Hey! I'm Adam Howell, the creator of Countdown Treasure. Welcome to the hunt!

How We Got Here

Last year my family and I participated in Project Skydrop, and we had so much fun with it. It was such a smart and clever use of technology to create a unique, modern-day treasure hunt that created a true sense of urgency and excitement. I was hooked.

The only catch? It was all happening in the Northeast. In fact, we were packing up for a long weekend camping trip, planning to hike some of the trails we'd flagged near Boston, when the treasure was discovered.

Just over two weeks in, the $25,000 gold prize—along with a side pot of around $85,000—went to a meteorologist from the Boston area.

The experience was thrilling and unlike anything else online. Every morning you'd rush to check the shrinking map and the growing side pot, one of those rare times you could see a website truly go viral in today's corporate controlled internet.

The whole time I kept thinking: Someone needs to bring this to the Blue Ridge. And eventually, that someone turned out to be me—Countdown Treasure was born.

What Is Countdown Treasure?

Countdown Treasure is a real-world treasure hunt featuring $25,000+ in gold coins hidden somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But this isn't your grandfather's treasure hunt—we've combined traditional adventure with cutting-edge technology to create something truly unique:

• Real Treasure: $25,000 worth of real gold coins sitting on the forest floor, completely out in the open
• 24/7 Live Webcam: Watch the treasure in real-time with our webcam that updates every 10 minutes, so you can see it's still there
• Shrinking Search Area: Every morning at 9am ET, the search area gets smaller, creating urgency and excitement
• Growing Prize Pool: Every premium signup adds $10 to a winner-takes-all side pot that goes to whoever finds the treasure
• Premium Access: Premium hunters get daily drone photos above the treasure and access to a private community of fellow seekers

More Than Just Adventure

After witnessing the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Countdown Treasure became about more than just adventure. The Blue Ridge Mountains aren't just the setting for our hunt—they're home to communities that were hit hard and deserve support.

That's why we're committed to giving back:

• $2 of every premium membership goes toward our $20,000 goal for Hurricane Helene relief efforts
• We encourage every adventurer to support these resilient communities directly—by visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains, dining at local restaurants, shopping at small businesses, and staying with local hosts during the hunt

Together, we can make this adventure meaningful for everyone.

The Hunt Is On

Fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a beautiful time of year. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and the mountains are stunning. It's the perfect setting for an adventure!

The treasure is out there right now. The webcam is live. The map is shrinking. And the prize pool is growing.

Will you be the one to find it?

Join the Hunt Today

— Adam