Lost California Treasure Registry

The Lost Cabin Mine
Trinity Alps Wilderness Area, Trinity County
In the autumn of 1850, three prospectors named Cox, Wood, and Buck followed the Trinity River up into the rugged headwaters. Near a waterfall, they found a rich gravel bed loaded with heavy gold nuggets. They constructed a small log cabin and began mining. Within weeks, they took out over $100,000 in gold. Fearing the winter snows, they packed their bags and headed out, planning to return in the spring. However, they were attacked by Native Americans; only Cox survived. When Cox returned years later, forest fires, landslides, and the regrowth of thick underbrush had completely obscured the cabin and the waterfall. Hundreds of prospectors searched the area, but the Lost Cabin Mine was never relocated.
Search around the East Fork of the Trinity River near Swift Creek. The area is now a designated federal wilderness area, meaning motorized equipment is banned, but panning with hand tools is generally allowed. Check US Forest Service rules.
Jefferson Public Radio - Legend of Lost Cabin Mine Haunts Northern California

The Lost Cement Mine
Near Mammoth Lakes, Mono County
In 1857, two miners wandering lost in the Eastern Sierra discovered a vein of rich, red volcanic cement-like rock that was packed with pure gold. They chipped off a few pounds of the rock, showing it to others when they made it to town. In 1860, one of the miners died, but left a map to the site to a friend. Famous figures, including Mark Twain and the legendary guide Gid Whiteman, searched extensively for the "red ledge" near the headwaters of the Owens River. Some believe it lies buried under a volcanic ash layer from more recent geological activity.
Concentrate your efforts in the Devils Postpile / Mammoth Scenic Loop area. Look for outcrops of reddish volcanic tuff or cement-like conglomerates.
Legends of America - Lost Cement Gold Mine of Mammoth Mountain, California

Joaquín Murieta's Bodie Hills Stash
Bodie Hills, Mono County
Joaquín Murieta, the famous 'Robin Hood of El Dorado,' was rumored to have multiple caches of stolen gold hidden throughout California. One of his largest stashes, valued at $200,000 in gold coins and dust, is said to be buried in the Bodie Hills, just north of the famous ghost town. The gold was hidden inside a cave or buried near a peculiar geological formation resembling a Spanish saddle.
Bodie Hills is largely managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Metal detecting for historical artifacts is restricted, but searching for minerals/nuggets is allowed on open mineral claims. Verify claim maps via LR2000.
TreasureSeekr - Joaquin Murrieta cache overview (not Bodie-specific)

Dr. John Marsh Pioneer Cache
Mt. Diablo Foothills, Contra Costa County
Dr. John Marsh, one of the first American doctors in California, accumulated a massive fortune in gold coins and bullion during the Gold Rush. Distrustful of banks, he buried his wealth in various spots around his massive stone ranch house near the base of Mt. Diablo. In 1856, Marsh was murdered by disgruntled vaqueros. While some gold was recovered from his home, the bulk of his fortune was never accounted for by his heirs, and is believed to still be buried on the former rancho land.
The Marsh Creek State Historic Park is strictly off-limits to detecting and digging. However, public properties and historical roads in the surrounding Contra Costa foothills can be researched for coin shoots.

Peter Lassen Buried Treasure
Deer Creek near Vina, Tehama County
Peter Lassen, the famous Danish pioneer who gave his name to Lassen Volcanic National Park, owned a large rancho along Deer Creek. Before his mysterious murder in 1859, Lassen supposedly buried a cache of over $50,000 in gold coins in tin cans along the creek bed to protect it from bandits. Despite multiple excavations by subsequent property owners, the cans of coins have never been found.
This area is largely private ranch land today. You MUST obtain written landowner permission before accessing Deer Creek or using metal detectors.
Jefferson Backroads - Peter Lassen buried treasure account

Wreck of the Frolic
Point Cabrillo, Mendocino County
The Frolic was a fast Baltimore clipper ship engaged in the illicit opium trade between China and California. In July 1850, carrying a cargo of Chinese silks, porcelain, and household goods, she ran aground on the rocks just north of Mendocino. The wreck is famous because its salvage attempt led to the discovery of the giant redwood forests of Mendocino, sparking the local lumber boom. The wreck lies in shallow water and is a designated archaeological reserve.
Diving is permitted around Point Cabrillo Reserve, but it is illegal to touch, move, or salvage any materials from the shipwreck. The Mendocino County Museum houses many of the recovered Chinese artifacts.
Mendocino County Museum - The Frolic Exhibit

Wreck of the SS Brother Jonathan
Off Crescent City, Del Norte County
The SS Brother Jonathan was a luxurious paddle steamer carrying passengers and a cargo of gold coins from San Francisco to Portland. In July 1865, it struck an uncharted rock (now called Jonathan Rock) off Crescent City in a severe storm and sank, claiming 225 lives. In 1993, the wreck was located, and in 1996 a deep-water salvage operation recovered 1,207 gold coins. However, a significant portion of the gold, including a payroll for the Union Army and personal wealth of wealthy passengers, remains on the ocean floor.
The wreck is in extremely deep, cold water (275 feet) and experiences severe currents. It is protected under California State Lands Commission rules.
California State Lands Commission Shipwreck Database

The Dogtown Nugget Discovery Site
Magalia (formerly Dogtown), Butte County
In 1859, a massive 54-pound gold nugget was found in the Feather River canyon near Magalia, then known as Dogtown. It was the largest nugget found in California at the time. The surrounding ravines and gulches were heavily mined, but because of the steep terrain, many pockets of gold-bearing gravel were missed.
This area is bordered by the Plumas National Forest. Mineral panning with hand tools is permitted on public lands not covered by active mining claims. Check the BLM ML-System to make sure you do not claim-jump.
California Office of Historic Preservation - Dogtown Nugget Discovery Site

Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
California Coastal Waters
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545941). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
This wreck is located in federal waters. Most underwater archaeological sites in California are protected by state and federal laws; diving is allowed, but harvesting artifacts is strictly prohibited.
NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,graph,Chart 18640

Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
California Coastal Waters
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545942). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.
This wreck is located in federal waters. Most underwater archaeological sites in California are protected by state and federal laws; diving is allowed, but harvesting artifacts is strictly prohibited.
NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,graph,Chart 18640

Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
California Coastal Waters
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545943). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
This wreck is located in federal waters. Most underwater archaeological sites in California are protected by state and federal laws; diving is allowed, but harvesting artifacts is strictly prohibited.
NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,graph,Chart 18640

Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545944). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20000708.

Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545946). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.

NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,graph,DD-11766

Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545951). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20110726.
NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,reprt,11thCGD,LNM 30/11

NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,reprt,11CGD,LNM13/14

NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,reprt,11thCGD,LNM 27/02

NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,reprt,11thCGD,LNM 28/23

NOAA ENC Coastal Chart Service - US,US,graph,H-13334

Unidentified Wreck Showing Any Portion Of H
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545995). Classified as a wreck showing any portion of h. Source record date: 201305.

Rattlesnake Dick's Trinity Mountain Loot
Trinity Mountain, Shasta-Trinity National Forest
In 1856, the outlaw 'Rattlesnake Dick' Barter and his gang hijacked a mule train carrying gold bullion from the Yreka mines down to Sacramento. During their escape over the rugged slopes of Trinity Mountain, the gang was heavily pursued. To increase their speed, they buried $40,000 worth of gold bullion on the mountain. Although some gang members returned later to retrieve it, they were killed or captured before doing so. The bulk of the bullion is believed to still lie buried on the Trinity Mountain slopes.
Check BLM mineral status maps. Metal detecting for mineral specimens is permitted on open forest land, but search for historical artifacts requires state/federal permits. Focus on old pack trail pathways on the eastern slopes.
Active NorCal - Rattlesnake Dick's Lost Treasure in the Trinity Mountains

Wreck of the SS City of Rio de Janeiro
Entrance of the Golden Gate, San Francisco Bay
State Park / Marine Sanctuary (Restricted)
Known as the 'Titanic of the Golden Gate,' this passenger steamship sank in 1901 after striking a rocky ledge near Fort Point in a dense fog. Rumors immediately spread that the ship was carrying a secret shipment of silver bullion and gold coins destined for China, valued up to $6 million. In 2014, NOAA used sonar and remotely operated vehicles to locate the collapsed hull under 287 feet of water and heavy silt, but no treasure has ever been recovered.
The wreck is located in a dangerous, high-traffic shipping lane with extremely strong tidal currents, low visibility, and deep mud. Salvaging or diving the wreck is strictly prohibited without state permits.
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries - City of Rio de Janeiro shipwreck discovery

The Deloma Cave Indian Cache
New River Wilderness, Trinity County
During the California Indian Wars of the 1850s, local tribes reportedly raided several rich mining camps along the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. To protect their loot from soldiers and miners, they stockpiled gold dust, nuggets, and trade goods in the hidden Deloma Cave system located near the remote New River canyon. The entrance of the cave is rumored to have been sealed with heavy rocks or hidden by thick forest growth.
The New River canyon is a rugged, designated wilderness area. Motorized tools are prohibited. Exploring caves on federal land may require specific cave entry permits from the US Forest Service.
Trinity County Historical Society Museum research contact (lead requires archival verification)

Wreck of the SS City of Chester
Golden Gate Strait, San Francisco Bay
On August 22, 1888, the steamship SS City of Chester collided with the much larger vessel Oceanic in thick fog inside the Golden Gate strait. The ship split in two and sank in less than six minutes. The wreck was rediscovered in 2013 by NOAA hydrographers using multi-beam sonar. While not carrying commercial gold bullion, the wreck contains valuable historical artifacts and is an important archaeological preserve.
Located in 217 feet of water near the center of the Golden Gate shipping channel. Diving is extremely dangerous due to commercial ship traffic and severe currents.
NOAA Office of Coast Survey - SS City of Chester

Butler's Buried Cache
Amador County, Mokelumne River channel roughly two miles northeast of Lancha Plana (submerged under Camanche Reservoir).
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) (Strictly Restricted)
During the Gold Rush, a prospector named Butler operated an incredibly rich placer claim on a bend of the Mokelumne River that yielded up to fifty thousand dollars daily. Distrustful of banks and under pressure from litigation over legacy shares of the claim, Butler buried his daily gold surpluses near the riverbed. After his sudden death from fever, administrators found his bank deposits, but his associates confirmed his substantial daily surplus gold remained hidden near the claim. In 1963, the construction of Camanche Dam inundated the entire town of Lancha Plana and Butler's claim under deep water and silt.
The site is permanently submerged under the Camanche Reservoir. The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) strictly regulates reservoir access, and all diving, metal detecting, and salvaging are prohibited. High siltation makes underwater visual recovery practically impossible.
History of Amador County by Jess Mason (1881)

Clear Creek Mormon Coin Cache
Shasta County, southwest of Redding near the historic Horsetown Clear Creek Diggings along Clear Creek Road.
Bureau of Land Management / Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve (Allowed - No Firearm Hunting)
In the 1850s, a Mormon wagon train was journeying through the Redding valley toward the settlement of Horsetown when they attempted to cross a swollen, flash-flooded Clear Creek. One of the wagons, driven by an emigrant named Bishop, tipped into a deep hole and was violently swept downstream with its cargo of newly minted gold coins. Decades later in 1910, local prospector William Dreestelhorst discovered an extremely rare 1841 ten-dollar gold coin stamped with the initials 'SMV' and inscribed with 'California Gold' in his sluice box. This discovery proved the historical existence of the lost Mormon treasure, but the rest of the wagon's gold cache remains buried in the creek's shifting sands.
The site lies within the Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve, which is cooperatively managed by the BLM and a local non-profit. Mineral collecting is strictly regulated; treasure hunters should check current BLM rules for panning, utilize high-grade metal detectors along dry gravel bars, and consult historic flow maps to trace the 1850s channel path.
Legends of America - Northern California Treasure

Poker Flat Cache
Sierra County, in the northern section of the West Yuba Roadless Area near the historic ghost town of Poker Flat.
Plumas National Forest / Tahoe National Forest (Allowed / Subject to Wilderness Regulations)
During the height of the Sierra County Gold Rush in the late 1850s, Jerome Peyron operated a highly prosperous retail store that catered to the thousands of miners in the Poker Flat district. Fearing the frequent robberies and lawlessness of the era, Peyron systematically buried his profits, estimated to exceed one hundred thousand dollars, in various secret caches in the steep hills directly behind his shop. In a tragic turn of events, Peyron was targeted and murdered by an outlaw gang when he refused to reveal the exact locations of his buried loot. Despite extensive searches by contemporary posses and modern-day treasure seekers, the storekeeper's gold fortune remains lost in the rugged canyon slopes.
Poker Flat is located in extremely rugged, steep terrain with very high soil erodibility within the Plumas and Tahoe National Forests. Metal detecting is permitted on public lands, but searchers must avoid active mining claims and respect the wilderness regulations of the West Yuba Roadless Area.
History of Sierra County / Calexplornia Archives

Yankee Jim's Hidden Gold
Placer County, situated on a ridge between the North and Middle forks of the American River, near the ghost town of Yankee Jims.
Auburn State Recreation Area / Bureau of Land Management (Restricted)
In 1849, a notorious horse thief named James 'Yankee Jim' Robinson accidentally discovered a highly lucrative placer gold deposit in Placer County while hiding from law enforcement. To conceal his massive find, Jim constructed a horse corral directly on top of his diggings, but his subsequent displays of large nuggets at nearby mining camps drew intense suspicion. When a mob discovered his horse-stealing operations in 1852, Jim narrowly escaped hanging by fleeing to Southern California, leaving behind his amassed gold fortune. He was eventually captured and executed in San Diego, and his legendary hidden hoard has never been recovered from the ridge.
The townsite of Yankee Jims is designated as California Historical Landmark No. 398 and is surrounded by a mixture of private properties and lands managed under the Auburn State Recreation Area. Seekers must obtain permission to cross private parcels and strictly adhere to California State Parks regulations regarding metal detecting and mineral collection.
Calexplornia - Yankee Jim Robinson: The Outlaw Behind a Gold Rush Town

Volcanoville Chinese Gold Cache
El Dorado County, located along Volcanoville Road on the Georgetown Divide, approximately six miles north-northeast of Georgetown.
Eldorado National Forest / Private Property (Restricted)
During the mid-19th century, Volcanoville was a bustling mining community in El Dorado County that was home to a wealthy Chinese store owner who quietly amassed a massive fortune in gold. Before planning a return trip to China, the merchant buried his accumulated wealth in a secure, marked cache near his store. However, a devastating fire soon swept through the settlement, completely destroying the wooden structures and erasing the key topographical landmarks he had used to map the cache. Despite returning to Volcanoville multiple times in the late 1800s to excavate the area, the merchant was never able to relocate his lost gold, which is believed to still lie beneath the ruins.
The Volcanoville area is a high fire hazard zone with mixed public USFS land and private residences. It is critical to consult county parcel maps to avoid trespassing on private properties, and focus search efforts near old stone foundations using pulse induction metal detectors.
El Dorado County Historical Archives / Calexplornia Caches

Wreck of the San Agustin
Marin County, submerged within Drakes Bay along the Point Reyes National Seashore.
National Park Service / Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Strictly Prohibited)
In November 1595, the Spanish galleon San Agustin, commanded by Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno and laden with a valuable cargo of Chinese silks, spices, and Ming Dynasty porcelain, was sailing from Manila to Acapulco when it was caught in a violent storm. The gale drove the ship onto the beaches of Point Reyes, shattering the vessel and scattering its precious cargo across the sandy floor of Drakes Bay. This disaster represents the earliest recorded shipwreck on the West Coast of the United States. While local Coast Miwok Indians salvaged some of the porcelain and traded it inland, a substantial portion of the ship's structural remains and cargo lies buried beneath the bay's thick marine sediment.
The wreck site is situated inside the protected boundaries of the Point Reyes National Seashore and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Any form of salvage, metal detecting, or disturbance of submerged cultural resources is strictly illegal under federal law. Research should be limited to surface-level shoreline observations of wash-up material or academic archival studies.
National Park Service Maritime History - Shipwrecks at Point Reyes

Wreck of the Samoa
Marin County, located approximately 600 yards south of the Chimney Rock Lifeboat Station along the rugged cliffs of Point Reyes.
National Park Service / Point Reyes National Seashore (Strictly Prohibited)
On January 28, 1913, the steam schooner Samoa was en route from Eureka to San Francisco with a heavy cargo of redwood lumber when she became disoriented in a blinding fog off the Marin Coast. The vessel ran violently aground in the heavy breakers just 600 yards south of the Chimney Rock Life-Saving Station. The shipwreck triggered one of the most celebrated and heroic rescue operations in the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, during which surfmen successfully deployed a breeches buoy to rescue all twenty-one crew members amidst pounding waves and drifting timber. While the crew survived, the vessel was completely pounded to pieces by the relentless surf.
The remnants of the Samoa are highly fragmented and scattered across a treacherous, rocky intertidal zone beneath steep granite cliffs. Accessing the area is extremely dangerous due to unpredictable swells, high tides, and loose cliffs, and all artifact collection is strictly forbidden by the National Park Service.
U.S. Life-Saving Service Reports / NPS Maritime Stories

Wreck of the Richfield
Marin County, on a submerged reef approximately 500 yards off Chimney Rock at Point Reyes.
National Park Service / Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Strictly Prohibited)
On May 8, 1930, the oil tanker Richfield, the proud flagship of the Richfield Oil Company fleet, was navigating through a dense fog and battling strong northwest winds off the Point Reyes Peninsula while carrying twenty-five thousand barrels of high-grade gasoline. Around noon, the massive ship struck a submerged reef five hundred yards off Chimney Rock, tearing open its hull and spilling volatile fuel into the ocean. The Coast Guard executed a rapid rescue, saving the entire crew from the expanding fuel slick before a tugboat successfully pumped out the remaining cargo. The dramatic wreck drew thousands of curious sightseers to the nearby bluffs, who watched the ship eventually break apart under the heavy Pacific swells.
The reef where the Richfield met its end is highly exposed to strong swells and tidal currents, making it a hazardous site for diving. Because the site falls under federal protection within the national seashore and marine sanctuary, any physical exploration must be done via non-invasive means such as boat-based sonar from a safe distance.
U.S. Coast Guard Logbooks / Point Reyes Submerged Cultural Resources

Goose Egg Mine
El Dorado County, located in the historic Mosquito Valley, downstream from Newtown and Placerville.
Eldorado National Forest / Private Property (Allowed with active claim checking)
Rooted in the early excitement of the 1848 California Gold Rush, the legend of the Goose Egg Mine began when a lone prospector reportedly discovered a highly concentrated placer deposit in Mosquito Valley that yielded massive, smooth gold nuggets the size of goose eggs. The prospector hid his discovery but was unable to establish a permanent claim before losing the location in the dense brush of the canyon. Over the decades, generations of searchers have scourged the draws, ravines, and creeks downstream from Newtown, looking for the source of these legendary nuggets. Despite modern attempts to locate the vein by hiking past old tailing piles near Weber Reservoir, the mother lode remains completely lost.
Mosquito Valley is characterized by steep ravines and dense vegetation, with a patchwork of public US Forest Service land and private residential parcels. Hobbyists must perform thorough claim-checking via the BLM's LR2000 system before doing any prospecting, as active claims cover much of the region.
Mines, Murders and Grizzlies by Charles F. Outland / Calexplornia Mines

Waterfall Mine
Shasta County, located in the rugged mountainous backcountry approximately thirty miles up a tributary of Cow Creek, potentially near Bear Canyon.
Lassen National Forest / Private Property (Permission Required)
In the early 1850s, a small party of prospectors from the East Coast traveled into Shasta County, crossing near Cow Creek and Fort Reading, and followed a rugged stream thirty miles into the high mountains. There, they discovered a stunning, high waterfall, behind which lay an exceptionally rich vein of exposed quartz gold. After harvesting as much gold as they could physically carry, they attempted to enlist the military at Fort Reading for protection against hostile forces, but their request was denied, forcing them to abandon the site and return East. Years later, several members of the party returned to California to relocate the waterfall but found the rugged canyon topography completely unrecognizable, leaving the rich deposit lost to history.
The search area lies in the highly rugged and often inaccessible terrain of eastern Shasta County within the Lassen National Forest. Many surrounding lands are privately owned timberlands, so obtaining land status maps and local permissions is essential. Focus search efforts on identifying old geographic waterfalls on tributaries of Cow Creek.
History of Siskiyou County by Harry L. Wells / Shasta Historical Records

Site of New Albion at Drake's Cove
Drake's Cove and Drakes Estero area, Point Reyes peninsula, Marin County
Point Reyes National Seashore (National Park Service; protected archaeological district, no artifact removal)
Drake's Cove at Point Reyes is the officially recognized Site of New Albion, where Francis Drake's expedition landed in 1579, repaired the Golden Hind, met Coast Miwok people, and reportedly erected the original brass plate claiming the country for Elizabeth I. California's landmark nomination explicitly notes that the famous 1936 "Drake's Plate of Brass" was a hoax, but that the original plate described in early voyage accounts has never been recovered. That makes the cove less a bullion legend than a classic lost-history artifact hotspot tied to one of the earliest English landfalls on the Pacific coast. Because the district is archaeologically sensitive and legally protected, the modern value is in archival and landscape reconstruction rather than any physical search.
Use public overlooks at Drakes Beach and Drake's Cove to understand the spit-estero geometry described in the nomination, but do not probe, dig, or collect. The productive hobbyist work here is map comparison, shoreline photography, and reading early voyage narratives against the modern landscape. Any artifact hunting inside the district would require federal and state authorization.
Site of New Albion, California Historical Landmark nomination

San Agustín Shipwreck Site
Drakes Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County
Point Reyes National Seashore and protected coastal waters near Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (protected archaeological resource)
Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño's Manila galleon San Agustín wrecked in Drakes Bay in 1595 and is treated by the National Park Service as the first recorded shipwreck in California history. Accounts describe the vessel losing anchor in a storm, driving ashore, and leaving cargo behind while survivors escaped south in a smaller craft. Archaeological work in the Drakes Bay district has tied sixteenth-century contact materials to this event and to the wider early-contact landscape at tamál-húye. For treasure hunters the story is compelling, but in practice this is a protected archaeological landscape rather than an open recovery site.
Treat the whole bay-beach-estero complex as the relevant search area rather than a single point. Focus on museum collections, NPS interpretation, and storm-exposure geomorphology; do not disturb beach deposits, dunes, or submerged material. If you are reconstructing the wreck vicinity, compare historical shoreline change with present-day sand movement and exposure.

USS Conestoga Wreck
A few miles off Southeast Farallon Island, west of San Francisco, in Greater Farallones waters
Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (federally protected); also protected under the Sunken Military Craft Act
USS Conestoga left Mare Island on March 25, 1921 for Pearl Harbor and vanished with 56 sailors, becoming one of the Navy's major unresolved maritime mysteries. NOAA later found and confirmed the wreck in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, showing that the tug never made it far from the California coast and likely sank only a few miles from Southeast Farallon Island. Its importance is historical rather than monetary, but it squarely belongs among California's best-known lost-history sites because the vessel was missing for nearly a century. The wreck is now protected as both a sanctuary cultural resource and a sunken military craft.
The practical hobbyist angle is route reconstruction from Mare Island through the Golden Gate and toward the Farallones, not any field recovery. Work from NOAA material, naval records, and Farallon charts. Boat-based visitation near the islands is difficult and tightly regulated, and any disturbance of the wreck is prohibited.
USS Conestoga - 100 Years Since Departure

SS Montebello Wreck
Off Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, central coast
Federal offshore waters in the Chumash Heritage sanctuary planning area; National Register-listed wreck, protected from unauthorized disturbance
The oil tanker SS Montebello was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on December 23, 1941, only weeks after Pearl Harbor, while carrying more than 3 million gallons of crude oil. NOAA places the wreck about seven miles off Cambria in roughly 900 feet of water, where it has become one of the central coast's most studied wartime losses. The ship has no buried-chest folklore, but it is one of the region's most famous historic wrecks and a classic deep-water lost-history site. Because of depth, protection, and safety concerns, it is a records-and-remote-sensing target rather than a hobby-diving target.
Work from shoreline overlooks, war-era routing history, and NOAA/MBARI survey material rather than any attempt to visit the exact wreck. The useful field exercise is understanding the Cambria offshore topography and wartime tanker routes. Any salvage or disturbance would require formal authorization and specialized deep-water capability.

Schooner Active at Lighthouse Point
Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz, northern Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Santa Cruz shoreline management area (protected cultural resource setting)
The schooner Active wrecked at Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz, during rough weather in October 1876 and is one of the better-known shore-adjacent losses in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA's profile places the casualty directly at the point, long recognized as one of the worst spots on that stretch of coast. Unlike deep-water losses, Active belongs to a narrow shoreline headland where reef, surf, and bluff position matter, which makes it a useful historical reconnaissance site even if the recoverable wreck record is fragmentary. It is best understood as a protected maritime-history landscape, not a legal collecting ground.
Walk the public headland and study sight lines, reef exposure, and surf behavior rather than looking for exposed relics. Historical interpretation near the marine-lab area can help anchor the story in place. Do not disturb intertidal material or remove anything from the shoreline or sanctuary waters.
Active | Shipwrecks | Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Great Blue Lead at Forest City and Bald Mountain
Forest City and Bald Mountain drift-mining country, Sierra County, northern Sierra Nevada
Tahoe National Forest with intermingled private patented mining ground and historic town lots around Forest City (claim and parcel check required)
Forest City and the Bald Mountain drift mine sat on the famed Great Blue Lead, a buried auriferous channel that drove some of Sierra County's most persistent lost-channel speculation. Historical accounts describe the Bald Mountain operation tunneling deep into the mountain, taking coarse gold and very large nuggets from the blue-gravel channel, and sustaining a major boomtown economy. The broader legend is not that the district vanished, but that segments of the old channel repeatedly appeared, pinched out, and were effectively 'lost' and rediscovered by successive miners. That makes the Great Blue Lead one of the strongest northern-California lost-mine landscapes even though the district itself is well documented.
Do not assume any old adit is open or safe. The smart hobbyist approach is claim-and-parcel research, reading old channel descriptions, and walking only on clearly public roads or interpreted historic-town areas. Many seemingly abandoned workings in this district sit on private or patented ground, and collapsed drift mines are a serious hazard.
History of Tahoe National Forest: 1840-1940, Chapter 4

Black Bart's Lost Gold Amalgam Cache
Old Sonora-Milton stage corridor near Milton, Calaveras County
Mostly private ranchland and county-road corridor on the old stage route (owner permission required off-road)
One of the most specific Black Bart cache stories holds that, after being wounded in a Calaveras County holdup, he fled the stage road, wrapped his hand, and hid a sack of gold amalgam in a rotten log while concealing his shotgun in a hollow tree. Unlike generalized claims that he buried loot somewhere in California, this legend attaches to a particular escape episode on the Sonora-Milton road corridor. The hidden sack was never publicly recovered, which is why it survives as one of central California's better localized outlaw-cache stories. Its weakness is precision, because the exact rotten-log or hollow-tree site was never authoritatively fixed.
Treat this as a route-corridor legend, not a pin-dropped dig site. The best research path is reconstructing the historic stage road from county history and robbery narratives, then checking present-day parcels before entering any ground. Much of the likely terrain is private, and the odds that the original hiding place survived intact are low.
Calaveras Heritage Council - Black Bart robbery account

SS Palo Alto Concrete Ship Wreck
Seacliff State Beach, Aptos, Santa Cruz County
Seacliff State Beach (California State Parks; protected historic concrete ship, no salvaging)
The SS Palo Alto was a historic concrete oil tanker built in 1919 by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Company. In 1929, the Cal-Nevada Company purchased the ship and towed it to Seacliff State Beach, grounding it in shallow water and constructing a pier out to it. It was outfitted as an amusement vessel with a dance floor, cafe, swimming pool, and carnival booths. A major storm cracked the hull in the 1930s, and it was eventually stripped and left as a fishing pier. Over decades of storms, the ship has fragmented, serving today as a critical marine habitat and a legendary historic monument.
The ship is visible directly from the pier at Seacliff State Beach. Diving or swimming inside or immediately next to the concrete hull is extremely hazardous due to sharp rusted rebar, collapsing concrete blocks, and strong surge. Removal of any material is strictly prohibited under California State Park rules.
California State Parks Seacliff Archives / California Historical Landmark No. 954

Wreck of the Clipper King Philip
Ocean Beach, San Francisco
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (National Park Service; protected historic resource)
The King Philip was a three-masted clipper ship built in 1856. In 1878, she lost her anchor and drifted ashore at Ocean Beach, where she broke up and became buried in the sand. Every few decades, extreme low tides and shifting sands expose her wooden hull ribbing.
The wreck is buried beneath the sand of Ocean Beach. Remnants are only visible during extremely low (minus) tides, typically after large winter storms have washed away the top layers of sand. Do not attempt to dig or excavate, as the beach is managed by the National Park Service and ARPA rules apply.
National Park Service Golden Gate NRA - Vestiges of Shipwrecks

SS Tennessee Shipwreck Site
Tennessee Cove, Marin Headlands, Marin County
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (National Park Service; protected historic resource, no artifact collection)
In 1853, the side-wheel passenger steamship carrying 600 passengers and a valuable cargo of mail and gold ran aground in dense fog. All passengers were rescued, but the ship broke apart in the surf. Today, the ship's massive rusted iron engine rods are occasionally exposed at the south end of the beach during extreme low tides.
Hike the 1.7-mile Tennessee Valley Trail to reach the cove. At the south end of the rocky beach, look for the rusted iron shafts of the ship's steam engine protruding from the sand at low tide. Beachcombing is permitted, but the removal of any historic metal or shipwreck fragments is a federal offense.
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #81000102)

SS Pomona Shipwreck
Fort Ross Cove, Fort Ross State Historic Park, Sonoma County
Fort Ross State Historic Park (Restricted; state park waters, protected historic shipwreck site)
A 225-foot steel steamship built in 1897. In March 1908, she struck a submerged wash rock off Fort Ross and was run aground in Fort Ross Cove to save the crew. The wreck lies in 25 to 60 feet of water, and its boilers and engine frame remain on the seafloor, forming a protected underwater park.
The wreck lies in Fort Ross Cove, roughly 100 yards offshore. Access is via a rocky beach entry. While diving is permitted, the site has very active kelp growth, cold water, and poor visibility depending on swells. Removing any artifacts or disturbing the marine life surrounding the engine mounts is strictly illegal.
California Shipwreck and Historic Maritime Resources Program

SS Jacob Luckenbach Wreck
Gulf of the Farallones, 17 miles west-southwest of the Golden Gate, San Francisco
Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Strictly Prohibited; protected underwater cultural resource)
A 469-foot steel cargo steamship. In July 1953, she collided with the SS Hawaiian Pilot in dense fog and sank in 180 feet of water. In 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard completed a massive $20 million operation to extract over 100,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel from her hull, preserving it as a historic deep-water artificial reef.
This is a deep-water wreck resting at 180 feet. Due to extreme depths, strong currents, heavy commercial vessel traffic, and frequent zero-visibility conditions, this site is restricted to highly advanced technical divers. No salvage or disturbance of the wreck is permitted under marine sanctuary regulations.
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (RULET Assessment #50130)

Empire Mine State Historic Park
10791 E Empire St, Grass Valley, Nevada County
Empire Mine State Historic Park (Restricted; state park, no artifact gathering)
One of the oldest, largest, deepest, and richest hard-rock gold mines in California. Operating for over 106 years from 1850 to 1956, it produced 5.8 million ounces of gold from 367 miles of underground passages, reaching an incline depth of 11,007 feet.
Visit the state park to view the massive stamp mill, the historic Bourn Cottage, and the open mine portal. Under state law, all rocks, minerals, and historical relics inside the park boundaries are protected. Mineral prospecting or metal detecting is strictly forbidden within the historic park.
USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS ID #10061245)

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
North Bloomfield, Nevada County
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park (Restricted; state park, no artifact gathering)
California's largest hydraulic gold mining operation. Blasted away entire hillsides, excavating over 41 million cubic yards of earth and carving out a massive canyon. The resulting environmental devastation led to the historic 1884 Woodruff v. North Bloomfield court decision, which effectively banned hydraulic mining in the US.
Explore the park's overlooks to view the massive carved badlands-style canyon. The historic town of North Bloomfield features preserved buildings and mining displays. Panning and metal detecting are strictly prohibited within park limits; do not climb the steep, unstable clay cliffs of the diggings.
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #73000418)

Original Sixteen-to-One Mine
Alleghany, Sierra County (on Pliocene Ridge)
Private Property (Strictly Restricted; active mining claim/patented ground)
One of the most famous and longest-operating gold mines in California. Discovered in 1896, it is legendary for its extremely high-grade gold-in-quartz specimen ore. Focuses on locating 'pockets' where gold occurred in massive, solid concentrations. In 1993, the mine yielded a single pocket containing 1,500 ounces of gold.
The mine is located on active patented mining ground owned by the Sixteen to One company. Trespassing on the property or attempting to enter the portals is highly dangerous and illegal. Visitors can view the historic town of Alleghany and learn about the mine's history at the local museum.
California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 193 (Alleghany District) / Mindat Locality #10411

Morgan Mine & Carson Hill Nugget Site
Carson Hill, Calaveras County
Private property / historic marker site (Restricted; private mining ground)
Discovered in 1850, it became one of the most famous lode gold mines in California. In November 1854, miners unearthed the legendary 'Calaveras Giant' (Carson Hill Nugget), which weighed 195 pounds (2,340 troy ounces) and remains the largest gold nugget ever found in California.
Carson Hill is marked by a historical monument along Highway 49. Much of the hill is covered by a large modern open pit mine and private property. Do not cross fences or trespass on active claims. Metal detecting is permitted on surrounding open BLM land, but ensure you cross-reference active claim maps.
USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS ID #10061993)

Columbia Placer District
Columbia State Historic Park, Tuolumne County
State Historic Park (Restricted; public access allowed, no artifact gathering)
Known as the 'Gem of the Southern Mines,' Columbia was established in 1850. Placer miners discovered gold trapped in a labyrinth of limestone karst formations. Miners used high-pressure water hoses to wash away the soil, leaving behind a bizarre landscape of exposed white limestone pillars.
Walk through the park to view the exposed limestone formations and the preserved 1850s brick buildings. A designated gold panning area allows visitors to buy dirt and pan under supervision. Metal detecting and digging are strictly prohibited in the state park.
California Historical Landmark No. 462 / USGS MRDS Carson Hill-Columbia Area Data

La Porte Placer District
La Porte (formerly Rabbit Creek), Plumas County
Plumas National Forest / Private Properties (Allowed for mineral panning on open USFS land, respect claims)
Originally settled as 'Rabbit Creek' in 1850, La Porte became one of the most famous hydraulic and drift mining districts in the Northern Sierra. The district targeted a highly productive Tertiary river channel (the La Porte channel) containing heavy deposits of coarse gold.
Gold panning and metal detecting are permitted in open, unpatented sections of the Plumas National Forest surrounding La Porte. Always verify that you are not on active mining claims by checking the BLM LR2000 database. Respect private property lines inside the townsite.
California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 193 (La Porte District)

Stoddard's Gold Lake Legend
Lakes Basin Recreation Area, Plumas County
Plumas National Forest (Allowed; public camping, hiking, panning, respect mineral claims)
In 1850, Thomas Robertson Stoddard arrived at a mining camp claiming he had found a lake in the high Sierras whose shores were littered with pure gold. While the legendary 'Gold Lake' was never located, the massive rush of miners searching for it led to the discovery of the rich Lakes Basin gold region.
The area around Gold Lake is popular for recreation, hiking, and camping. Small-scale mineral prospecting (gold panning) is allowed on public forest service lands, but you must stay clear of active mining claims. Check with the Beckwourth Ranger District in Portola for local guidelines.
US Forest Service Plumas National Forest - Gold Lake in Lakes Basin

Hickory Gulch Pocket Strike
Hickory Gulch, Coffee Creek Mining District, Trinity County
Shasta-Trinity National Forest (Allowed; respect active claims)
In August 1897, a major pocket mine strike occurred at Hickory Gulch in the Coffee Creek Mining District of Trinity County. Prospectors Burgess and Murphy uncovered a large vein of decomposed porphyry yielding immense quantities of gold, reportedly selling a baking powder can full of gold to a storekeeper at the Nash Mine on upper Coffee Creek. This sparked a minor gold rush of prospectors into the upper Trinity region.
Hickory Gulch is located in the rugged Upper Coffee Creek area of Trinity County. Placer gold can still be found in the gravels of Coffee Creek and its tributaries. Check Shasta-Trinity National Forest guidelines regarding mineral collecting and panning; note that much of the creek remains under active mining claims.
The San Francisco Call - August 15, 1897

The New Blue Jay Mine
Morrison Gulch, Coffee Creek Mining District, Trinity County
Shasta-Trinity National Forest (Allowed; respect active claims)
Discovered in 1886 in Morrison Gulch within the Coffee Creek Mining District of northeast Trinity County, the Blue Jay Mine was famous as a reliable pocket mine. In 1892, it produced over $60,000 worth of gold from a single pocket over the course of just a few days. The vein was noted for its extremely high-grade ore, and local miners boasted that they could extract gold whenever they needed quick funds.
Search the Morrison Gulch area near Coffee Creek. Look for contact zones between serpentine and granitic or metavolcanic rocks, which are classic geological indicators for gold pockets in this district. Ensure you check for active mining claims before any panning or detecting.
The San Francisco Call - August 12, 1897