The 7th Annual Utah Treasure Hunt has arrived!
Want a leg up on the other treasure hunters? Start by looking at how past poems were solved.
Every hunt begins with a short poem from John and Dave (shown above). From there, hunters have to untangle the clues—sometimes through wordplay, sometimes through history, sometimes through landmarks, trail details, or things that only make sense once you’re in the right place.
This post breaks down common solving strategies and past poem patterns so you can start thinking a little more like John and Dave before heading out.
The 2025 Utah Treasure Hunt was solved on Temple Quarry Trail in Sandy. The solve connected music history, local quarry history, trail markers, and physical landmarks into one layered route.
Key elements included:
This hunt showed how John and Dave can layer cultural references, local history, and boots-on-the-ground trail details into one solve.
Want the full step-by-step breakdown? See the full 2025 poem solve.
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.
Looking across past solves, a few patterns show up again and again:
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.”
Take literal trail details seriously — In 2025, “follow the arrow” pointed to a real trail marker, while “peek-a-boo with the pharaoh” referred to a rock formation visible from the right angle.
Compare with past locations — John and Dave avoid hiding treasures in the same region more than once.
To follow along with the 2026 clues and see what the community is saying:
What is Trails Utah’s role in the treasure hunt?
Trails Utah is not affiliated with the Utah Treasure Hunt, but we love that it brings families, friends, and curious minds outside to explore trails in Utah.
We’re following along as an unofficial resource by sharing public updates and directing hunters to official sources. We also want to help people enjoy the hunt responsibly by encouraging respectful recreation and helping educate visitors on how to care for the mountains, trails, and open spaces they explore along the way.
Before you head out, review our Trail Etiquette Guide.
What does Trails Utah do?
Trails Utah works to protect, connect, and improve trail access across Utah by helping move trail projects from idea to reality.
Support the Utah Treasure Hunt
Did you know that before this year’s treasure hunt, John and Dave funded the $25,000 prize themselves each year? It’s pretty cool to see their passion project turn into a hunt attempted by more than 100,000 people each year.
Even cooler, folks around the city have taken notice. This year, Little America in SLC, GetOutPass, and The Coffee Shop are official sponsors of the event.
If you’d like to support John and Dave further, you can support them on Patreon.
They’ve sure come a long way since offering unique ways for sponsors to join in the fun—like the video clue 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.
