A Millwood gem and collectible shop owner has turned crystal hunting into a community outdoor activity, hiding rare stones along trails throughout the Inland Northwest and announcing the locations on social media to encourage neighbors to step away from their screens and explore local green spaces.
A Shop Built on Decades of Passion
Jenny Dykes, 55, has been running Stone Crazy — a rock, gem, and collectible store in Millwood — since 1999. The shop originally operated downtown near Auntie’s bookstore for its first six years before Dykes eventually closed the brick-and-mortar location. Two years ago, she reopened in a former house-turned-salon along Argonne Road in Millwood, bringing her carefully curated collection of crystals and goods back to a permanent storefront.
The inventory at Stone Crazy comes from around the world, as well as from Dykes’ own hands. She and her staff have gone rockhounding in central Oregon, where they dug up moss agate, petrified wood, and obsidian — minerals that reflect the deep geological richness of the Pacific Northwest region. The shop also features a healing room open to the public, equipped with sound bowls and tuning forks.
Crystal Hunts Along Inland Northwest Trails
Since the pandemic, Dykes has made a habit of quietly leaving crystals along trails in the Inland Northwest, then posting the locations on Stone Crazy’s social media pages so community members can set out to find them. The hunts have drawn participants of all ages and backgrounds, transforming an ordinary walk in nature into a small adventure.
In 2026, Dykes has placed finds along trails in the Dishman Hills area, including pieces of vanadinite, dog-tooth calcite, and tangerine quartz. She also left amethyst-colored formations near Mirabeau Point Park. During a Bigfoot festival in Metaline Falls, she scattered 70 pieces of garden quartz along a local trail for attendees to discover.
The initiative reflects something Dykes says she noticed growing up in the 1970s and 1980s — a simpler relationship with the outdoors that many people seem to have lost. “You didn’t come home until the street lights came on,” she said, recalling childhood days spent outside without prompting. Today, she sees a different dynamic. “People don’t get enough green space anymore. You kind of have to guide them by the hand,” she said.
Neighbors Taking Notice
The treasure hunts have earned a following among residents in the Spokane Valley and surrounding communities. Kayla Schoonover, 35, a Spokane Valley resident, took part in one of the searches and discovered vanadinite formations on the Stevens Point trail. Shauna Toney of Millwood has participated in three separate hunts, illustrating the repeat appeal the activity holds for community members who enjoy both the outdoors and the thrill of finding something unexpected on the trail.
The hunts share a spirit similar to the community engagement efforts seen across North Idaho and Eastern Washington, where local organizations and small businesses have worked to strengthen neighborhood bonds and encourage residents to participate in shared experiences. Nonprofits and foundations across the region have similarly invested in community programming — the Innovia Foundation recently distributed more than $1.3 million to 125 organizations across North Idaho and Eastern Washington as part of broader community-building efforts.
What Comes Next
Dykes shows no signs of slowing down the crystal hunts. Residents interested in participating can follow Stone Crazy’s social media pages, where she announces each new treasure hunt location before placing the stones. The shop on Argonne Road in Millwood remains open to visitors looking to explore its collection in person or use the healing room, and staff rockhounding trips continue to bring fresh, locally sourced finds into the store’s inventory.
For families in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, and across Kootenai County looking for creative ways to get outside this summer, the hunts offer a low-cost, all-ages activity within easy driving distance. North Idaho’s trail networks and natural beauty make it a natural extension of the kind of community outdoor engagement Dykes has been championing since the pandemic reshaped how people think about public spaces.