For the last decade, treasure hunters have flocked to a remote section of the Rocky Mountains all in search of a fabled chest filled with gold. The search had gone on for so long that people began to think it was merely a myth. However, in early June, Forrest Fenn, the Art dealer and author who hid the treasure, announced it had finally been found.
“It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains, and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago,” Fenn said in a statement. “I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot. I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries. So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days.”
According to Fenn, the treasure was found by a man from “back East” who wanted to remain anonymous, USA Today reported. However, the man who found it did confirm its authenticity by sending Fenn a photograph.
Steve Whiston - Fallen Log Photography / Getty Images
The hunt all began in 2010, when Fenn hid the chest and wrote a 24-line poem he shared with the public. The poem contained clues as to the treasure’s location, which was said to be located somewhere north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The chest was reportedly filled with everything an old-school treasure hunter would love including coins, gold nuggets, gems like sapphires and diamonds, and pre-Columbian artifacts. According to The New York Times, the items in the chest are worth a reported $2 million.
As to why Fenn hid the treasure in the first place, he explained to The Times, he initially hid it after being diagnosed with cancer thinking he was not long for this world. However, he recovered, and saw the treasure as a reason for “families to get off their couches.”
That’s not to say this treasure hunt didn’t come with its fair share of controversy. In 2017, New Mexico’s state police pleaded with Fenn to unveil the treasure’s location after the body of Paris Wallace, a pastor from Grand Junction, Colo. was found after he went looking for the treasure. In 2019, police from Montana followed suit, asking Fenn to end the search after several deaths and injuries due to the search.
But now, it’s done. And Fenn isn’t quite sure how to feel. As he told the Santa Few New Mexican, “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over."
For the last decade, treasure hunters have flocked to a remote section of the Rocky Mountains all in search of a fabled chest filled with gold. The search had gone on for so long that people began to think it was merely a myth. However, in early June, Forrest Fenn, the Art dealer and author who hid the treasure, announced it had finally been found.
“It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains, and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago,” Fenn said in a statement. “I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot. I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries. So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days.”
According to Fenn, the treasure was found by a man from “back East” who wanted to remain anonymous, USA Today reported. However, the man who found it did confirm its authenticity by sending Fenn a photograph.
The hunt all began in 2010, when Fenn hid the chest and wrote a 24-line poem he shared with the public. The poem contained clues as to the treasure’s location, which was said to be located somewhere north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The chest was reportedly filled with everything an old-school treasure hunter would love including coins, gold nuggets, gems like sapphires and diamonds, and pre-Columbian artifacts. According to The New York Times, the items in the chest are worth a reported $2 million.
As to why Fenn hid the treasure in the first place, he explained to The Times, he initially hid it after being diagnosed with cancer thinking he was not long for this world. However, he recovered, and saw the treasure as a reason for “families to get off their couches.”
That’s not to say this treasure hunt didn’t come with its fair share of controversy. In 2017, New Mexico’s state police pleaded with Fenn to unveil the treasure’s location after the body of Paris Wallace, a pastor from Grand Junction, Colo. was found after he went looking for the treasure. In 2019, police from Montana followed suit, asking Fenn to end the search after several deaths and injuries due to the search.
But now, it’s done. And Fenn isn’t quite sure how to feel. As he told the Santa Few New Mexican, “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over."
