John and Dave recently announced on social media that they’ll be running another Utah Treasure Hunt in 2025. To prepare, one of the best things you can do is study how previous poems were solved. Each year’s treasure has been hidden somewhere in Utah’s great outdoors, and the only way to find it has been by interpreting a short, poetic riddle released by the organizers.
This post breaks down common decoding strategies and how past hunters cracked the poems. Whether you’re a newcomer or a returning treasure seeker, these patterns might help you start thinking like John and Dave.
Each poem typically contains:
Descriptive clues (often hinting at terrain, elevation, or nearby landmarks)
Subtle directions or sequencing
Playful language, puns, or historical references
While the poem is always the central piece, hints released weekly help hunters focus their attention.
The 2024 Utah Treasure Hunt ended after eight weeks, with the treasure discovered by a father-and-son team along Grove Creek Trail in Pleasant Grove. This year was unique: the entire poem was written in Spanish, with clues drawn from history, geography, and pop culture.
The poem opened with a quote from Hernán Cortés and quickly pointed hunters toward Spanish Fork Canyon, invoking the Dominguez and Escalante expedition. From there, lines led participants north to Pleasant Grove using layered metaphors:
“Where do you learn to smell ice cream?” — a line pointing to the letter “G” on the mountain and referencing The Goonies
A Revolutionary War-themed clue linked to the year 1776 and the massive American flag flown in Grove Creek Canyon
A biblical clue referencing Numbers 35:5 calculated a specific travel distance of 2,000 cubits (about 3,000 feet)
To solve it, hunters had to trace east-west switchbacks, climb to the “best view up,” and search 30–50 feet off-trail in a shady spot near the Mahogany Trail.
Want the full step-by-step breakdown? See the full 2024 poem solve.
The 2023 Utah Treasure Hunt ended after 51 days, with the treasure discovered near Mueller Park Trail in Bountiful by Chelsea Gotta. The poem’s complexity made it one of the toughest to solve, with lines pointing hunters to multiple symbolic locations.
Key elements included:
A monument metaphor (“tree without bark”) pointing to Ensign Peak Trail
References to This Is the Place Monument, 60 feet tall and located an hour from parking
Coordinates derived from monument numbers (43 and 358), used to triangulate a map
Symbolic references from Back to the Future and Lord of the Rings
Final location marked by an upside-down “church” shape and a pine tree just off the trail
This hunt required layered interpretation and the ability to connect literary, visual, and numeric clues across Salt Lake and Davis Counties.
Want the full step-by-step breakdown? See the full 2023 poem solve.
Here are some reliable techniques past hunters have used — and how they played out in previous years:
Identify location-specific language — such as “donut,” “fork,” “falls,” or “shoulder.” In 2024, “sombra” (shadow) told hunters to turn from the Escalante cross and follow a trail northwest.
Map multiple poem references to triangulate a likely zone. In 2023, monument numbers from Ensign Peak (43) and This is the Place (358) were used as map coordinates to find a trail intersection.
Look for sequencing — many poems unfold like a journey. In 2022 and 2024, hunters followed sunrise directions and trail switchbacks to align movements with poem phrasing.
Watch for wordplay or double meanings — In 2024, the only lowercase starting letter in the poem appeared in line five — a clue pointing to Numbers 35:5, which specifies 2,000 cubits, or about 3,000 feet. The Spanish word “cuervo” (meaning both crow and priest) supported this idea of measuring the distance “as the crow flies.”
Compare with past locations — John and Dave avoid hiding treasures in the same region more than once.
To follow along with the 2025 clues and see what the community is saying:
Listen to Cache Me Outside for theory breakdowns
Did you know that John and Dave fund the $25,000 prize themselves each year? It’s truly their passion project.
While they’ve partnered with sponsors before, the $25,000 prize still comes straight from their pockets—putting both their passion (and wallets) to the test. Want to help them (and your business) out? Consider becoming a sponsor.
Sponsorships offer a unique way to join the fun—like the video hint reveals from Element United and First Class Fireplace, which reached 70,000+ highly engaged followers who rewatch every frame for hidden clues.
If your company wants to get involved, send John (@onthejohn) or Dave (@the.cline.fam) a direct message on Instagram.
While we’re not part of the Utah Treasure Hunt, Trails Utah shares the mission of making trails more accessible and getting people outside—and this treasure hunt does exactly that, so we want to see it continue.
What does Trails Utah do?
We advocate for, plan, fund, and build trails across Utah, connecting people to the state’s landscapes. See our projects, donate, or become a member to support our work.
