A small crystal shop in Millwood is doing something unusual to bring customers — and strangers — off their couches and onto the region’s hiking trails. Jenny Dykes, 55, owner of Stone Crazy on Argonne Road, has been quietly placing gems and mineral specimens along Inland Northwest paths since the pandemic, then announcing the locations on social media and watching the community respond.
Dykes launched Stone Crazy in 1999 in downtown Spokane, operating next to the well-known Auntie’s bookstore until 2005. After a years-long gap, she reopened the brick-and-mortar shop in Millwood roughly two years ago, bringing with it a renewed sense of purpose: get people outside.
Trails Become Treasure Maps
The crystal searches have taken on a life of their own in 2026. This year’s hunts have ranged from the Dishman Hills area to Mirabeau Point Park, where amethyst-colored formations were tucked along the trail for searchers to discover. The most ambitious placement yet came during a Bigfoot festival in Metaline Falls — a small community in Pend Oreilles County not far from the Bonner County line — where Dykes left 70 garden quartz specimens along a local trail for attendees to find.
Other crystals placed this year include red vanadinite, large dog-tooth calcite formations, and tangerine quartz. Dykes announces the hunts through Stone Crazy’s social media pages, and participants range from longtime customers to families discovering the shop for the first time.
For Dykes, the motivation is deeply personal. Her grandfather was a geologist and rock hound, and the love of minerals runs through her family history. But the treasure hunts are also a response to something she sees as a broader cultural shift away from outdoor life.
“People don’t get enough green space anymore,” she said. “You kind of have to guide them by the hand.”
She recalled a childhood where kids stayed out until dark without a second thought. “You didn’t come home until the street lights came on,” she said — a rhythm she believes many families have lost.
A Shop Built Around Discovery
Stone Crazy is more than a retail crystal store. The Millwood location includes a healing room stocked with sound bowls and tuning forks that is open to the public at no charge. Former salon sinks in the back of the shop have been converted into an apothecary area carrying lotions and hand soaps. Dykes sources inventory from suppliers around the world and leads rockhounding excursions with her own staff — a recent trip to central Oregon turned up moss agate, petrified wood, and obsidian that made its way onto the shop’s shelves.
The community response to the treasure hunts has been enthusiastic. Kayla Schoonover, 35, a Spokane Valley resident, brought her daughter to a search along Stevens Point trail and described the experience as an unexpected way to spend time outdoors as a family. Shauna Toney of Millwood has now participated in three separate searches, reflecting the repeat draw the events have developed among local residents.
The hunts have also created a low-stakes entry point for people who might not otherwise venture onto area trails. By pairing the natural environment with the excitement of finding something valuable, Dykes has turned a walk in the woods into a community event — one that requires no admission, no registration, and no prior experience with geology or hiking.
North Idaho and the broader Inland Northwest have no shortage of outdoor recreation opportunities, from the trails around Clark Fork’s rich local history to the forests surrounding Lake Pend Oreille. But Dykes’ approach — bringing the treasure to the trail rather than waiting for people to seek it out — reflects a pragmatic understanding of modern habits.
What Comes Next
Dykes has not announced a formal schedule for upcoming hunts, but those interested can follow Stone Crazy’s social media pages for future search announcements. With the summer season underway and regional trails accessible, additional hunts in the Dishman Hills area and beyond are likely before fall. The shop remains open on Argonne Road in Millwood, with the public healing room available on a drop-in basis.