It has been over 10 years since Forrest Fenn has hidden his treasure chest, somewhere in the mountains north of Santa Fe, and no one has found it yet. However, that doesn’t mean searchers haven’t come close! Throughout the years, Forrest has let the Chase community know searchers have come within a short distance of it!
Some within 200 feet of the treasure! That’s like saying you were:
The length of 13 cars to the treasure chest…. or
Around 80 steps. Can you imagine if you only needed to walk 80 more steps in the correct direction to have been at the treasure chest location!
You can also envision 200 feet as just over 3 bowling lanes away. The average bowling lane is around 62 feet. Times that by 3 for 186 feet. Close.
While Forrest says that is not ‘close enough’, and obviously it isn’t, since the treasure chest remains to be found….. when considering the entire search area is of the Rocky Mountains, I’d still say that is pretty darn close.
Here are the quotes: (Visit the MW Forum to join in the discussions on all things Chase and more)
Dal’s Site in comments: September 2012
Several months ago some folks correctly mentioned the first two clues to me in an email and then they went right past the other seven, not knowing that they had been so close. Alas, and dame fortune, so often a fickle and seductive wench, never spun her wheel to lure them back.
Dal’s Site in comments: October 2012 (First Mention of ‘several hundred feet/500 feet’)
Some few have stopped within several hundred feet of the correct location, and then passed it by.
Metro Uk Article March 2013
There have been some who have been within 500 feet because they have told me where they have been. Others have figured the first two clues and went right past the treasure and didn’t know it.
New Zealand Interview April 2013
There have been . . . two different parties have figured out the first two clues, but they went right past the treasure chest and didn’t find it. But there were 7 more clues and they didn’t figure them out, but they got pretty close.
Collected Works Book Store Audio April 2013
Douglas Preston asks: Has anyone ever gotten close to the treasure chest?
Forrest answers: I don’t know what you mean by close, but I know people have been within 500 feet. There are two different parties that have figured out the first two clues and went right by the treasure chest because they didn’t have the others.
Dal’s site August 2013 First mention of couple hundred feet/200 feet. Note on this: The video wasn’t posted until later- However Dal shares when Forrest actually stated this. And it was in 08/2013.
There have been a few people within 500 hundred feet. I think there have been people within a couple hundred feet. They figure the first two clues, but they don’t get the third and the fourth and they go right past the treasure chest.
EIS Radio August 2013
There have been some people very close to the treasure chest. There have been people that figured out the first couple of clues and walked right past the treasure chest. I think it’s there. I haven’t checked on it, but I’m 99.9% sure it’s there.
Moby Dickens Interview Nov. 2013
There are several people that have deciphered the first two clues. I don’t think they knew it, because they walked right on past the treasure chest. Uh, and I’m not gonna tell those people who they are because one of them in particular I know would faint, and she would tear up the country side trying to find out where they’d been.
MW Featured Question June 2014
Who has been the closest to the chest; man or woman? (that you know of)
As far as I know the closest person to the treasure was a man, but there may have been a woman with him. The most common mistake that I see searchers make is that they underestimate the importance of the first clue. If you don’t have that one nailed down you might as well stay home and play Canasta.f
Dal’s Site Scrapbook 78 June 2014
I have not said that a searcher was closer than 12’ from the treasure. It is not likely that anyone would get that close and not find it.
MW Featured Question posted July 2014
Mr. Fenn: In the past when you have said that several people had figured out the first two clues and then went right past the other clues, would you say that they got lucky and just happened to go to the correct starting area, not fully understanding the poem, or would you say that they did indeed solve the first two clues by understanding the poem and clues? C
Searchers have routinely revealed where they think the treasure was hidden and walked me through the process that took them on that course. That’s how I know a few have identified the first two clues. Although others were at the starting point I think their arrival was an aberration and they were oblivious to its connection with the poem. Playing a hunch is not worth much in the search and those who start out by looking for the blaze, are wasting their time.f
MW Featured Question posted July 2014:
Hi Forrest, you said it was a man who came physically closest to the treasure, but who has come mentally closest, like, who seems most likely to interpret the clues correctly – man or woman? ~Lily McG
She’s playing the gender card folks but I’m wise to it. Perhaps all searchers think they have been mentally close to the treasure but that doesn’t matter much when you get to the bank. A man has been within striking distance but so have some women. That’s probably not a good subject to discuss considering the volcanic effect it could have in certain blog arenas. I wish someone would ask me a question that I would feel comfortable answering, like what color is a daffodil.f
Bozeman Daily Chronicle August 2014
Based on some emails, Fenn said he believes they have come within 200 feet of the treasure.
MW Featured Question Dec. 2014
Dear Forrest, Now that the 2014 search season has ended, can you summarize the results? Ie: is anyone close to the treasure chest? Has anyone given you a solve? Thanks, puttputt.
I know of a few searchers who have been reasonably close to the treasure puttputt, but there is no indication that they knew it. No one has given me the correct solve past the first two clues.f
Outside Magazine Sept. 2015
There have been some that have come within 200 feet. I don’t know of anyone that’s inside of 200 feet, but you know they tell me where they are. Some of them exactly where they are, and so that’s how I know that. But, so many of them tell me that they’re in a spot that’s in close proximity to the treasure, but they don’t know that they’re that close to it. I know that the treasure is still out there .
Dal’s Site Forrest Gets Mail Nov 2015 (First mention of possibly 4 clues solved)
Are there signs that people are getting closer to solving your puzzle? How many clues have people solved now?
Searchers have come within about 200 feet. Some may have solved the first four clues, but I am not certain.
Richard Eeds show May 2016
People have been within 200 feet that I know for sure because they tell me where they are. They have figured the first couple of clues and unfortunately walked right past the chest.
MW Featured Question July 2016
Dear Forrest, the blogs a buzz with chatter, which is not new. I’ve been observing a lot of thoughts by “veteran” searchers who have been living and breathing your “Chase”, through at least a couple of years; comments indicating you may be frustrated, or annoyed, or that somebody is so close but just can’t pull off a win. Here I ask the following in hopes our conversations can get back to the poem. Also, to follow, an unrelated question.
Q1) Is/are the searcher(s) still involved, those you had indicated in August of 2014, who were within 200 feet of the treasure?
A) I don’t want to answer that question because it would reveal too much. f
Q2) If so, are he/she any nearer at all after two years time?
A) Don’t know. Sorry. f
OOPS, one more on this
Q3) And IF he/she are still searching, after two years’ time, has ANYONE else neared or passed he/she in proximity to the above mentioned “within two hundred feet”? I’m hoping for a mind tingling, fire starting, blog buzzing answer from you, but just a response is fine by me!
A) No need for oops, but again, I don’t know. f
Sept. 2016
“I had positive indication that people have been within 200 feet. I don’t know that anyone has been closer than 200 feet of the treasure.”
Interviewer: “And that knowledge comes from what? Emails written to you?”
“And photographs. Normally people tell me generally where they are but not specifically. But these people told me exactly where they were, I recognized the spot, but I didn’t tell them they were close.”
Lure Interview May 2017
Q) How do you know searchers have been within 200 feet of the treasure?
Well, because people have told me exactly where they were and that’s the only reason I know. And that 200 feet I think is pretty accurate. But there weren’t many people within 200, lots of people within 500 feet and the treasure, but the people who were within 200 feet didn’t know that they were that close to the treasure and they walked right on by.
ABC News Jan. 2018
Reporter: Fenn says some searchers have gotten tantalizing close.
Forrest: 200 feet, I know exactly where they were, because they told me…………….Not close enough.
On the Road with Charlie: May 2018
I know people have been within 200 feet, because they tell me exactly where they are. I don’t know if anyone has been closer than 200 feet and I don’t think they have. They didn’t know that they were within 200 feet of it either. Well it’s hidden in a pretty good place. Nobody’s gonna happen on that treasure chest.
Santa Fe Reporter Article June 2018
Do you know if anybody has ever gotten close to finding it?
I know that there have been people within 200 feet. They told me exactly where they were. But they did not know that they were that close. In a million years, I wouldn’t tell them.
So you won’t even play a little bit of hot/cold?
I would never say that. I am asked that all the time. ‘Am I getting close?’ I usually say ‘No comment,’ or usually I just don’t respond to the e-mail.
Cynthia Meachum’s Site Dec. 2018
The person who walked within about 200′ of the treasure did not know how close they were to it. There is no possible way anyone but me could know who that person is, or where they were searching. f.