Money Rocks: Treasure and Outlaws of the Welsh Mountains

Perched in the rugged heart of Lancaster County’s Welsh Mountains lies Money Rocks County Park, a 300-acre woodland preserve. Its crown jewel is a jagged spine of boulders known simply as Money Rocks. Here, the rocks are the spectacle, with towering slabs stacked at wild angles, weathered faces split with cracks, and lichen-patched surfaces glowing in shades of green and gray. As you follow the ridge, each new vantage reveals another striking arrangement of stone, like nature’s own fortress wall.

But the name “Money Rocks” didn’t come from the scenery. According to local legend, farmers in the valley below, fearful of thieves or invading soldiers, hid their savings among the boulders. One version places the story during the Civil War, when Confederate raiders threatened to sweep through Lancaster County. Supposedly, these farmers secreted away coins and cash to keep them out of enemy hands. Yet, when the danger passed, some never managed to recover their stashes.

Thus, the rocks became a symbol of treasure lost to time. A natural vault that may still hold pockets of forgotten wealth. No one has ever proved the story true, but the tale is enough to spark a treasure-hunter’s imagination. Every hiker who wanders the ridge, stepping between moss-stained stones and peering into narrow crevices, wonders: Is the money still here?

To understand Money Rocks, you need to look beyond the ridge itself. It is part of the larger Welsh Mountains, a rugged band of forest stretching across eastern Lancaster County. Today, the range holds the second-largest continuous woodland in the county, exceeded only by Furnace Hills. Black birch, mountain laurel, and dense understory growth fill the hollows, while lichens and ferns paint the rock faces in green and gray.

For centuries, the Welsh Mountains carried a reputation as a place apart. Native peoples once traversed its ridges, and in later years, the forest became a refuge for those on society’s margins, such as escaped enslaved people, mixed-race families, impoverished farmers, and those who wanted nothing to do with the law. Authorities viewed the region with suspicion, and outsiders told tales of its lawlessness.

That reputation proved well-earned in the late 19th century, when a family of brothers from the mountains turned banditry into a way of life. Their name was Buzzard, and they made the Welsh Mountains famous.

The Buzzards’ story begins with hardship. John Buzzard, a Civil War soldier, was killed in 1862, leaving his widow, Mary Anne, to raise eight children alone. Poverty pushed the family toward petty theft. Mary herself was arrested for stealing food such as apple butter, sausage, butter, and lard, most likely just to keep her children alive.

Her sons soon graduated from chickens and storehouses to bigger prizes. By the 1870s, Abraham “Abe” Buzzard and his brother Isaac “Ike” were leading a gang of about twenty men. Their targets included railroad stations, general stores, and even ironworks. They stole jewelry, cash, liquor, cigars, and weapons, taking whatever they could sell or trade.

One heist in 1875 netted them $1,000 from an ironworks in northern Lebanon County. In Bird-in-Hand, they broke into the railroad station and escaped with cash and whiskey. Their most notorious spree came in 1880 when, after cracking a safe in Oxford only to find fifty cents, they cleaned out a jewelry store instead, making off with watches, both gold and silver.

The Buzzards were bold, but they were also cunning. After a store robbery in Bart Township, they were spotted by a passerby. A posse formed, giving chase across the countryside. Abe and Ike stole horses and led the pursuers on a wild ride through the night. They reached the Welsh Mountains by dawn, where the terrain itself swallowed them up.

Their escape was no accident. The Buzzards had a fortress in these mountains, a natural labyrinth of stone they called the Blue Rocks. As the Buzzard flies, less than four miles from the Money Rocks parking lot. The hideout consisted of massive boulders tumbled together in jumbled stacks, creating caves and passageways that were nearly impossible for outsiders to navigate.

According to Abe, from their perch at Blue Rocks, they could see the glow of Lancaster City’s electric lights, watching posses assemble before the hunt even began. Local lore claims the gang excavated a secret cave beneath the boulders, its entrance concealed by a movable rock. There they stashed stolen goods, hid from the law, and plotted their next raids.

More than once, lawmen cornered the Buzzards, only to find them vanish into the rocks. In one dramatic chase, a posse followed them into the Blue Rocks after a Georgetown robbery. Gunfire rang out in the night, but by sunrise, the Buzzards were gone, swallowed by the stone fortress.

The Welsh Mountains’ broader community, made up of poor farmers and families with little trust in the law, often looked the other way. Some may have even offered shelter or aid, making the gang nearly untouchable in their home territory.

Here, the threads tie neatly together. Money Rocks was named for farmers’ hidden treasure, coins tucked into cracks and never reclaimed. Just down the ridge, the Buzzards turned Blue Rocks into their bandit stronghold, rumored to contain hidden caches of stolen loot.

Whether it was farmers guarding their wealth or outlaws stashing their spoils, the theme remains the same: in the Welsh Mountains, money disappeared into the rocks. No gold or watches have ever been recovered, but the whispers persist. Some even say that in the 1930s, the Buzzards’ cave was dynamited, forever burying their secrets.

Walk the ridge today, and you can imagine it all: the frightened farmer hiding his coins, the outlaw slipping into a hidden passage, the posse shouting in frustration as dawn breaks over the valley. The forest keeps its silence, and the rocks keep their mysteries.

Planning Your Visit

Today, the Welsh Mountains invite explorers of a different sort. Money Rocks County Park, located at 936 Narvon Rd, Narvon, PA 17555, preserves over 300 acres of forest, trails, and overlooks. From the main parking lot on Narvon Road, a network of paths leads to the rocky ridge. The views are spectacular in every season but especially in autumn, when the forest glows with fall color.

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Be sure to continue past Money Rocks to the Cockscomb outcrop, another dramatic formation with vistas rivaling the first. Along the way, watch for mountain laurel blooms in spring and the flash of ruffed grouse in the understory.

There may be no treasure waiting under the stones, but the true wealth of Money Rocks is in the experience: a hike through history, legend, and the wild spirit of the Welsh Mountains. Still, as you wander the ridge, don’t be surprised if you find yourself peering into the cracks between boulders, wondering if a farmer’s fortune or a Buzzard’s stolen stash still lies hidden in the shadows.

Click here for a PDF copy of the map above, or visit Lancaster County Day Hikes for detailed trail information.

Learn More

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Packed with history, local stories, and GPS locations, this book is your ticket to exploring the mysterious corners of Lancaster like never before. Whether you’re a lifelong local, a history buff, or just looking for a unique adventure, this field guide will spark your curiosity and send you exploring. Start your adventure here.

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