Banner Silver Mines: Gold Prospecting in Boise County, Idaho

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Boise County

State

Idaho

Nearest road

Usfs 384J

Coordinates

44.01886, -115.53267

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Access note: BLM records active mining claims in this area. Collecting from inside an active claim needs the claim holder's permission.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Best time to visit Banner Silver Mines

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 79°F in midsummer and 26°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 8°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LOWMAN station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Banner Silver Mines

This spot sits on Biotite granodiorite, mapped as biotite granodiorite;granite that formed roughly 145 to 66 million years ago. Gold in granitic terrain like this is typically tied to quartz veins along contacts and shear zones, with placer color in the streams that drain them.

Mapped unit

Biotite granodiorite

Age

145–66 Ma (Cretaceous)

Rock types

biotite granodiorite;granite

Elevation

6,060 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Emerald Creek
• Idaho Geological Survey
• Spencer Opal Mines (fee-dig operator)
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules