Many years before Colorado actually became a state, the United States was in its infancy and white European settlers came to the West in search of gold, often clashing with the Native Americans that occupied the land.

One such tale has become a thing of legends and has inspired local lore, expeditions, and even the permanent name of one of Colorado's most storied mountains.

Keep scrolling to learn the legend of Treasure Mountain, a tale of gold, battle, and forces from beyond this realm.

The Origin of the Legend of Colorado's Treasure Mountain

Get our free mobile app

Our story begins in the late 1700s with a group of about 300 French Settlers who arrived in Colorado from Kansas in search of gold. It's said that these settlers found a whopping $33 million worth of gold but also drew the ire of the Native Americans in the area for disrespecting the land, which resulted in the men hiding the gold before all but 35 of them were killed.

The men retreated back to Kansas during a brutal Colorado winter and after it was all said and done, only one of the men ended up living to tell the tale. This man, identified as having the last name of Le Blanc, kept a map of where the gold was hidden and is said to have passed it down to his ancestors, who kept pretty quiet about it until 1993.

The Legend of Colorado's Treasure Mountain: An Ill-Fated Return

After many years of allegedly keeping their family's treasure map quiet, it's said that descendants of Le Blanc ventured back to Treasure Mountain, believing that over the years they'd deciphered seven of the eight landmarks cryptically written on the map.

The family members dug into what they believed to be the eighth landmark, a cave, which eventually resulted in some scary, supernatural events.

The story goes that while digging in the cave, one man was surprised by a rattlesnake that lunged at his face, prompting him to leave the cave in a hurry, where he was then met with a swarm of bats divebombing the entire family.

After this episode, the man attempts to light the first in a line of candles placed in the cave to light his way and upon doing so, the candle at the very back of the cave lights up itself as well, a scene that freaks the entire family out.

Finally, after the ghastly candle event, an owl appears in the sky and attacks the family members, prompting them to leave and never return.

As of today, it would seem that the treasure is still yet to be found and from the sounds of it, someone, or something, intends to keep it that way.

A Small Colorado Town Had an Internment Camp During WWII

The small town of Granada, Colorado was home to an internment camp during World War II.

11 Colorado Ghost Towns that are Shells of their Former Selves

Learn about and take virtual tours of 11 Colorado ghost towns and some of the buildings that still stand there.

Colorado Deli Allegedly Run by Cult Notorious For Child Abuse

The Yellow Deli in Boulder, Colorado is said to be run by a notorious cult by the name of Twelve Tribes.