Official Rules

1. Who runs the hunt

The Duval Treasure Hunt is run by Nick Freiling of Jacksonville, Florida (the "Organizer"). You can reach the Organizer through the contact form on the home page.

2. A contest of skill

This is a contest of skill. The winner is the first eligible player who solves the poem, finds the treasure, and claims it under these rules. Nothing about who wins is decided by chance, drawing, or lottery.

3. Who can play

• Anyone may hunt, but only a person 18 or older may claim the prize. Kids are welcome to hunt with a parent or guardian.
• The following people can't claim the prize: the Organizer, members of the Organizer's immediate family and household, anyone who helped hide the treasure or knows where it is, and every sponsor and its owners and employees.

4. How to play

• Buy the map (a poem) for $5 on this website through PayPal. The poem is shown to you on screen right after you pay. The transaction ID on your PayPal receipt is your player number.
• Each purchase comes with one player number. You may buy more than one map, but each player number can be used for only one claim.
• Player numbers belong to the person who bought them and can't be sold or transferred.
• The poem on this website is the only official map. Copies found anywhere else may be incomplete, altered, or fake.

5. Keep the poem to yourself

The poem is for your personal use and the people you hunt with. When you buy it, you agree not to post, publish, or share it publicly, online or off. The Organizer may disqualify any player who does.

6. The treasure

• The treasure is a sealed container. It holds a numbered token that must be present for a claim to count.
• It is hidden within the limits of Duval County, Florida, in a place that is open to the public.
• You will never need to dig, climb, enter the water, go anywhere closed to the public, or visit a place outside its posted hours to find it.

7. How to hunt

• Follow all laws, park rules, posted signs, and hours.
• Don't trespass, dig, or damage any property, plants, wildlife, or structures.
• Leave every place the way you found it.
• You hunt at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety and the safety of anyone hunting with you.
• The Organizer may disqualify any player who breaks these rules or acts in a way that's unsafe, unlawful, or unfair to other players.

8. How long the hunt runs

The hunt begins when maps go on sale on this website. It runs until the treasure is found and a winning claim is confirmed. If the treasure hasn't been found after a while, the Organizer may post extra clues on Facebook. Any extra clues are free and public for everyone.

9. The prize

• The prize is $1,000, paid to one winner.
• The prize is funded by the Organizer and the hunt's sponsors. It is not paid out of map sales, and it doesn't depend on how many maps are sold.
• The prize may go up if sponsors add to it. Any increase will be announced on this website.
• The prize will be paid by check or bank transfer within 14 days after the claim is confirmed.
• The winner must provide a completed IRS Form W-9 before payment and is responsible for any taxes on the prize. The Organizer will issue a Form 1099 as required by law.
• The prize can't be transferred or exchanged for anything else.

10. Claiming the prize

• If you find the treasure, contact the Organizer within 48 hours through the contact form, choosing "I found the treasure." Include your name, your player number, and the email address you used to buy the map.
• The Organizer will arrange to meet you in Jacksonville. Bring the treasure, with its numbered token, and a photo ID.
• The claimant must be the person who bought the map tied to the player number.
• If you hunted as a team, the prize is paid only to the person whose player number is used. Any split is up to your team.
• The first claim that meets every requirement wins. All of the Organizer's decisions about claims are final.

11. If something goes wrong

• If the treasure is taken by someone who can't claim it, or is moved, damaged, or lost, the Organizer may hide a replacement and post an update. The hunt then continues.
• If the hunt has to be canceled before anyone wins, every map buyer will get a full refund of their $5.
• Otherwise, map purchases are final once the poem has been emailed.

12. Publicity

Where the law allows, the winner agrees that the Organizer may share the winner's first name, city, and photo, and the story of the find, on this website and social media.

13. Your information

Your name and email are used only to run the hunt: to confirm a claim and share hunt updates. They won't be sold.

14. Liability

By playing, you agree to release the Organizer and the sponsors from any claims for injury, loss, or damage connected to the hunt, except where the law doesn't allow it. The Organizer isn't responsible for emails that don't arrive, technical problems, or errors in clues.

15. Not affiliated

The hunt is not sponsored, endorsed, or run by Facebook (Meta), the City of Jacksonville, or any park or property where hunters may search. Facebook is not responsible for the hunt.

16. Changes and disputes

The Organizer may update these rules if needed, with any changes posted on this page. These rules are governed by Florida law, and any dispute will be handled in the courts of Duval County, Florida.