What lost treasures are in my state? (Lost treasures by state)

Each state page (pinpointtreasure.com/treasure-hunting/<state>) grades the stories by the evidence: an early, independent record that something was lost and not recovered scores high; a story first told decades later by one author scores low.

State law decides what you may do: some states ban detecting in state parks, most protect archaeological sites, and federal land everywhere is covered by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act for objects over 100 years old. The detecting-laws page for each state sets this out.

Sources: Library of Congress Chronicling America (digitized newspapers, all states); Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 470aa-mm); State park and land agency regulations.

Which lost treasure stories are real? (Lost treasure that was never recovered) Few famous treasure stories survive a check of the newspapers printed at the time; in most, the loot was recovered, spent or never existed. One that does: a merchant's safe holding about $7,000, swept away when Arizona's Walnut Grove Dam failed on February 22, 1890. Prescott's Journal-Miner reported it was likely buried in sand about 15 miles below the dam and still unfound weeks later. Others, such as the Verdi (Nevada, 1870) and Jarbidge (Nevada, 1916) robberies, turn out to have been largely recovered.

What famous lost treasures have never been found? Famous lost treasures never found include the Lost Dutchman Mine (Arizona), the Amber Room (missing since 1945), the unlocated wrecks of the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet (Florida), King John's baggage train (lost in The Wash, England, 1216), the Copper Scroll's 64 hiding places (Dead Sea Scrolls), Montezuma's gold (lost by the Spanish fleeing Tenochtitlan in 1520), the Beale treasure (Virginia) and the Oak Island money pit (Nova Scotia). The 'Nazi gold train' in Wałbrzych, Poland was dug for in 2016 and nothing was found.

Where can I go treasure hunting near me? Start with places where people lost things and where detecting is allowed: public beaches, old swimming holes, parks that permit detecting (ask the parks department), ghost towns and old camps on open public land, and gold-bearing creeks outside active mining claims. Avoid national parks, monuments and archaeological sites, where removing anything is illegal, and get written permission on private land.

Is treasure hunting legal? Yes, in most places treasure hunting is legal with permission: on private land with the owner's permission, and on much public land for casual metal detecting and panning. It becomes illegal when you dig in protected sites, remove archaeological objects, detect where it is banned (such as US National Parks), or work someone else's mining claim.