Idaho Outdoors

Life is Always Better with an Outdoor Adventure!

  • Home
  • Maps
    • ID Land Status Map
    • Idaho Mining Claims
    • Idaho Hiking Maps – REI Hiking Project – Adventure Hiking
  • Rec. Category
    • Hiking
    • Hunting
    • Fishing
    • Outdoor Sports
    • Prospecting
    • Shooting
    • Survival
  • Hidden Idaho Treasures Series
  • Write for Us!

Idaho Parks and a Metal Detector: Great Family Fun

August 2, 2016 by Josh Snow Leave a Comment

Just where can you use your metal detector?

Metal Detector Permit
A permit to metal Detect in Boise, Idaho Parks.

Our Bounty Hunter metal detector had finally arrived and I was more excited than my kids were. Since we hadn’t given any thought to rules and regulations until we were at the park feeling a little sheepish about tearing up turf that was so perfectly manicured in search of our first find with the new metal detector.  Consequently we were questioning the legalities of what we were about to do.  So we jumped on the internet and searched for any rules or regulations that we could find for metal detecting Boise Idaho. Sure enough, there are rules that regulate where you can metal detect in Boise.

During our search we learned that you have to be licensed to metal detect in Boise parks. So We left the park feeling relieved that we hadn’t torn up the nice grass yet and had avoided getting into trouble.  One thing was for sure!  We wanted to get a license to metal detect in Boise parks.  It took us quite a bit of searching to figure out where we were supposed to go to get this license.

During our search we stumbled upon Boise Park and Recreation’s policies and procedures page where we located a document outlining what was needed to acquire the metal detector license. Unfortunately, the document didn’t list any contact information regarding where to get the permit.  Only after making a few phone calls were we able to acquire the information we needed.

We Were Told that Conn’s Wampum Hut provides metal detector training and issues the permits.

The Conn’s have been located at the same location for close to 50 years with the whole family involved in the metal detecting hobby. When we called ahead to schedule an appointment Pat Conn, answered the phone and gave us the information we needed.  Donna Conn, 85 years old, issues the permits. She informed us that she has regular hours but you should always call ahead. She taught us how to retrieve (not dig), our finds with a flat head screwdriver. A flat head screw driver is the only tool you can use in Boise City Parks. She also gave us a great tip: by recommending we dull the ends of our screw drivers to prevent scratching a potential find.

Wheelchair bound using a modified long screwdriver, Donna Conn showed us how to roll the turf, extract the dirt, replace the disturbed grass and heel in the area. This retrieval method assures that you don’t damage the turf. With our metal detector in hand, Donna had us locate finds in her yard. She has lots of coins buried including some older ones that she lets you keep. She required us to properly retrieve three coins prior to issuing the metal detector permit.  We found a couple wheat pennies that we were pretty excited about!

There is an initial fee of $10 for the permit and a $3 annual renewal fee. She assured us that she provides the training and permits as a community service and doesn’t profit from the fees. We spent about an hour and a half, some of it visiting, while we earned our permits.  Our family had a great time!  Donna gave us some good advice and a few perfect spots to start detecting!

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Smoky Quartz Crystals | Rock Hounding in Dismal Swamp Idaho

March 29, 2016 by Heather Lewis Leave a Comment

So what do Smoky Quartz Crystals Look Like?

Smoky Quartz Crystals Found at Dismal Swamp
Smoky Quartz Crystals Found at Dismal Swamp

Idaho has an abundance of family outdoor activities that will cost you very little money. Idaho has 12 million acres of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land that visitors and Idaho residents can recreate on.  This offers a huge diversity of opportunities for you and your family to get outdoors and have fun. Our family has taken advantage of many of these opportunities including hunting, fishing, fly fishing, four wheeling, camping, gold prospecting, and rock hounding. Most of our outings are on BLM and Idaho National Forest land.  The ability to visit so many different places is part of what makes Idaho so great.


Want to start rockhounding? Buy a Book that highlights rockhounding in Idaho. The most popular books are separated by counties. sites with GPS coordinates, and the minerals that can be found there. We started with places near us that we wanted to explore and planned a few short outings.  As we visited more and more of the places in the book, we kept returning to the Dismal Swamp Entry and finally planned a camping trip that allowed us to visit this location.

Smoky Quartz Crystal found in rock outcropping in dismal swamp.
Smoky Quartz Crystal found in a rock outcropping in dismal swamp.decided to go to Dismal Swamp, which is located 20 miles north of Featherville, Idaho.

Digging Smoky Quartz Crystals in Dismal Swamp Idaho

In Dismal Swamp, you can dig smoky quartz crystals and even more.  The equipment you need is a few buckets, a shovel, a rock pick, a few screens and maybe a sledgehammer.  When you get there you can dig almost anywhere to find smoky quartz crystals.  Most are really small but there are the occasions that you may find larger ones. There are hundreds of holes that people have already dug in which you can keep digging and still find more crystals.

When we visited Dismal Swamp we started by digging small amounts of soil and putting it on our screens then rinsing all the soil from the rocks. Next, we sift through the remaining rocks to find the quartz and the smoky quartz crystals. Keep repeating the process until you find crystals.  You must be patient as it will take a while to find the smoky quartz crystals.   You can also find crystals on the surface of the soil.  It will take a trained eye to find them so be careful when you are walking around. When we visited at Dismal Swamp my Father found a smoky quartz crystal embedded in the road.  He was pretty excited that the crystals were that prevalent.

Out Croppings

Rock Hounding Dismal Swamp for Smoky Quartz Crystals. Photo Taken by Evelyn Williams
Rock Hounding Dismal Swamp for Smoky Quartz Crystals. Photo Taken by Evelyn Williams

You can find smoky quartz crystals in rock outcroppings.  You can also find crystals embedded in the clay layers between the fractured pieces of rock.  The largest smoky quartz crystal that I have ever found came from a crack in a large rock that had several layers of the rock chipped away. Once we were to the clay layer that was between the cracks, that is where we found a smoky quartz crystal shaped like a prism. Carefully sift through the clay between rocks. Crystals will be surrounded by clay that appears to be a big ball of dirt.  Screens can be really helpful in sifting through the clay.

If you plan on making a weekend trip to Dismal Swamp there are a few campsites where you can make camp.  If you just plan on going for the day make sure to take plenty of water and snacks because it can get very hot there.  Good luck and happy digging!

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Gold Prospecting Idaho

March 24, 2016 by Jim Lewis Leave a Comment

Hidden Idaho Treasure Series

Interested in Gold Prospecting Idaho?

My Son and I Gold Prospecting in 2006.
My Son and I Gold Prospecting in 2006.

So it’s a new year and you are bored with all of your current hobbies. Well if you are considering picking up a new hobby, you should consider gold prospecting. Idaho has a diverse landscape with many things to offer adventurous people.

Every year people flock to Idaho’s BLM ground or Idaho National forests to camp, rock hound, fish, boat, hunt, four-wheel, hike, take photos, bicycle, and swim. Why not pick up gold prospecting when you are on one of your outings with your family this year. Prospecting can be a very inexpensive hobby or a very expensive hobby depending on the equipment you use to prospect with.

The Required Equipment for Gold Prospecting!

Beginner prospectors need a couple of different sized pans, a few classifiers (we recommend a 1/2″ classifier and a 1/4″ classifier), and maybe a sluice box if you are willing to part with the cash.  Buy some vials and at least one sniffer bottle.  Now you can make your own sniffer bottle with a plastic straw and a plastic bottle purchased at your local craft store.

You will need some buckets.  Best way to pick up buckets is; call up your local paint contractor. They should have buckets for next to nothing as they will have tons of them left over from projects.  Your other option is to buy buckets from your local hardware store.  Make sure to pick up a rock hammer, a couple of shovels and a strong back.  Gold Prospecting is hard work.

We made due for several years with very few prospecting tools. Our Tools included a sluice box, some gold pans, classifiers, a sniffer bottle, some vials and a shovel or two.

Gold Pans

Gold pans should be 14″ and the green seems to show the gold and not mark up as bad as the black ones.

Classifiers

Classifiers can be made by purchasing some screen from your local D & B store, building a frame and securing the screen in the frame. Glass stores may have little pieces of 1/8″ screen they would give away for next to nothing. If you are looking for a few classifiers to purchase please see the ones we recommend at the left.

Sluice Boxes

Sluice Boxes come in every shape and sized you can imagine.  If you search Google for wood sluice box plans, there are many do-it-yourself plans to making a sluice box.  We believe that you can not go wrong with a metal sluice box made by Keene engineering, Jobe, or Royal.  The one that we recommend extends to 50″ which allows for great gold recovery.  Shorter backpack sluice boxes are not all that great for gold recovery.  They do not allow the gravels to be washed long enough to pull the gold out of them. The longer the sluice box the better.

Rock Hammer

Rock hammers can be purchased at your local prospecting store or you can find an Estwing E3-22P 22-Ounce Rock Pick
that can be used as a small pick on amazon.com.

Misc:

Sniffer bottles, vials and other misc. gold prospecting accessories can be found at your local prospecting stores, Amazon, or a multitude of other websites on the internet.

Where do I find Gold?

My wife and I looking for new places to go gold prospecting in 2006
My wife and I looking for new places to go gold prospecting in 2006

That is the magic question.  You can find gold in many places.  Most prominent places to find gold are along streams and rivers.  To be more precise, on the inside corners of streams and rivers.  As the spring runoff fills the streams and rivers every year the massive volume of water make them run more violently.  As rapids become more violent they pick up dirt, debris, mud, clay and of course gold.

As water picks up gold in a river or stream it will not stay moving long.  As a river turns the waters will move into an inside corner or an eddy.  The slower moving water will drop the gold in these locations. Other locations you will find gold is behind large trees that are below the high water mark.  Behind and under rocks that are located on an inside corner or at the end of an island in a stream or river.

Where Specifics

Now when we are talking about gold prospecting on an inside corner of a river or stream.  Please don’t make the same mistakes we did.  We spend countless hours prospecting in locations that had no gold to speak of.  We simply did not understand where on the inside corner to dig.  Rivers and streams will slowdowns all the way around an inside corner.  The location you will need to find is the one where the corner starts.  Where the water starts to slow down.

The Weight of Gold

Just to give you some reference.  We all know how heavy lead is?  The specific gravity of lead is 11 times heavier than water.  Black Sands that gold is found it is also 11 times heavier than the specific gravity of water. Platinum, on the other hand, has a specific gravity 21.5 times heavier than water.  (According to Wikipedia: Specific Gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance.)

The specific gravity of gold is 19.32 times heavier than water.

The weight of gold is what makes it fall from suspension prior to just about any other material.  This is the reason to look in the first place gold could drop while you are gold prospecting.

Sluice Box Setup

When you set up your sluice box it should be set at a slope of 1″ per 1′.  When your sluice box is set up, make sure it is filled up with water flowing through it at least 2/3 full.  Also, test a little material and make sure the water is flowing fast enough to wash the gravels you are going to prospect.

Classify the material that you run through your sluice box to at least 1/4″. This allows the sluice box to capture more gold when you run it.  If rocks that are too large are put into the sluice box the water will great an eddy around them and wash gold out of the sluice box.

If you would like a lesson on gold panning watch this video on youtube.

Where do we go gold prospecting in Idaho?

You can find gold in just about every region of Idaho.  This gives gold prospectors a wide variety of places to go.  Captain E.D. Pierce leading a group of 10 prospectors found gold in what is now Pierce Idaho in 1860.  In 1862 George Grimes with a party of prospectors founded the Boise Basin mines.  From 1860 to 1865 people flooded into the Florence and Boise basins.  As more people claimed lands in the Two gold mining basins. Prospectors were having to travel greater distances to claim their own lands to mine.  With the influx of people moving all over the state, people found gold in almost every major stream and river in the state.

If you are looking for places to go gold prospecting today, you can try the Coeur d’Alene river, the snake river, the salmon river, the Boise River and most of their major tributaries.  One of these four rivers is within a short driving distance of just about every town or city in Idaho.  This leaves your options to find a place to go gold prospecting open.  We have prospected on the snake river, the salmon river, and the Boise River.  We have found gold on all three rivers.

Good luck gold prospecting and remember ☠ marks the spot!

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Rock Hounding Idaho: A Map of 99 Locations in Idaho to start finding Gemstones!

June 12, 2014 by Jim Lewis Leave a Comment

Rock Hounding Idaho
Rockhounding and Prospecting Tools

Hidden Idaho Treasure Series

So you are interested in Rock hounding Idaho?

Please note: The map is at the bottom of the Page!

Idaho has a rich geology with many types of gemstones found across the diverse landscapes. For those of you that would like to do some rock hounding Idaho, a full listing if Idaho gemstones by county can be found at The Idaho Department of lands Website.

My wife and I have spent many years prospecting and rock hounding Idaho. It is very rewarding for us and a fun activity for the kids, especially when you find “treasures” as we like to call them.

A few years back we purchased a book Rock hounding Idaho: A Guide to 99 of the State’s Best Rock hounding Sites (Rock hounding Series) by Garret Romaine. Even though it was a little dry reading, as a reference book when we were trying to find new places to explore, it was great.

I took the time to go through the book two years ago and enter all of the GPS coordinates, and meta data (locations, descriptions, and types of minerals found at each location) into an excel spread sheet. Then I spent the better part of about three weeks trying to figure out how to change the degrees minutes and seconds to decimal degree GPS coordinates. This was all so the information could be imported in to my ArcGIS Mapping program. I know boring!

The punchline is last year Google came out with the Google Maps Engine. This allowed me to use the same spreadsheets to upload data to a google map, and then embed it here for every one to use! Cool Huh!

If you have any questions or are looking for some tips where to go, just look me up on facebook or google plus.

Also if you like this map, please like us on all of your favorite social media sites. If you like this article please subscribe to our website, there will more great content just like this in the future.

For more information on Idaho Rock hounding, you can purchase Garret Romains book from the link above or you can download the BLM Rock hounding in Idaho Guide!

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

The Pledge to Protect Our Sportsmans Heritage for Our Youth!

December 30, 2011 by Jim Lewis Leave a Comment

What is the Sportsman Heritage?

The sportsman in me was nurtured and developed from the age of four. That was my first memory of dad spending time with me in the woods, at the river, or at camp.  I believe that all who live this way of life have an obligation to pass the sportsman heritage to their children if they are interested.

Sportsman Heritage
My Son’s Elk 2006

My father is a great man; he spent many years punching the time clock, always trying to figure out how to make that extra buck. His motivations were always pure he loved spending every second he could with his family. If he could spend that time with our family hunting, fishing, or running around new country, well that was even better.

My best memories from childhood include running around with dad whether we were fishing, hunting or just at elk camp hanging out.  Some of these memories are the same ones my children cherish to this day.  I made it a point to take them to some of the same places my dad and I visited when I was a child.

Heritage: Anything that has been transmitted from the past or handed down by tradition, a way of life!

The realization that our sportsman way of life was actually our sportsman heritage did not hit me until my children started hunting and fishing with me. Whether we were teaching them how to tie a hook on or watching them pull in the biggest bass of the trip. By empowering them to succeed in our outdoor adventures, we have taught them valuable lessons that will benefit them for a lifetime.

The principles of our sportsman heritage flow into our everyday lives. They empower our success, free us of fear, and help us overcome adversity.



Should we practice good Conservation?

Sportsman Heritage
My mom with her grandchildren 2010 elk hunt.

For years many of my family considered conservation environmentalism. After serious reflection and discussions we have decided this is not necessarily the case.  As stewards of hunting, fishing, prospecting, camping, or whatever it is you like to do. We need to take care of everything we touch.

Many of the outdoor clubs have put conservation practices in place. For instance the Geocachers practice the Cache In Trash Out (CITO) motto which means they go find a geocache and leave with some trash. By following good conservation practices like cleaning up a campground, or picking the pop can out of the river we are keeping the resources that our children will want to use some day clean.

That is not environmentalism that is good common sense.

I know making a pledge to our youth is a little corny.  However I would rather be a little corny and have the resources to teach my grandchildren to hunt than not.

The Pledge to protect our sportsmen heritage for our youth!

  • I pledge to protect the resources so my children and grandchildren can use them as an adult.
  • I pledge to teach my children and grandchildren the ways of our family’s sportsman heritage..
  • I pledge to be kind to help my children and grandchildren be self-confident and firm to teach you respect for others.
  • I pledge to pass on the rich sportsman heritage that our family has passed down generation to generation, so that my children and grandchildren see the value of harvesting wild game for their table.
  • I pledge not to harvest, more than our family can eat.
  • I pledge to teach fair and ethical behavior in the field.
  • I pledge to protect these rights that were inherited from my father so my children and my children’s children can enjoy them.
  • I make this pledge not only to my own children and grandchildren, but to any child, grandchild, adult, or group that is interested in learning about being a sportsman.

Please take the pledge pass on the sportsman heritage, allow our youth to enjoy the same rights and heritage that we have. Mother Nature created the great outdoors for everyone.

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Please Like Our Facebook Page

SuperWebTricks Loading...

Please Subscribe to our Website

Welcome to Idahoutdoors.com, we would love you to become one of our subscribers. Please enter your email and hit subscribe. We will send you a notification every time a new article is published.

Thanks!

Join 618 other subscribers

Copyright © 2025 www.idahoutdoors.com · Owned By · JH Enterprises / Lewiville.com All Rights Reserved
Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by Wordpress

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Go to mobile version
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.