Northfield Community Education

Geocaching is a treasure hunt all around the world. Learn the basics of how to look up and locate caches and the rules of the game, and then try it for yourself!

Your race time begins at the time of registration/payment, so plan accordingly! Adventure into Northfield city parks on a quest to find coveted checkpoints, leading to your team's final destination. If you love deciphering clues, racing against time, and are up for a challenge, you will enjoy the thrill of this experience. Your race will begin at the time you submit your registration with payment, and will end after completing the instructions found within the final QR code. If you've raced before, you will find this race a notch easier, and you'll be able to complete it in a shorter amount of time. You may start and finish your race on any given day between June 1 - August 1. Individuals, couples, or families are encouraged to participate. The first clue will be unveiled in your registration confirmation email, sent directly after registration is complete (check your junk mail too). Clue one will lead you to a Northfield park where a QR code will be located on a 1/2 sheet of laminated white cardstock paper. When you find the QR code, scan it. You will see the clue for finding the next park, but at the bottom there will be an instruction for completing an individual/team challenge at that particular park. Complete the challenge, and then get to work deciphering the clue, and so on. All participants will earn a free day pass to the Northfield Outdoor Pool, and the winning person or team of the race will win one $50 Community Education voucher to be used toward a future program. The winner will be announced early August. Participants will be mailed the pool pass shortly after completing the race. Important to Note! 1. You must have a QR reader downloaded on your smartphone in order to scan the QR codes throughout the race. The camera scan on your smartphone will likely not work appropriately. 2. There are 10 total clues (1 in confirmation email and 9 after scanning a QR code). 3. You must keep an orderly record of the parks where you've scanned a QR code. 4. You will be asked to complete a challenge at each park. To the best of your ability, please video those challenges. After completing the instructions found within the final QR code, a reply will come within 24 hours, asking you to send in a specific video from ONE of your challenges to verify your participation. 5. QR codes will be found in Northfield City Parks only. 6. Northfield Community Education and the City of Northfield are not responsible for any injury or accident occurring from the race. The QR codes are placed with safety in mind. Please closely monitor young children on your team to maintain an injury free, successful race. 7. QR code readers can be finicky. Most people make the mistake of trying to scan too close to the code. Be patient. Sometimes the glare of the sun, a bent or creased code etc. requires you to scan from a different angle. Try downloading a couple different code readers prior to the race. All race codes have been scanned over 5 times with a couple free code readers to ensure a successful scanning experience. (Kaspersky QR Scanner for Android and iPhone AND QR Code Reader for iPhone are the two I found to work the best). 8. Text 612-282-3069 or 651-270-4945 with QR code issues. 9. Come prepared with tennis shoes and a water bottle. 10. The race will not require anyone to climb or dig. Codes will be visible to the eye (with some looking around), and easily scannable.

Participants will learn basic orienteering skills, including using a compass, doing degree readings, taking bearings, and pacing off distances. We will then venture out around the nature center to practice!