Planning your trip to the 2026 Moon Lake Gathering?
We've gathered answers to the questions we're asked most often. As the event gets closer, we'll continue updating this page with new information, schedules, lodging details, and announcements to help you plan your visit.
The Moon Lake Gathering is a FREE three-day event where history, mystery, adventure, and exploration come together.
Every August, treasure hunters, historians, authors, researchers, metal detectorists, outdoor enthusiasts, and curious minds gather in Duchesne, Utah, to learn from some of the most respected speakers in their fields and to share a passion for discovery.
Whether your interests include lost treasures, Spanish treasure signs, lost mines, hidden history, Bigfoot, UFO research, ancient mysteries, the Old West, or metal detecting, you'll find Main Stage presentations, hands-on Breakout Workshops, vendors, prize raffles, demonstrations, and opportunities to meet people from across the United States who share your interests.
No matter your experience level, everyone is welcome. Whether you're just getting started or have spent decades exploring the mountains, you'll discover something new and meet people who share your passion for adventure.
One event. Three days. Endless adventure.
But ask almost anyone who has attended, and they'll tell you the real treasure isn't just the stories or the artifacts—it's the friendships you make and the people you meet.
We invite you to join us for one of the most unique gatherings in the American West.
Admission is FREE. Everyone is welcome.
The 2026 Moon Lake Gathering will be held at the Duchesne County Centennial Event Center in beautiful Duchesne, Utah.
Address:
60 West 400 South
Duchesne, Utah 84021
The event is held entirely indoors, providing a comfortable environment regardless of the weather. The facility also offers plenty of parking, room for vendors, multiple breakout classrooms, and a spacious Main Stage presentation area.
The 2026 Moon Lake Gathering takes place over three exciting days packed with Main Stage presentations, breakout workshops, vendors, demonstrations, prize raffles, and opportunities to meet fellow treasure hunters, historians, UFO, and Bigfoot researchers from across the country.
For speaker information, and the latest event updates, workshop schedules, speaker information, and the latest event updates, please visit our Schedule page.
Admission to the 2026 Moon Lake Gathering is absolutely FREE.
There is no admission charge to attend the Main Stage presentations, Breakout Workshops, vendor exhibits, special demonstrations, Meet & Greet, or Open Mic.
The Moon Lake Gathering has always been about bringing people together—not making money.
Every speaker, organizer, and volunteer donates countless hours to make this event possible. We all pay our own travel expenses, hotel rooms, meals, and other personal costs, just like everyone else attending. Our reward isn't financial—it's meeting incredible people, hearing their stories, and giving something back to the treasure hunting and history community that has given so much to us.
One of the ways we help cover the cost of renting the facility and operating the event is through our daily prize raffles. Many of our sponsors, including Nokta Metal Detectors, have generously donated prizes for the drawings.
Raffle tickets are just $1 each and are good for both Friday and Saturday drawings.
If you'd like to support the event, purchasing raffle tickets is a great way to help us continue offering the Moon Lake Gathering FREE to everyone.
And if buying raffle tickets isn't in your budget, we don't want anyone to miss out. Stop by the Nokta Metal Detectorsbooth, try one of their detectors, and they'll give you a FREE raffle ticket so everyone has a chance to participate.
Everyone is welcome. Everyone belongs.
The Moon Lake Gathering is for anyone who enjoys history, treasure hunting, exploration, mystery, and the outdoors.
Whether you're interested in:
• Lost Treasures
• Spanish Treasure Signs & Symbols
• Metal Detecting
• Hidden History
• The Old West
• Bigfoot
• UFO Research
• Ancient Mysteries
...you'll find presentations, workshops, and people who share your interests.
Whether you're a complete beginner or have spent decades exploring the mountains, you'll feel right at home.
No registration is required to attend the event.
Simply arrive during event hours and enjoy the presentations, workshops, vendors, and activities.
Some workshops and demonstrations may have limited seating, so arriving early is always recommended.
If event details change or additional activities are added, they'll be posted on the Schedule page of this website.
Several food trucks and food vendors will be available throughout the event.
Lunch and dinner breaks are built into the schedule, giving everyone time to eat, visit vendor booths, and spend time with friends before the next presentations begin.
There are also several restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores located just minutes from the event center.
Yes! There are several camping options available for attendees.
The Duchesne County Centennial Events Center offers RV campsites with full hookups (water, sewer, and electricity). Reservations for these campsites must be made directly through the Event Center, and the current rate is approximately $25 per night (please verify when making your reservation).
For those who prefer to camp at no cost, FREE primitive camping is available on a first-come, first-served basis just south of the Event Center across the bridge.
This large gravel camping area is suitable for tents, campers, and trailers, but there are no hookups, restrooms, drinking water, or campfires permitted in this area.
However, the Event Center restroom and drinking water are just a short walk across the bridge near the RV camping area, and the nearby river provides a beautiful setting for your stay.
YES! FREE MOUNTAIN CAMPING IS AVAILABLE FOR MOON LAKE GATHERING ATTENDEES.
Camp host Danny Sorensen is opening approximately 20 acres of his private mountain property to Moon Lake Gathering attendees who would like a place to camp during the event.
Bring your tent, camper, or RV and enjoy a mountain setting only about 10 minutes from the Duchesne County Centennial Event Center.
🔥 And when the day's presentations are over, the stories don't have to end.
We plan to gather around the campfire in the evenings, visit with other attendees, swap treasure-hunting stories, talk about the day's presentations, and enjoy the kind of conversations that often happen only after the microphones are turned off.
FREE MOUNTAIN CAMPING
Camp Host: Danny Sorensen
📍 GPS Coordinates:
40.1809162, -110.5256504
Enter these coordinates directly into Google Maps or Apple Maps for directions.
IMPORTANT: Because this is mountain property, we strongly recommend saving or screenshotting the location and directions before leaving Duchesne in case cell service becomes limited.
Camping includes:
There are no hookups at this mountain camping location, so please come prepared for dry camping.
Some of the best stories at the Moon Lake Gathering may never be told from the Main Stage.
They may be told around a campfire after dark.More Than Just a Place to Camp
Many attendees tell us that some of the best conversations of the entire weekend happen after the presentations are over.
Whether you're visiting with new friends at the Event Center, relaxing beside the river, or—if finalized—gathering around the evening campfire at the mountain campsite, don't be surprised if some of the most memorable stories of the Moon Lake Gathering are shared long after the Main Stage lights go out.
The real treasure isn't just the presentations... it's the friendships you build and the people you meet along the way.
For campground reservations, directions, and the latest lodging and camping information, please visit the Lodging & Camping page on this website.
Yes! There are several lodging options available for attendees of the 2026 Moon Lake Gathering.
Several hotels and motels are located just a few minutes from the Duchesne County Centennial Events Center. Because the Moon Lake Gathering attracts visitors from across the United States, rooms can fill up quickly, so we recommend making your reservations as early as possible.
We've partnered with the Best Western Duchesne Inn to offer Moon Lake Gathering attendees a 20% discount on their room.
To receive the discount, call Keaton Ross, Director of Sales, directly at (435) 214-0442 and mention that you're attending the Moon Lake Gathering.
If local hotels become fully booked, there are also several Airbnb and vacation rental options available throughout the Duchesne area.
If you can't find lodging in Duchesne, the city of Roosevelt, Utah, located approximately 30 miles away, offers numerous hotels, motels, restaurants, grocery stores, and other services. It's an easy drive to the event each day and provides another excellent lodging option.
If you enjoy camping, we also offer several camping options, including:
See our Camping section for complete details.
No matter how you choose to stay, we recommend making your reservations early. Every year, more people discover the Moon Lake Gathering, and nearby lodging fills up quickly.
Yes! But nothing illegal please
One of the most popular parts of the Moon Lake Gathering is the opportunity to share your own discoveries.
Bring your artifacts, relics, old photographs, maps, bottles, coins, or other interesting historical items and share their stories with fellow attendees.
Thursday night's Meet & Greet and Open Mic are especially designed for Show & Tell, questions, and great conversations.
Breakout Workshops are smaller classroom-style presentations that allow attendees to explore specific subjects in greater depth.
These sessions provide more opportunities to ask questions, interact with presenters, and learn directly from experienced researchers.
Topics include:
• Spanish Treasure Signs & Symbols
• Lost Mines
• Bigfoot
• UFO Research
• Outlaw History
• Dowsing
• Ancient Mysteries
Visit the Breakout Workshops page for speaker biographies, workshop descriptions, and schedules.
Absolutely!
One of the things that makes the Moon Lake Gathering so unique is that our speakers don't disappear after their presentations. Throughout the weekend, you'll have opportunities to meet them, ask questions, visit one-on-one, look at artifacts, hear stories, and continue conversations long after they've stepped off the stage.
But here's something many first-time attendees don't realize...
Some of the greatest knowledge at the Moon Lake Gathering isn't always on the Main Stage.
Every year, researchers, historians, treasure hunters, metal detectorists, authors, and explorers from across the country come to Duchesne to share what they've learned. Many of them aren't scheduled speakers, yet they have spent decades researching lost mines, Spanish treasure, hidden history, the Old West, Bigfoot, UFOs, ancient mysteries, and countless other subjects.
There is more combined knowledge at the Moon Lake Gathering than most people can imagine.
Take time to introduce yourself. Ask questions. Listen to people's stories. Look at the artifacts they bring. Visit around the vendor booths. Sit with someone during lunch. Join the conversations after the presentations.
The featured speakers help bring everyone together... but the real treasure is the people you meet, the friendships you build, the stories you hear, and the knowledge that gets shared throughout the weekend.
Many attendees come for the presentations.
They return year after year because of the people.
If you have questions that aren't answered on this website, we'd be happy to help.
Visit the Contact page to send us a message, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
You can also follow Terry L. Carter on Facebook and YouTube for event announcements, speaker updates, and the latest Moon Lake Gathering news. Or check out moonlakegathering.com
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