Episode: The Gold Behind the Waterfall

In 1910, a solitary prospector named Tom Watson discovered an unopened letter in an abandoned cabin near Flagstaff, Arizona. The letter, dated 1904, described a sack of gold nuggets hidden behind a 22-foot waterfall deep in the Grand Canyon.

Drawn by the map that came with it, Watson spent years searching the Canyon’s side gorges. He endured blistering summers, snowbound winters, and endless dead ends. Finally, in June 1914, after a rare summer rainstorm, Watson stumbled on a waterfall that matched the letter’s description. Behind its veil, he found a cave floor glittering with gold.

But his triumph turned to tragedy. A fall shattered his leg, and by the time he crawled to safety, infection had nearly killed him. Though he survived, he was never able to find the same waterfall again. Even with help from a companion, veterinarian Roy Scanlon, the elusive site seemed to vanish. In 1915, broken in spirit, Watson ended his life at Deadman Flat. Two gold nuggets were still in his pocket.

Notes & Sources

• The waterfall’s location remains one of the Canyon’s enduring mysteries. Many side canyons feature seasonal falls that roar during spring snowmelt or after a heavy monsoon, but dry up for much of the year. This may explain why Watson could never relocate the site.
• The nearby ranch where he was treated was the Buggeln Ranch, a historic property associated with the Bright Angel Hotel and early Canyon tourism.
• Accounts of this story appear in W.C. Jameson’s Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Arizona, as well as Arizona Highways and earlier magazine retellings.

Disclaimer

This episode shares a historical legend. The Grand Canyon is protected land, and treasure hunting or digging is not permitted. Please respect the land, the law, and the cultures who have lived in and around the Canyon for generations.