Treasure of the Golden Jesus — Escalante Country

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Treasure of the Golden Jesus — Escalante Country

Lost Treasure UT • Garfield County County
Description
1810 Mexican War legend of a corrupt priest fleeing with forty burros of gold religious artifacts — including a three-foot solid-gold Jesus statue — buried in a cave between Escalante and Boulder on the Kaiparowits Plateau.
Historical Notes
As independence fighting spread in Mexico, the priest's party was overtaken near the north Kaiparowits Plateau and reportedly cached the cumbersome crucifix and smaller artifacts before escaping toward Santa Fe. 1870s searcher Llewellyn Harris followed a Zuni map and found only burro bones; Fifty Mile Mountain petroglyphs and Spanish artifacts fuel modern speculation. KSL and OldWest.org place the best-guess hideout along the Escalante River corridor between Escalante and Boulder.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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