$10k San Francisco treasure hunt: What to know about the hunt and controversy
A $10,000 treasure hunt has captured San Francisco's attention, with hunters scouring the city for nearly three weeks in search of the prize -- and causing some disruptions along the way.
Details of the treasure hunt were first shared on a website titled "Buried Treasure, San Francisco" and cross-posted to the r/sanfrancisco subreddit on April 29.
"One year ago we announced here that we buried a $10,000 treasure chest. Many hunters went searching and it was found in just 11 hours," the Reddit post states. "We did it again."
The post states that the new treasure chest is "located within 7 miles of San Francisco city hall, weighs more than 150 pounds, and is buried one foot deep."
"Hopefully this one takes a little longer than 11 hours," the post adds.
The post and website both include a list of clues, shared in poem form, that can be used by hunters to track down the prize.
On the organizers' website, they explain why they started the treasure hunt, writing, "We love the lore of treasure. Pirate booty, sunken galleons, the mysteries and stories and movies… all of it. And we always hoped treasure hunting would feature more heavily in life, alongside quicksand and tattered rope bridges."
The website notes that this year's prize increases last year's total by $1. "In truth, it's technically $10,001. We really wanted to up the stakes, but could barely afford to," the organizers write.
On the hunt's "frequently asked questions" page, the organizers state that "no technical equipment is required to locate the treasure, but you'll probably want a shovel," before cautioning, "If you go out hunting with friends ... please treat this land with as much reverence as we do. Fill in any holes and pick up all trash you come across. Tread lightly."
That guidance was reiterated in an update to the organizers' original Reddit post, as well as on the hunt's website, after organizers said they were contacted by gardeners at Francisco Park, located in the city's Russian Hill neighborhood, as well as park rangers at Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, following treasure hunter digging at both locations.
"We received several pleading emails from Parks and Rec gardeners and Angel Island rangers doing their best to keep green spaces beautiful, who are contend[ing] with far too much destruction and senseless exploratory hole digging," organizers wrote. "This was addressed earlier, but apparently hunters didn't take the hint and Angel Island has been particularly struggling so we're finally helping them out. Maybe the next treasure--if there is a treasure--it won't be buried."
"The treasure is NOT on Angel Island or in Francisco Park," they added, advising treasure hunters to "fill in your holes. Leave the landscape better than you found it. Clean up trash. Celebrate the city/land, don't desecrate it. We've said this plenty."
ABC News has reached out to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department for comment.
In an email to ABC News on Monday, the hunt organizers said the public response to the event so far has been "overwhelming[ly] positive and full of passionate engagement."
"That so many have gotten out exploring their city, meeting one another, and bonding over adventure is inspiring -- even to us who created this," they wrote.
They also offered thoughts on when they think the prize might be found.
"We're not surprised it hasn't been found, but it also seems like it will surely be found imminently," the organizers wrote. "Publicly and privately many hunters have shared their theories and some are astoundingly astute. Seems like it's only a matter of time."
The organizers said the event's website will be updated as soon as they are notified of a winner, but as of May 17, no winner has been found.
