California Treasure Registry
Browse source-linked records for California lost mines, shipwrecks, buried caches, ghost towns, and artifact hotspots. Each page includes the source, land-status warning, field notes, gear, and a direct link into the interactive map.
All Records
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The Lost Cabin Mine
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.
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The Lost Cement Mine
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.
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Joaquín Murieta's Bodie Hills Stash
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.
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Dr. John Marsh Pioneer Cache
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.
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Peter Lassen Buried Treasure
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.
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Wreck of the Frolic
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.
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Wreck of the SS Brother Jonathan
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.
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The Dogtown Nugget Discovery Site
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.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545941). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545942). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545943). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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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.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545945). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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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.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545947). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545948). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545949). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545950). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20040604.
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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.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545952). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20140401.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545953). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545954). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545955). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545956). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545957). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20020702.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545958). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545959). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20000708.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545960). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20230712.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545961). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 200206.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545962). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 200206.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545963). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 200206.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545964). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 200206.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545990). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545991). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545992). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.
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Unidentified Dangerous Wreck
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545993). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20110920.
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Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test)
A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545994). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20191102.
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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.
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Rattlesnake Dick's Trinity Mountain Loot
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.
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Wreck of the SS City of Rio de Janeiro
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.
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The Deloma Cave Indian Cache
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.
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Wreck of the SS City of Chester
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.
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Butler's Buried Cache
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.
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Clear Creek Mormon Coin Cache
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.
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Poker Flat Cache
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.
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Yankee Jim's Hidden Gold
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.
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Volcanoville Chinese Gold Cache
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.
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Wreck of the San Agustin
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.
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Wreck of the Samoa
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.
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Wreck of the Richfield
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.
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Goose Egg Mine
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.
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Waterfall Mine
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.
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Site of New Albion at Drake's Cove
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.
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San Agustín Shipwreck Site
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.
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USS Conestoga Wreck
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.
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SS Montebello Wreck
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.
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Schooner Active at Lighthouse Point
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.
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Great Blue Lead at Forest City and Bald Mountain
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.
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Black Bart's Lost Gold Amalgam Cache
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.
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SS Palo Alto Concrete Ship Wreck
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.
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Wreck of the Clipper King Philip
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.
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SS Tennessee Shipwreck Site
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.
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SS Pomona Shipwreck
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.
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SS Jacob Luckenbach Wreck
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.
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Empire Mine State Historic Park
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.
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Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
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.
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Original Sixteen-to-One Mine
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.
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Morgan Mine & Carson Hill Nugget Site
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).
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Columbia Placer District
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.
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La Porte Placer District
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.
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Stoddard's Gold Lake Legend
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.
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Hickory Gulch Pocket Strike
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.
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The New Blue Jay Mine
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.