Utah Treasure Hunt returns with chance to win $25,000

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Treasure hunters and adventure-seekers, grab your hiking boots and get ready. The fifth annual Utah Treasure Hunt kicks off today, giving the winner a chance to take home $25,000.

Saturday, June 15, organizers David Cline and John Maxim released this year’s riddle — with a twist. It’s in Spanish, the first time it’s been in another language.

Utah Treasure Hunt breaks down each clue for 2023 poem

“A lot of the movies and stuff that we came up with like ‘The Goonies’, for example, the treasure map is all in Spanish — so it’s not that weird for us to be like, hey, this time the treasure is in Spanish,” Maxim said.

Cline said they often try to change aspects of the hunt each time to keep it fresh. Every year, he said, they’ve received messages requesting a poem in Spanish and are excited to have now put one together. He said one word can have multiple translations, adding another layer of the riddle to solve.

The Utah Treasure Hunt has become a beloved event for treasure hunters since the first one in 2020, with a prize of $5,000. Each summer since, Cline and Maxim release a riddle for hunters to solve — leading them to a treasure chest with a QR code inside to claim the winnings. Whoever solves all the clues and finds the chest this year will win $25,000.

Cline said he first approached Maxim with the idea at the height of COVID when everyone was locked inside to get them a chance to have an activity where they could safely go out and adventure. Smiling, Cline said the two are truly kids at heart.

“We’re just students of ‘The Goonies’ and ‘Indiana Jones’, and we just thought it was the coolest thing ever. Like, what if we created some kind of event where you know, any age from, you know, kids to grandparents could all get outside and go treasure hunting together?” he said. “We just love that idea. That first hunt, 2020 was only $5,000, but it sparked this whole passion for the outdoors and for just treasure hunting.”

Maxim said over the years they’ve heard stories of what the Utah Treasure Hunt means to the community — with some treasure hunters falling in love on the hunt, others saying it helped their mental health, and families saying they bonded together as they went exploring.

“We did it that first time to get people out. COVID was such a downer, but since then, the impact we’ve seen it have on people and the treasure hunters has been phenomenal. And so it’s almost something that we feel like we can’t stop doing because it’s just so great for them and for us in hiding it,” Maxim said.

Last year was unique because hunters were eagerly searching for around two months — that was the longest it took for anyone to find the treasure. Overall, Cline and Maxim said it was a positive experience, and they look forward to creating another memorable summer with this year’s hunt.

“I hope people find adventure and discover parts of Utah that they’ve missed out on and being in, you know, fall in love with nature and those kinds of things,” Maxim said.

Cline said it can be a challenge to find the line between making the riddle possible, but difficult enough that the hunt stays fun for participants.

“Each year is getting tougher and tougher because…you know, people are getting smarter and they’re getting used to kind of how we think…This year we have another kind of switch up, which we’ll see how people take it, but we’re excited about it,” he said.

Cline and Maxim said safety is paramount when they choose locations for the treasure, so to keep that in mind, and know you won’t need to rock climb or dig — but do remember to bring enough water and sunscreen.

In addition to the riddle, you can sign up to receive a clue each Friday until the treasure is found. To stay on top of the Utah Treasure Hunt, follow @the.cline.fam and @onthejohn on Instagram.

Utah Treasure Hunt 2024 Riddle

Si sufres dolor que se cura con oro
Busca el atajo donde canta el coro
Encuentra el lugar por el cual se nombra
Dale la vuelta y sigue la sombra
?dónde aprendes a oler el helado?
?O comimos langostas en el pasado?
Cuando vuelves a mirar el amanecer
Sigue derecho, lo puede hacer
Mira los números como si fueras un cuervo
La edad cuando el llegó es lo que observo
Ahora estás cerca, una última pista
Muévete al lugar con la mejor vista

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