade Cove Trail

Big Sur, California

Hunters will have to tread carefully Jade Cove Trail. Although this area is rich in jade, there are strict rules for collecting it, namely: loose jade can only be collected in certain areas and only between the middle tide and at a depth of 27 m.

Hand tools and a regular boat are permitted, and hunters are only allowed to take what they can carry individually. Be sure to stop and look around to take in the breathtaking views along the Jade Cove Trail.

Bonanza Opal Mine

Denio, Nevada

Another opal mine located in the Virgin Valley in Nevada, Bonanza abounds with precious stones. Each year, inviting visitors to dig for gems with tools available for rent, it opens on Memorial Day weekend and closes after Labor Day weekend. Free camping is available at Virgin Valley, and a nearby swimming spring provides a much-needed respite after a busy day of mining.

Roaring Camp Mining Company

Pine Grove, California

Become a real gold digger and go to Roaring Camp in California's Mother Lode Country, which is open from May to September.

Visitors can pan for gold or use the sluice to sift through gold-bearing gravel piles, and if you really like it, there is the opportunity for you to become a member of the Dirt of the Month Club and receive 5 to 7kg of dirt each month to sift at home.

Other camp activities include a trip to a nearby spring for a bath, participation in the weekly Saturday night cooking, and an all-day guided gold panning tour. The tour consists of a trip to the Mokelumne Canyon, museums of wildlife and mining artifacts, and lunch at the mall.

Otteson Brothers Turquoise

Tonopah, Nevada

The Otteson family owns several turquoise mines in the Nevada desert—you may have seen them on the Amazon Prime show “Turquoise Fever.” Join them on a mine tour, where you can choose between a morning or afternoon tour. The tour includes transportation, safety tips and loot. You will be able to keep all the turquoise you find, although mining material is limited to one bag or bucket per adult.

Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine

Spruce Pine, North Carolina

This mine in Blue Ridge Mountains, open since 1987, offers family-friendly tours for gem seekers. You'll head to one of Gem Mountain's private mines, where you'll be given guidance on what to look for and how to use your tools to find moonstones, garnets, rubies, sapphires and more. Mine will even take your treasures and turn them into custom jewelry.

Rose Creek Gem Mine

Franklin, North Carolina

At this mine There's plenty to mine in North Carolina, from sapphires and garnets to topaz and quartz crystals. Beginners can ensure they are supervised throughout the process, from digging out the dirt in the tunnel to sifting it through the covered tray. Afterwards, head to the gift shop where you can buy some more gems and minerals to add to your haul.

Mason's Ruby & Sapphire Mine

Franklin, North Carolina

Like true treasure hunters, prospectors have the opportunity to mine rubies and sapphires at mine in North Carolina, as well as garnets, rutiles, quartz and other precious stones. After digging into the mine and filling their buckets, visitors can head to the trays where they will sift through the earth to find their treasures.

Mason's also offers black light hunts for harvesting in the dark, when luminous red sapphires are easier to spot under ultraviolet light. There is a campsite on site, although there is no electricity or running water.

Old Cardinal Gem Mine

Franklin, North Carolina

Another mine Franklin's gemstone community (known as the gem mining capital of the world), Old Cardinal has been inviting guests to mine for sapphires, rubies, amethysts, moonstones and garnets for over 40 years.

Here, treasure hunters are encouraged to either dig up their own dirt or buy buckets pre-filled with the dirt to sift at the tray.

Graves mountain

Lincolnton, Georgia

For more experienced gem hunters, a popular geological destination in Georgia Graves mountain. It also has some famous clients - American luxury jewelry house Tiffany has been developing the area since the 1920s).

To hunt here, reservations must be made by calling the site ranger, after which prospectors will have the chance to mine quartz, pyrite, rainbow hematite and other gemstones using their own tools. Children under 12 years old are not allowed and all pets must be on a leash.

Royal Peacock Opal Mine

Denio, Nevada

Another opal mine in Nevada - a family mine Royal Peacock. Open from May to October, it invites visitors to mine opals and keep them for themselves.

Before quarrying these stones, newcomers receive on-site instruction from staff. Tools can be purchased or rented from the Royal Peacock Opal Shop. Miners are allowed to bring their own equipment. The mine has an RV park, tent site and furnished accommodation.

Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine

Philipsburg, Montana

At this site in Montana, one of the largest sapphire mines in the world, these popular gemstones have been mined since 1892, producing more than 180 million carats.

Today, it's a family-friendly place for budding treasure hunters as the mine digs up gravel, washes it, and dumps it into a bucket for visitors to sift through. The mine operates its own heat treatment furnaces where sapphires can be cut and heat treated to transform them into gemstones suitable for jewelry.

Crystal Grove Diamond Mine

Saint Johnsville, New York

Look for Herkimer diamonds, a type of quartz crystal, in open pit mines Crystal Grove Diamond Mine. You can bring your own prospecting tools or rent them from the mine.

Crystal Grove offers lodges and a campground for extended stays. The camping season lasts from mid-April to mid-October.

Marshall Gold Discovery State Park

Coloma, California

In 1848, James W. Marshall helped spark the California gold rush when he discovered gold in a water canal beneath a sawmill he was building in present-day Coloma. Today, everyone has a chance to mine their own garnet and gold in this legendary place where Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and Gold Discovery Museum.

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Guided walking tours take place at least twice a day, and gold panning classes are offered for those who want to discover their inner James W. Marshall.

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