Nevada Day Treasure Hunt clue explanations

Clue 1

While celebrating Nevada’s

Arts and entertainment

Don’t forget that a medallion

May be a great attainment

Explanation: This is an introductory clue to the 2017 Nevada Day Treasure Hunt referencing the Nevada Day Parade’s theme: “Nevada’s Arts and Entertainment.”

Clue 2

This castanet serpent

You should avoid discovering

Commonly located

Within this year’s covering

Explanation: Rattlesnakes are part of the Crotalus and Sistrurus genus. Crotalus is derived from the Greek word meaning “castanet.” Rattlesnakes are located in various locations in Nevada and this clue narrows the search area to locations where rattlesnakes are commonly found. This includes the Santa Maria Aquatic Park in Dayton, where the medallion was hidden. Additionally, Santa Maria Aquatic Park has several signs posted warning park users to watch out for rattlesnakes.

Clue 3

America’s main street

Paved the way

Honoring Fisher’s hero

From the apple to the bay

Explanation: Carl G. Fisher conceived and dedicated the Lincoln Highway in 1913, named after his hero President Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Highway stretched from Times Square in New York City, often referred to as the Big Apple, to the San Francisco Bay. As one of the earliest transcontinental highways in the United States, it was often referred to as the Main Street Across America. This clue tells hunters to look near the route of the Lincoln Highway in Nevada, which could be either Highway 50 or Interstate 80 in different areas throughout the state.

Clue 4

Requiring an update

Each and every year

The fourth of the fourth

Provides your frontier

Explanation: This clue tells hunters the medallion was hidden in Lyon County. The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt’s Official Rules and Regulations are updated annually and all hunters must comply with each rule to be eligible to claim the $1,000 prize. The fourth listed county within the fourth paragraph of this year’s rules is Lyon County.

Clue 5

Of these important five

To three we have referred

Zip fourth to nothing

To avoid coming in third

Explanation: The five-digit zip code for the entire search area of the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt begins with “89.” Thus, the only numbers within the zip code that will tell a hunter where the medallion is hidden are the final three digits. This clue tells hunters that the medallion was hidden within the zip code that has “4”, “0” and “3” as its last three numbers. The medallion was hidden in Dayton, which has the zip code 89403.

Clue 6

This decree took fifty-five

And with precise calculations

Everyone’s beneficial uses

Are now under regulations

Explanation: The Alpine Decree is the adjudication of water rights on the Carson River. The decree took fifty-five years to be issued, making it the longest lawsuit undertaken by the federal government against private parties over water rights. In Nevada, generally to retain the use of one’s water rights, one must make a beneficial use of the water. This clue points hunters to the Carson River, which runs through the Santa Maria Aquatic Park, where the medallion was hidden.