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2026 Mendota Heights Winter Whirl Medallion Hunt

Submitted by Administrator on
Daily clues will be posted at 9:00 A.M. starting February 2, 2026. on Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation’s Facebook page and the City’s website at mendotaheightsmn.gov.
Rules:
• The Mendota Heights Winter Whirl Medallion is hidden in one of the following Mendota Heights City-owned public parks:
o Civic Center Park
o Copperfield Ponds
o Friendly Hills Park
o Hagstrom-King Park
o Ivy Hills Park
o Kensington Park
o Market Square Park
o Marie Park
o Mendakota Park
o Rogers Lake Park
o Valley Park
o Valley View Heights Park
o Victoria Highlands Park
o Wentworth Park
• The medallion is not hidden in the following areas; do not search at the following:
o Any natural, unmanicured areas
o Mendota Heights Par 3 Community Golf Course
o Oȟéyawahe/Historic Pilot Knob Preservation
o The off-leash Dog Park on Acacia Boulevard
o The Sibley Athletic Complex
o Any City buildings/building properties including Public Works, the Fire Department, and City Hall/Police Department.
o Near any body of water or embankment
o At a height where climbing might be involved, such as in a tree or on top of recreation equipment, light posts, etc.
o More than five feet off any trail or within any natural areas (forestland, prairie, tall vegetation, etc.)
o Under the ground/soil
• Please preserve the City’s park amenities and natural resources while searching.
o The City is working hard to restore its natural areas and rid them of invasive species. Help to prevent the spread of Invasive Species while searching by:
 Before leaving home, check your clothing and gear to make sure you don’t have mud, seeds, or other debris on your boots, clothing, shovel/tools, or other gear. If you are bringing a pet, check their fur as well.
 While searching, avoid leaving the trail, muddy areas, or tall vegetation. If moving from one park or natural area to another, clean all clothing, footwear, and tools before moving on to the next park or area. Do not dig into the soil.
 Before going home, check yourself and pets for seeds, soil, or other debris. Clean and brush off all clothing gear, and pets.
 For more information on how you can prevent the spread of invasive species, please visit: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/.../prevent_the_spread.html
o Stick to maintained park and trail areas.
o The medallion is not located under any surface that requires picking at or destroying, such as ice rink skating surfaces.
o The medallion is not located in any park buildings, such as warming houses.
o While careful snow shoveling is allowed, do not disturb habitat or wildlife.
• Searchers must not damage public property or otherwise violate laws or ordinances. Do not disassemble items such as irrigation heads, light fixtures, and other equipment; the medallion is not hidden in these items. The use of tobacco or electronic cigarettes is not permitted in City parks; dogs must be kept on leashes of six feet or less per City Code, and pet waste must be picked up.
• Searchers must adhere to City park hours: parks are open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• City of Mendota Heights employees or family members of said employees are not eligible to win. Family members are defined as parents, children, or siblings.
• Discovery of the medallion must be reported immediately by calling 952-495-7909.
• Searchers assume all risks for personal injury.
• The winner may be asked to sign a photo release form for publicity or promotional purposes.
• If the medallion is not found by February 9 at 9:00 AM the hunt will terminate.

If the medallion is found, staff will announce the medallion hunt has ended by posting on the City’s website and on the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Facebook Page upon verification of the medallion being found.
 

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2026 Mendota Heights Finder
2026 Mendota Heights Location
Hunt Information
Dates
Scheduled Dates
Monday, February 2, 2026
Find Date
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Finders
Name
Kimberly Browning
Prize
Maximum Prize
Prize Package
Awarded Prize
Prize Package
Location
General Location
Copperfield Ponds Park
Pinpointed Location
Along the walking trai
Concealer
Under a Large Oak Tree

44.872974, -93.11452

Clues
Clue 1
Published Date
Monday, February 2, 2026, 9:00 AM

Start the jive, we’re ready for five!
Out in the Heights, we are being very precise.
With trees of green that flutter in the breeze, don’t freeze!

The official meaning of the clue.

This year is the 5th annual medallion hunt in Mendota Heights.
This clue gives the vague impression that the medallion is hidden in a park with lots of trees.

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Clue 2
Published Date
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 9:00 AM

Movement here is measured in feet, not wheels,
A line where wandering heals.
Between open breath and shadowed spine,
You’ll know you’re close, though no clear sign.

The official meaning of the clue.

You cannot drive through Copperfield Ponds; there is only a walking path.
“Wandering heals” implies connecting to nature.
Copperfield Ponds is an open natural space with many trees shadowing the trail. It gives the impression that the searcher has to find a spot that is open but where tall trees loom like the space on the trail where the medallion was hidden.

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Clue 3

A place that has fields but not a game,
And welcomes guests without a name.
Where wheels don’t rest and there are no bases to find,
That’s where this search is meant to guide.

The official meaning of the clue.

CopperFIELD Ponds has the word field in the name but there are no ballfields at this park. There is no parking lot for wheels to rest (vehicles to park) and no bases as there is not a ballfield. 

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Clue 4

A warning painted, slow and low,
Honors travelers most won’t know.
Hubris favors speed, not noticing.
Where white-barked watchers gather,
The earth becomes a mirror.

The official meaning of the clue.

In the Spring of 2025, the Police Department and Parks & Recreation painted turtles on Huber drive to remind community members to watch for them while driving. Hubris is a close word to Huber as in Huber Drive and there are many birch trees along the path at Copperfield Ponds. The ponds act as mirrors and reflect their surroundings. 

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Clue 5

Where the ground breaks into gathered stone,
Neither built nor standing alone.
Near water’s pause, not far from tread,
Look beneath what the earth has shed.

The official meaning of the clue.

Within Copperfield Ponds Park, next to the trail there is a group of rocks where the trail narrows the most, close to the shore of the ponds. The medallion is tucked under a rock.

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Clue 6

Follow the copper thread that lends this place its name,
Between twin waters that quietly match each other.
From one beginning, count a tenth of a mile;
From the other, add half again along the same winding line.

The official meaning of the clue.

Copper thread implies the name of the park, Copperfield Ponds Park, and twin waters reveal the two Copperfield Ponds. Depending on which side of the trail you start on, the medallion is either a tenth of a mile in or .15 of a mile in. 

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Clue 7

No more riddles, your journey ends here.
Along the walking trail of Copperfield Ponds, draw near.
Where a great oak spreads its steady shade,
And many stones together have quietly stayed.
Beneath one rock in that gathered ring,
The Medallion rests, go claim the thing.

The official meaning of the clue.

Meant to be obvious, clue 7 gives the exact location of the medallion in Copperfield Ponds Park. 

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