Douglas County Code-Cracking Treasure Hunt Begins

DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO – Are you sick of summer video games? Looking for a fun, free adventure for the kids that gets them outside close to home? Douglas County Open Spaces and Parks has developed a self-guided scavenger hunt that requires code-breaking skills, crayon rubbings and a final special pick from a treasure chest of prizes. Just like a video game, only in real life!

Decode Douglas County Outdoors follows eight secret locations found in a Decoder Booklet available at several Douglas County locations (you can also find it online as a printable version.)

Here's how to play:

• The first location of your required eight is provided in the Decoder Booklet and a clue is provided at each location that will lead you to the next location, until all eight numbers are collected.
• Visit eight Douglas County Open Space or Park locations, and look for the posts within each location. To solve the code and find a number that is part of the code. The numbers are in the center of a plaque atop a square post along the trail or in the park.
• Place your decoder booklet over the plaque and make a rubbing of the image to “stamp” your passport. When you collect enough rubbings, you are then eligible for a prize.
• After eight numbers are collected in the code, use them to open two four-digit locks on our treasure chest. Solve the code and you’ll win a prize and be entered in a grand prize drawing.

The game can be played all at once, or in a series of summer day trips to Douglas County Open Space and Parks locations.

Prizes include backpacks, binoculars and outdoor sports equipment.

Pick up a decoder booklet at one of these locations:

• Douglas County Parks Office 9651 South Quebec Street, Littleton, CO 80130 Booklets are available from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Offices are closed for lunch from 12 -1 p.m.
• Philip S. Miller Building 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 Booklets are available from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Wilcox Building 301 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 Booklets are available from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Highlands Ranch Motor Vehicle Office 2223 Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Booklets are available from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Lone Tree Motor Vehicle Office 9350 Heritage Hills Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124 Booklets are available from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You can find more rules here.

Image via Douglas County Open Space