LIFESTYLES
Hidden cash treasure hunts draw families outdoors
Unique community events bring residents together
Tonya Torrez was working on a Monday when her phone buzzed with a notification. It was a new post from 505 Treasure Hunts, alerting the page鈥檚 followers that the group had just hidden an envelope stuffed with money at a park near Mesa del Sol.
Torrez recognized the location.
鈥淚 know where it鈥檚 at. I'm going,鈥� Torrez recalled.
She clocked out for lunch and flew to the scene. Other hunters were already scanning the area, heads down, eyes moving.
About 15 minutes after Torrez arrived, she found it in the bushes 鈥� an envelope containing $30 in cash and a handful of stickers.
鈥淚t was definitely a moment of disbelief. I couldn鈥檛 believe I just found it,鈥� she said.
Groups such as and are gaining large audiences on social media by hiding cash-filled envelopes in parks and public spaces, turning a simple scavenger hunt into a weekly community ritual.
The hunts operate through Facebook groups.
New Mexico Treasure Hunts has over 100,000 followers and, with financial support from sponsors, runs hunts all over the state.
鈥淥ne of the goals is to make New Mexico the treasure capital of the world,鈥� said Bo Griswold, who organizes hunts in multiple states. He started in Colorado 15 years ago and began New Mexico Treasure Hunts in 2017. Griswold moved to Corrales in 2020.
Why do it?
Victor Vigil and his wife, Gladys, started 505 Treasure Hunts about six weeks ago. Their Facebook group already has more than 6,500 followers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 grown so fast. I had no idea it was going to grow like that at all,鈥� Victor said. 鈥淭hey thank me for doing something like this, for getting people out again into the community.鈥�
Torrez, who is a member of both groups, said the main reason she follows the pages is that they have given her a reason to go outside.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a lot of money, people are going out there for other things and not the actual treasure,鈥� Torrez said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going out there to be a family.鈥�
Before they started hiding treasure, the Vigils were hunters who had enjoyed geocaching for nearly two decades. In geocaching, people try to find different markers at various locations around the world.
鈥淚 liked it so much I thought I鈥檇 like to do my own treasure hunt,鈥� Victor said.
When deciding where to 鈥渂ury鈥� the treasure, the Vigils first choose a safe environment where there鈥檚 parking. After hiding the envelope, they record a video giving a 180-degree view of the area and then upload it to the Facebook group. When someone finds it, they post about it in the comments so others know the hunt is over.
The fastest someone has taken to find the money is nine minutes. The longest is two and a half hours, Victor said.
505 Treasure Hunts, which is currently only in the Albuquerque metro area, has three cash drops a week: Money Monday, Winner Wednesday and a Jackson Friday. The Vigils, who are local business owners, fill the envelopes with money out of their own pockets.
鈥淭he prize certainly adds excitement to this, but the biggest excitement is families coming together,鈥� Victor said.
They hope to expand their project to other parts of the state, such as Pecos, Las Vegas and Farmington.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely going to get bigger,鈥� Victor said. 鈥淚 just hope that it continues in the future without me.鈥�
Karmina Conde is a reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at kconderuiz@abqjournal.com.
