Treasure Hunting in Washington

D.B. Cooper money trail, gold-rush cache history, and Hudson's Bay Company fur-trade silver.

Top Washington treasure regions: Lewis River corridor (Cooper money); Cascades; San Juan Islands; Columbia River gorge.

Famous documented cases in Washington: D.B. Cooper money (1971, partially recovered 1980); Lost gold of Mount Si; Hudson's Bay Company caches.

D.B. Cooper Hijacking Money (1971, status: partially recovered): On Nov 24 1971, "D.B. Cooper" hijacked a Northwest Orient flight and parachuted out over Washington with $200,000 in marked $20 bills. In 1980 a child found $5,800 of the marked bills along the Columbia River near Tena Bar. The remainder is still missing. Where: Lewis River corridor / Columbia River near Tena Bar, Washington. Land rules: Marked bills are FBI evidence — any find must be reported to FBI Seattle.

Terrain in Washington: Cascade rainforest, basin desert, and coastal islands.

Best seasons for field work in Washington: May–October at elevation; year-round at coast.

Washington state parks are managed by Washington State Parks (https://www.parks.wa.gov/); check its rules before detecting in any state park.