Ever wondered what treasures lie hidden beneath Idaho’s rugged terrain? Dive into the world of metal detecting and discover the state’s most astonishing finds!
Idaho, the mid-western state of the United States of America, is one of the best places to visit in anyone’s diary.
But if you are a metal detectorist looking for the best metal-detecting finds, Idaho is the place to be.
With its rich colonial, western, and mining past, this state has everything you can imagine hidden under the subsoil layer of its land.
These are waiting to be uncovered by someone more eager to find these items.
I am from Pennsylvania, but visiting Idaho has been on my bucket list since I was a small child. I was a Vast Wild West movie fan in the early days, inspiring me to visit the Wild West someday.
With my journey of metal detecting in every possible state going strong, I rekindled my passion for visiting Idaho.
Why should I take this opportunity to achieve my dream while ticking another state off my metal-detecting diary? So that is what I did a few years back in 2016.
That was one of the most fun and exciting trips I have been on. Suppose you are a metal detectorist in Idaho or living near Idaho and still haven’t got time to metal detect in and around the state.
In that case, I must, say, open your eyes to the truth that you have missed an enormous opportunity. A golden opportunity, I must say.
As Idaho was part of the Wild West at the previous time, I expected to find some gold pieces and nuggets from metal detecting even before arriving in the state.
As expected, I was able to find many details about gold treasures during metal detecting with my fellow metal detectorists in Idaho.
Apart from that, I found other common finds during my time metal detecting in Idaho as well.
So, when I got home, I thought of sharing that experience with you all based on my experience and the data I collected from local expert detectorists in Idaho.
Here are the best metal detecting finds in Idaho,
- Gold Coins and Nuggets
- Coins And Tokens
- Civil War Artifacts
- Native American Artifacts
- Mining Equipment And Related Artifacts
- Colonial And Pioneer Settlement Artifacts
But that’s just a quick snapshot!
In this article, I’ll explore the best metal detecting finds in Idaho individually.
I want to open your eyes to what can be done to uncover these themes from the land and the methods I used.
Furthermore, I plan on pinpointing some locations where I had success finding these particular items while metal detecting.
At last, I will explain some of the tips and tricks I used while metal detecting for these items in Idaho.
So please hang around till the end and learn more about this stuff, which will open you to a new world of metal detecting in Idaho.
Let’s dig in!
Best Metal Detecting Finds in Idaho
So now let’s talk about the common and the best metal detecting finds you can see from the lands in Idaho.
In the below-mentioned finds, I have pointed out some locations where you can easily detect these treasures.
These places will have the mentioned notable findings within them abundantly. But before going to detect these places, you have to know about the rules and regulations of the sites.
Idaho allows metal detecting and gold hunting within its territories. But to engage in activities, you have to obtain a permit from a valid person.
After getting the key, you can engage in metal-detecting activities. The license or the officer who issued the ticket will explain any prohibitions and don’ts.
I hope you understand what you must do before metal detecting in a particular place.
Now, let’s uncover the best metal-detecting findings in Idaho.
1. Gold Coins and Nuggets
Idaho is a prominent state in the Wild West. There are always rumors and actual deposits of gold within the state. After years of mining and excavating, most gold warranties are exploited.
But sometimes, these small deposits would seep into waterways and sometimes can be clustered in the soil. You must look carefully to uncover and detect these in the first place.
Out of gold coins and gold nuggets, the easiest thing to find is gold coins. These could be found anywhere from old industrial sites to modern alleyways.
But compared to gold coins, finding gold nuggets takes a bit of work.
If you are in any of these mid-western states, finding a gold coin or a gold nugget might not be the most challenging task.
Regardless of your experience and the metal detector you are using, you will uncover some gold in these states.
Searching in and around the eyes and creeks would be more efficient in finding any potential gold finding. Apart from that, you can try various other places to find gold in Idaho.
If the land Is under the management of the Bureau of Land Management, you might have to give up your finding if the officer asks to.
But most of the time, you are only required to report gold results if it is a historical artifact of some particular era.
Here are some places in Idaho that you can visit if you are interested in finding some gold to add to your collection,
- Boise Basin near Idaho City area in Boise County
- Salmon River near Salmon area in Lemhi County
- Clearwater River near Orofino area in Clearwater County
- South Fork area near Elk City in the clear water river in Idaho County.
- Stibnite Mining district near the Yellow Pine area in Valley County.
Check out the Best Places to Metal Detect in Idaho!
2. Coins And Tokens
Coins are the next most common and the best thing to find in Idaho while metal detecting. Like in any other site, currencies are the most common find, which you can see from Idaho.
These coins may be built of various origins, like silver, brass, copper, and alloys.
As we discussed uncovering gold coins in the previous sections, let’s focus on the coins of other origins.
Finding a silver coin would be so valuable for any metal detector out of these metals. The trade used Silver coins heavily during the late 19th and early 20th century.
These might have historical value as well as economic value.
If you uncover any silver coins in Idaho, it is better to consult the park officials before claiming ownership over them.
Check out the Best State Parks in Idaho to Metal Detect!
Here are some of the places where you will be able to dig up some silver coins,
- Silver City in Owyhee County
- Wallace in Shoshone County
- Coeur d’Alene in Kootenai County
- Murray in Shoshonme County
- Boise in Ada County
Apart from these silver coins, you could uncover a particular type of coin from wild western sites like Idaho.
These distinct currencies are the cash the miners and the mining community used well before the 20th century.
These offer significant historical value and valuable insights into the livelihood of the miners and the mining community at the time.
Here are some of the places that you can find these historical coins in Idaho,
- Murray in Shoshone County
- Wallace in Shoshone County
- Atlanta in Elmore County
- Pierce in Clearwater County
- Placerville in Boise County
3. Civil War Artifacts
Even though the Civil War was not spread much in the Wild West, Idaho also has seen its fair share in the battle-driven history of the United States of America.
Significant findings belong to various battle eras and the military and other weapon parts to prove the existence of those battles.
This military equipment and artifacts might not be categorized solely to the era of civil war, and these might be spread across the historical timeline from the early 1700s to the late 1900s.
These can mainly depict the state’s rich historical and cultural heritage.
These might have an antique and sentimental value rather than an economical value. So, to uncover these, you should try the places below.
You cannot dig up or uncover anything above the 100-year-old mark when metal detecting. So, even if you find something of a military artifact, you might not be able to claim its ownership.
If you want to claim ownership over these items, it is better to request from the responsible personnel for approval or the state government.
Here are some of the locations you should visit if you’re interested in finding some Civil War relics and military artifacts,
- Silver City in Owyhee County
- Wallace in Shoshone County
- Idaho City in Boise County
- Murray in Shoshone County
- Placerville in Boise County
4. Native American Artifacts
Over the historical periods, Idaho has had abundant settlements of native American people. These sites are scattered across the state.
Primarily, these settlements are based on water sources. Suppose you encounter a water source like a river, stream, creek, or lake. The chances of there being a settlement in this area are high.
These native American artifacts would include arrowheads, metallic weapons, cutlery and utensils used in that era, and other metallic items.
These items are primarily in reserved land areas, so you must be sensible when detecting them.
Mostly, these items will have an antique value rather than an economical value.
Even though you uncover these, sometimes you might need help to claim these things due to the prevailing law and policies.
It is advisable to check whether you can claim any of these items before you enter the area.
Here are some of the locations that you can try out while metal detecting for native American artifacts in Idaho,
- Indian Creek Archeological site and its surroundings near Caldwell in Canyon County
- Celebration Park and its surrounding area, Twin Falls in Twin Falls County
- Wees Bar Archaeological site and mainly its surroundings near White Bird in Idaho Couty
- Nez Perce National Historical Park near Spalding in Nez Perce County
- Bear River Massacre Site near Preston, Franklin County.
5. Mining Equipment And Related Artifacts
Idaho had a rich mining past in history, too.
From uncovering gold on a large scale to looking for other metals like lead, copper, and brass, mining operations have been very influential in the state.
Due to these facts, the state has so much mining equipment and artifacts.
These might only have an economic value if you find some pure metal while looking for equipment. Most of these will have an antique value.
You can visit the old abandoned mines in Idaho when looking for old mining equipment and artifacts.
It is better to think about your safety before stepping into these mines. Your safety is what matters most to us.
Here are some of the locations in Idaho where you can go searching for mining-related artifacts,
- Custer Ghost Town near Stanley in Custer County
- Bayhorse Ghost Town near Challis in Custer County
- Yankee Fork Gold Dredge near Stanely in Custer County
- Idaho Maryland Mine site near California Idaho border
6. Colonial And Pioneer Settlement Artifacts
Most of the old explorers came to the west side of the world to extract valuable metals and other valuable stuff.
Idaho has also seen colonialism and sites dating back to the early settlements.
These sites could yield some of the exciting findings belonging to that era. These artifacts and pidgins could show the colonial history of the state.
Most of these items would be under the federal government’s property, so make sure you have proper permission before metal detecting in this area.
And if you happen to find anything, ask the authorities before claiming its ownership.
These items will have antique and high economic value because most things in that era were made of pure gold and jewels.
Here is a range of the sites in Idaho that you can visit to search for these colonial artifacts,
- Kootenai River area near Bonners Ferry, Boundary County
- Salmon River Area near Salmon in Lemhi County
- Snake River area near Lewiston in Nez Perce County
- Clearwater River area near Orafino in Clearwater County
- Payette River area near Paette in Payette County
That’s it, folks! Now you know all the best metal detecting finds in Idaho with their rich history and locations you can find them.
Now I’m going to share with you several tips that I’ve learned while metal detecting in Idaho which will help you as well to find cool items and avoid any troubles.
Some of the below tips were gathered by interviewing some of the local expert metal detectorists in Idaho.
So, just keep reading!
Tips For Metal Detecting in Idaho
Here are some tips and tricks I used while metal detecting in Idaho.
Research
It is essential to do thorough research before going on a metal-detecting trip.
The time you spend on the study will determine how much success you have in the field. So, spend ample time researching where you go and what you want to detect in those areas.
If you’re interested in learning more about the treasures you can find in Idaho, better to join metal detecting clubs in Idaho and engage with the audience to know the secrets that have been buried in Idaho grounds for centuries.
Metal Detector and Technique
Having a good melted detector also influences the outcome of your search operation.
It is better to have a metal detector that you are comfortable with and know how to change the settings swiftly because it will save time and energy in the field.
When discussing the technique, it is essential to have a method that works for you.
So practice whatever gives you good results, and if you still need to settle on a plan, it is better to experiment with a few methods, too.
Laws and Regulations
Make sure that when metal detecting, you adhere to all the laws and regulations put up by the state and the place you are going to detect.
Idaho’s old mining towns, abandoned during the Gold Rush era, have been hotspots for metal detecting enthusiasts, uncovering relics and coins dating back to the 19th century.
visitidaho.org
So, let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
FAQs
Are there any specific locations in Idaho known for great metal detecting finds?
Some of the best locations for metal detecting in Idaho include old mining towns, ghost towns, along riverbanks, in parks, and around old homesteads, where you have a higher chance of discovering valuable and historical items.
Do I need a permit to metal detect in Idaho?
While metal detecting is allowed in many public areas in Idaho, it’s important to check with the local government or land management agency to ensure you have the necessary permissions and are aware of any restrictions.
What is the most valuable item ever found with a metal detector in Idaho?
Details on the most valuable item found in Idaho might not be widely publicized, but there have been reports of valuable coins, jewelry, and historical artifacts being uncovered.
What should I do if I find something valuable or historically significant while metal detecting in Idaho?
If you find something that you believe is valuable or of historical significance, it is recommended to report your find to the local historical society or a museum, as they can provide guidance on the next steps to take.
What type of metal detector is best for searching in Idaho’s terrain?
For Idaho’s diverse terrain, which includes mountainous areas, forests, and riverbanks, a versatile metal detector with good ground balancing capabilities and waterproof features would be beneficial.
Are there any laws or regulations regarding metal detecting in Idaho’s national parks?
Metal detecting is generally prohibited in national parks across the United States, including those in Idaho, without a special permit, as these areas are protected to preserve their natural and historical resources.
Can I keep everything I find while metal detecting in Idaho?
While many items found can be kept, it’s important to research and understand Idaho’s laws regarding found property, especially for items that might be considered archaeological or historical artifacts, which could be protected by law.
Did I cover all you wanted to know about: Best Metal Detecting Finds in Idaho
In this article, I deeply discussed the best metal detecting finds in Idaho in detail with detection techniques you need to use to find each one of them.
The best metal detecting finds in Idaho often include old coins, mining artifacts, relics from the pioneer era, and occasionally Native American items. Popular spots for these discoveries are old mining towns, ghost towns, riverbanks, parks, and abandoned homesteads, offering a glimpse into Idaho’s rich history.
Furthermore, I’ve answered some frequently asked questions as well.
I hope I covered everything you wanted about Idaho’s best metal-detecting finds.
Now it’s time for you to start finding the mentioned treasures in Idaho like a pro with your companion metal detector!
