Yesterday, a Reddit post announced that a treasure chest valued at $10,000 had been hidden somewhere in San Francisco. The chest was allegedly filled with currency, SF artifacts, and good old-fashioned gold. All you have to do to secure the 10 grand? Follow the clues and embark on a treasure hunt complete with clever clues that lead to the chest.
While many San Franciscans were understandably skeptical of the treasure hunt, many people speculated it was an elaborate marketing stunt. The mysterious organizers assured people on Reddit that it was not a marketing ploy, and instead, it was purely for the love of childhood dreams of finding hidden treasure.
Eager treasure hunters embarked on their mission, and within 11 hours, the chest had been found. After the treasure had been found, organizers then published the answers to the clues via their website. The people behind the treasure hunt wish to remain anonymous, with the Reddit account @buriedtreasure2025 only posting the treasure hunt and replying to related comments.
There were only four clues to find the hidden treasure, in the following order:
- Eighteen bold letters. Preserved in a clearing, sight a dark room’s view of brave surfers reeling.
- From dry ruin’s gate to solar’s tall mast, chart a historic cross– the art of one’s path.
- Go trace the true route, venture only at night: to be certain of bearing, you’ll need to pack a light.
- In the steadfast basin, where feet part and agree, dig a shovel’s depth down — you’ll find the treasure you seek.
The chest was buried about 8 inches deep just off the Historic Train in Mount Sutro. The clues all dealt with iconic SF landmarks, including Camera Obscura and Treasure Island. Comments to the post were mixed, with many people still skeptical that it could be a marketing ploy, while others loved it with one user commenting ” Thanks for keeping SF weird in the best way! What an awesome experience to create for people. I’m excited to go hunt.”
As for future treasure hunts, the mysterious organizers posted, ” This was a lot of fun and we’d love to do it again. If any deep-pocketed collaborators are interested, please do reach out.”