Hunting for Gold in Black Rock Springs

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We followed a poem to New Mexico. An art collector named Forrest Fenn buried a treasure in the mountains north of Santa Fe, and he wrote a poem that contains 9 clues for treasure hunters to follow.

Where the Treasure Lies

As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk,
Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll 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.

So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answers I already know,
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.

So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood,
I give you title to the gold.

Andrew; his friend, Drew; my friend, Andy; and I spent a few weeks coming up with crazy hypotheses on what the poem could mean. We decided to take a weekend camping trip to New Mexico to search for the treasure. We wanted to start near some hot springs, since the hunt is supposed to begin "where warm waters halt." I searched online and discovered two natural hot springs located on the shore of the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.

Andy and his friend, Adam, left a few hours ahead of us. They explored some areas near The Red River, which Andy said is sometimes called "The Brown Trout River" by locals. Since the poem mentions the "house of Brown," they thought The Red River could be a clue. Andrew, Drew, and I drove down from Colorado on New Mexico's state highway, 522. The area was filled with scrub brush. There were no trees, and the land was dry. Near Arroyo Hondo, north of Taos, we decided to pull off at the John Dunn Bridge. We needed to take the John Dunn Bridge to get to Black Rock Springs, which was one of the two hot springs we wanted to explore.

Off the state highway, all the roads we took were dirt. We used GPS to navigate our way to the John Dunn Bridge, which is a small suspension bridge over the Rio Grande River. At the base of the bridge, a few cars were parked off to the side. There were some locals fishing in the water with their dogs roaming free. We used the restroom and took in the scenery. After stretching a bit, we got back in the car to cross the bridge. On our right hand side (the north) was a put-in for boats. On the left, there were switchbacks leading up the canyon. We turned left. At the first switchback was a small area for cars to park, and I knew from my previous searches online that this was the "trail head" to go to Black Rock Springs. Let me tell you, this is not a real trail. It's a worn trail from people who hike out to the springs. We noticed locals took walking sticks.

Andrew, Drew, and I hiked on the footpath along the canyon, overlooking the Rio Grande below us. We passed a few shallow caves, climbed over some small boulders, and ended at the hot springs. Right on the edge of the river were two pools. A group of people were in the pool closest to the river, and a woman soaked in the hot springs pool closest to the canyon wall. There was nothing commercial about these hot springs at all. I wasn't wearing a suit, so I dipped my feet into the springs. There were algae on the rocks, and the air smelled faintly of incense. The views were incredible. We sat at the base of the canyon, and the river ran along the hot springs pools. We could look up at the rocky gorge from the warm pool. Spectacular. The lone woman talked to me a bit about the springs. She told me that when the water level of the Rio Grande is higher, the pool closest to river fills up with river water. I asked her about the other hot springs we intended to go to, Manby Hot Springs. She was confused for a moment until she realized I was talking about "Stagecoach." I guess that's what the locals call the other hot springs. She said the hike out to those was a little more difficult, and we should bring walking sticks if we have them.

Above the hot springs pool was a cave. We learned later that the cave was created from a rock slide. Two trees held up all the boulders that slid down from the rock slide, creating a cave that's about 30 yards deep. Andrew and Drew climbed into the cave. They said it had to be at least 90 degrees in there, and there were puddles of warm water from the springs.

Black Rock Springs was a really neat stop, but I quickly decided the location didn't match the clues in the poem. For one, the poem starts at warm water, which we decided was the hot springs. We couldn't go down the canyon from there because we were already at the base of the canyon. Next, if we were to go back to the put-in for boats, we'd be heading upstream. It didn't make sense to start down stream, hike up stream, and then raft back downstream. So, Black Rock Springs didn't hold the treasure chest of gold (at least, not that we found), but we certainly enjoyed the local gem.

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Photos

The John Dunn Bridge
Here's The John Dunn Bridge over The Rio Grande River near Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico. When you cross over the bridge to the west, there's a raft put-in to the right. To the left is parking for cars, and you can hike down to Black Rock Springs.

Exploring Around The John Dunn Bridge
We got out of the car to stretch and use the bathroom. Andrew and Drew took a stroll down to the shore of The Rio Grande to check it out.

Starting the Hike to Black Rock Springs
We set out on a rocky hike to Black Rock Springs.

Black Rock Springs
Wow! Isn't it beautiful? The pool in the foreground is Black Rock Springs, a natural hot springs. Just on the other side of those rocks is the Rio Grande River. We're down at the base of the gorge. What a view!

Getting My Feet Wet
Black Rock Springs in New Mexico

A Cave!
This cave entrance is just above Black Rock Springs in the Rio Grande Gorge.

Our View Hiking Back Upstream from Black Rock Springs
No treasure, but what a view!

Comments

[Mia]

Quite a view
Wow, what a climb and view! I always like a good adventure. I've been enjoying all the pictures! And the excitment you all are having. Hope you have foud any good gold!