Treasure Trails

A Treasure Trail begins when you find a Clue Scroll, a random drop from many different monsters in RuneScape. Treasure Trails are mostly random hints, puzzles, challenges, and coordinates throughout RuneScape. Each time you complete solve one of the Clue Scrolls, you get a new one until you find the treasure. Trails vary in length and difficulty. Usually, the harder the Trail the better the reward is likely to be.

As you can see, there are many fun and unique items to be gotten from Treasure trails. Its a bad idea to get your hope up, however, because even if you get a trail you may well not get one of the unique items from it. Once you have your first clue, it is time to begin solving!

Directions: These clues tend to be very straightforward and are often found in the easiest trails. They'll tell you things like "Search the boxes in the Guard's room near Ardougne's north gate". Knowing where places are is the only real challenge. In level 2 they can be slightly more cryptic, but are not overly challenging. Read the clues carefully however to avoid searching the wrong places.
Anagrams: Anagrams are pretty common in level 2 trails and can be difficult to solve. Basically, they're the letters from the name of an NPC but scrambled to form new words. If you know a lot of the NPC names, it is fairly easy to unscramble with a little work. I usually copy down all the letters and put them in alphabetical order to help me solve them.
Challenges: Challenges vary, they can be mundane tasks like "Count all the animals in the Ardougne Zoo", but they could possibly be more difficult in Level 3 or if you're on a valuable trail.
Maps: Maps usually show an overhead view of a particular spot that must be identified, usually by the trees or places like rocks and fishing spots. They usually have a particular point for you to start from and a number of directions to find the next clue. It will show a dotted red line with a number, head that number of "paces" in the indicated direction. Continue following the red lines on the clue until you reach the "X". Dig with a Spade there and you should find a casket with your next clue.
Coordinates: Coordinates can be difficult and time consuming but are relatively straightforward. You'll get a clue with a number of Degrees and/or minutes south or north, and a second set of degrees and minutes East (or west presuming the RuneScape world expands that way). To solve this clue, you'll need to go to the Observatory which is South-West of Ardougne, past the Gnome Battlefield. Speak to someone in the observatory and they'll tell you what to do next, and give you a chart. To do the coordinates you also need a watch from the Clock-Tower (south of Ardougne) and a Sextant (go to port Khazard and talk to the man that runs the fishing trawler). Once you have all three items, write down the degrees, minutes and directions. Look through the Sextant and center the sun and horizon in the eye piece using the arrows. Then click on the "Get Coordinates" button and the chat-window will show your present position relative to the Observatory. Compare your position to the one on the clue. Keep moving around until they match. Dig with a spade at the location for a casket that contains your next clue or reward.

There are one or two other things to remember about Treasure Trails. First of all, the clue scroll drops are truly random. This means that it you not get one for some time or you could get several in a row. Also remember that dice don't have a memory, even if you don't get a clue for 1000 monsters you chance of getting one on the next drop is the same as it always was. Also, I can't stress this enough, don't expect to get the special items from your trail. The chances seem to be against it. Finally, no one is absolutely sure but the Ring of Wealth might increase your chance of getting a scroll, but it certainly does not effect what the reward will be.

Thanks to Magnumkiller for the list of Clue droppers.