The legend of the Fenn's Treasure is one of the most intriguing modern mysteries. In 1998, New Mexico author and art dealer Forrest Fenn claims to have filled a bronze chest with a cache of gold, rare coins, and gems and buried the treasure somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

After hiding the chest, Fenn published the book "Thrill of the Chase"offering a poem with nine clues for treasure seekers. Nearly 20 years later, some prospectors believe the chest is hidden somewhere in Wyoming.

"Begin it where warm waters halt and take it in the canyon down, not far, but too far to walk, put it below the home of Brown," Fenn wrote. "From there, it's no place for the meek, the end is drawing up nigh. There will be no paddle up your creek, just heavy loads and water high. If you've been wise and found the blaze, look quickly down your quest to cease. But tarry scant with marvel gaze, just take the chest and go in peace."

As a boy, Fenn spent his summers near Yellowstone National Park. In the '60s, he helped his brother build the Dude and Roundup Motel near the west entrance of the park. Today, visitors come from around the world, staying in Fenn's favorite room #4, and scouring the surrounding area for the long-lost treasure. Most of the searches are conducted in and around the Firehole River, which Fenn often wrote about.

In 2017, filmmakers Estelle Caswell and Zachary Crocket documented their search for Fenn's Treasure, driving around Wyoming reconstructing clues the author left behind.

"The line (in the poem) that seems to get the most attention is 'put in below the home of Brown'," Crocket theorized.

Caswell and Crocket believe the chest may be buried on a ranch near the Lamar Ranger Station where Yellowstone park ranger Gary Brown once lived. Their search began at Icebox Canyon, then they traveled south on Soda Butte Creek down to the Lamar Ranger Station. Although their quest for gold came up empty, they believe the treasure is nearby.

"From there, all we know is it's somewhere below the home of Brown. It could be on any one of these trails or ridges or rivers or creeks," Crocket concluded.

To date, nobody has discovered the cache. Meanwhile, several treasure hunters have gone missing while searching for the chest in the remote wilderness areas of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

 

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