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Idaho
| TREASURE HUNTING IN IDAHO Add what you know about this area to create a handy guide for other treasure hunters. |
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| What this area is known for: 1.Star Garnets - Emerald Cr. Garnet area 2.Miocene Fossils - Clarkia Fossil Bowl 3. Opal 4. Agates 5. Jaspers 5 Aquamarine | Biggest finds in this area: 1. Star garnets 2. Gold 3. World class Jasper - Bruneau, Willow Creek |
| Local appraisers: 1. Name, contact info/website 2. 3. 4. | Local geocaching/treasure hunting clubs: 1. AFMS @ http://www.amfed.org/ 2.. 3. 4. |
| Best time of year to go: April through October. Just shovel the snow off the dig site if you are a hardy miner. | Other helpful resources: 1.Gem and Mineral Collector's Guide To Idaho by Lanny Ream 2.Fee Mining and Rockhounding Adventures in the West by James Martin Monaco & Jeannette Hathaway Monaco 3. |
| Have a question about treasure hunting or geocaching in this region? Post a comment for fellow treasure hunters below! | |
| THE BEST PLACES TO HUNT Regions can have multiple good spots to go — add details to build a complete guide. |
| Location #1: Bruneau jasper General description: The most well known jasper from Idaho is the primarily red and brown cryto-crystaline quartz from Bruneau Canyon. The Bruneau jasper flow is the most silica-rich rhyolite flow in the area and is the source of silica that fills gas cavities in the upper zones of the rhyolite. The most prized Bruneau has egg shaped swirls in the jasper. | How to get there: 50 road miles south of Bruneau in Owyhee County. Take HWY 50 south from Bruneau for 39 miles then turn east on Rowland Rd. Travel 11.6 miles and take the left road 11 miles to Indian Hot Springs. There are two exposures of the jasper rhyolite flow in the area. |
| Grade this location: (A to F): | GPS coordinates: 42°20'15"N , 115°39'0"W |
| Handy to bring along: 1.Sledge hammer 2.Chisel 3.Safety glasses 4. Bucket 5. Pry bar | Helpful notes to newcomers: Find out the status of the land before taking jasper. |
| Location #2: Spencer Opal Deposit General description:Opal is a variety of non crystalline Si02 that contains up to 20% water. The lower water levels, 10%, are more stable. It is the water in the silica gel that gives opal is flashing colors. Spencer, population 38, holds one of the largest opal deposits in the United States and is home to rare star opals. Though white is the most common color worldwide, Spencer miners find rarer blue, pink or red gems | How to get there: The Spencer opal deposit is located about 5 miles east-northeast of the town of Spencer. The best access to the deposit is by driving east from Spencer on the Spencer-Kilgore county road for approximately 5 miles, then turning left (north) on a dirt road and continuing 2 miles to the mine site. The Deer Hunt Mine is open to rock hounds interested in digging the opal for a set price per pound. For additional information : imnh.isu.edu/DIGITALATLAS/geog/mining/gemstns.htm |
| Grade this location: (A to F): | GPS coordinates: |
| Handy to bring along: 1.Buckets 2.Hand tools 3.Rock hammer | Helpful notes to newcomers: There are shops where the tourist can buy finished pieces and opal rough. |
| Location #3: Fire Opals General Description: Opals of salmon pink or cherry color, showing much brilliance and play of light are found in Gem County . Fortification and water agates of light blue color are found close to the opal deposits. | How to get there: Take 52 north from Emmett and turn est on Butte Road. At the intersection of lookout Road turn north to Squaw Butte. |
| Grade this location: (A to F): | GPS coordinates: 44°1'58"N , 116°24'40"W |
| Handy to bring along: 1.Hand pick 2, Collecting bag 3. Rock hammer 4. Safety glasses. | Helpful notes to newcomers: |
| Location #4: Emerald Creek General description: India and Idaho are the only two locations in the world ehere star garnets are found. The Forest Service has constructed an area where the public can purchase a permit, remove material from stockpiled, garnet-bearing gravels and take them to one of two sluice boxes to wash the material in search of the garnets. | How to get there: From St. Maries, Idaho, follow Highway 3 south 24 miles to Road 447. Proceed southwest 8 miles on Road 447 to the parking area. Permits, information, and the sluice area are a 1/2 mile hike up 281 Gulch. For additional information see: http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/rec/activities/garnets/index.html |
| Grade this location: (A to F): | GPS coordinates: |
| Handy to bring along: 1. Tools, and screens are provided  | Helpful notes to newcomers: First hand report from kabnfvr: Yes, I'd do it again in a heart beat. You know, it's all about "the hunt" so even though it was a lot of work, there is always the chance you'll find something great! Regarding the the rangers, there are there to help you. They frequently came around asking to help out. If I was going to do the math on this trip, I'd have to admit that the return may not make it worth it. That said ... I'm a slow learner I guess. It took us most of the day to figure out where in the pile to dig and what to keep. One of the rangers told us to tumble our garnets with Soft Scrub to determine which were good. There were other people taking 5 lbs each and their garnets were much bigger than the majority of ours. I'm going back tomorrow with my grandkids so will share my results then as well... Everyone found garnets - I'd just say don't spend too much time pouring over each screen. One of the rangers told me that the #2 garnets make good tumbling grit so I'll likely use them that way. If you plan to facet, then I likely found many more because you can but out the fractures. I want to make a cabochon with mine so only the very dark, glassy stones will work. Of those, we only found a couple. If either of those polish up to make a 4 or 6 ray star garnet, then I absolutely got enough to pay for my day. I'd say I went through a dozen buckets of "sifted" material. (there are 2 stages, you take the dirt/rock out of a big pile and sift the loose dirt and big rocks out - THEN you take that material to the sluice box). Overall, we likely sifted out 25 buckets of raw material. |
| Location #5: (Local beach, park, etc) General description: | How to get there: |
| Grade this location: (A to F): | GPS coordinates: |
| Handy to bring along: 1. 2. 3. | Helpful notes to newcomers: |
| VIDEO FROM THIS AREA Upload a YouTube or Google video of geocaching or treasuring hunting excursions from this area. |
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| PHOTOS FROM THIS AREA Upload pictures of your geocaching or treasuring hunting excursions from this area. |
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Latest page update: made by aubreyreynolds9@gmai
, Jun 12 2008, 10:45 PM EDT
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About This Update
Edited by aubreyreynolds9@gmai
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Edited by aubreyreynolds9@gmai
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- complete history)
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| washatonian | CRNW (page: 1 2) | 22 | Jun 2 2008, 12:44 PM EDT by pvjjh | |
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Thread started: May 23 2008, 9:46 AM EDT
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Greetings and Salutations all rockhounds near & far.
Wondering if there is anybody reading these post interested in a gathering to collect garnets. http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/rec/activities/garnets/ Let's experience an adventure. |
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