San Francisco treasure hunt sparks complaints over dug-up parks

The clues were meant to send people on a playful citywide chase. Instead, the hunt has left disturbed soil in parks from North Beach to Russian Hill, and San Francisco Recreation and Parks is still assessing what repairs will be needed after visible digging at Ina Coolbrith Park, Francisco Park and Washington Square Park, where two large holes were found near the bathrooms.

Two weeks into the contest, the prize had still not been found. ABC7 said the chest, buried about a foot underground and weighing about 150 pounds, was hidden within a 7-mile radius of San Francisco City Hall. Patch reported the organizers described the reward as $10,001 in cash and said they launched the hunt on Wednesday, May 1, 2026, through the r/sanfrancisco subreddit. The clues were embedded in a poem, a format that has sent hunters probing public land as if the city were a giant sandbox.

That scramble has run into city rules. ABC7 reported that digging permits are required and can cost hundreds of dollars, a detail that has sharpened complaints as residents and officials reported damage to irrigation systems and concerns about park landscaping and flowers. Organizers urged participants to fill holes, clean up trash and avoid damaging park infrastructure, but the hunt has already become a nuisance for neighbors who say the search is testing the limits of how much public space can absorb a viral stunt.

The backlash is unfolding against a local tradition that long predates social media. NPR reported that San Francisco has a history of treasure hunts, including Emperor Norton hunts in the 1950s and 1960s. The same reporting said the 2026 organizers are two anonymous men in their 30s who live on the west side of the city and do not work in tech. Their last publicized stunt was faster: a similar treasure was found in 11 hours. A year later, the stakes are still modest in dollar terms but much bigger in civic impact, because the hunt now asks parks, residents and city crews to carry the cost of someone else’s game.