2026 Eagle Medallion Hunt clues explained

This year’s medallion was hidden in the outfield of a softball field at Cessna Park East. The medallion was inside a cardboard flap with Bermuda grass glued to it to camouflage it among the Bermuda grass that had grown over the concrete surrounding a metal plate.

Here are each day’s clues and what the meant.

Day 1

What’s up, treasure hunting friends? Many will search, but only one wins. Let’s cut to the chase: We’ve hidden the prize. But it’s not perspicuous; it’s wearing a disguise.

The medallion was hidden and “wearing a disguise,” pointed to it being camouflaged.

Day 2

Four paws on a dog, the same thing here. To find your way, you need to think clear. Yes there’s a theme, we’ll give you one more. For this amusement, you’ll find it before.

You’ll find the “theme” before each comma, or pause (paws): Dog (park), Park (way), Theme (park), Amusement (park). The medallion was hidden in a park.

Day 3

This one’s the third, so here’s your sign: In this case, second minus first equals nine. Follow the rules through this large tableau Be sure you’re looking toward Chicago.

This was the third time the medallion was hidden in Cessna Park. The second time it was hidden there was 1978 and the third was 1987. 1987 minus 1978 equals 9. The medallion was hidden beside a metal square engraved with the word “Chicago.”

Day 4

The entire city knows the answer to the first question, of course. Look down for the medallion as you consider the source.

The answer to the first question — “What’s up?” in the first day’s clue — in Wichita, the Air Capital of the World, is airplanes. Cessna and Boeing — two major “sources” of airplane production — are near Cessna Park. “Look down” meant the medallion was on the ground.

Day 5

Four days of searching, time to narrow our sights. Somewhere in Wichita, follow this advice: Two triangles, two diamonds – one of each is right. You’ll know you picked wrong if you see 278 twice.

The medallion was hidden in Wichita city limits. Cessna Park includes two triangular tracts — Cessna West and Cessna East — and two softball diamonds. One of each is “right” — Cessna East, where it was hidden, is a “right” triangle. One of the softball fields had distance markers on the fence that included two 278s. It was hidden in the other softball field.

Day 6

One big clue is one big horse Near the course within a course. If the clues so far have you in a flap. The medallion is too. There’s overlap.

One big horse is a Clydesdale. The park is named after Clyde Cessna. The medallion was hidden not far from a walking path, or “course,” within a disc golf course. The medallion was hidden in a flap from a cardboard box that was overlapped by grass.

Day 7

Don’t go so far that you’d pay a toll. Look for the runners and don’t dig a hole. You’re getting warmer near the corner that’s hot. You’ll see 144’s problem marks the spot.

The park is bounded on the southeast by the Kansas Turnpike, a toll road. The medallion’s disguise included Bermuda grass runners glued on the cardboard flap, and it was hidden under Bermuda grass runners that were overlapping a concrete border of a rusty metal square on the ground that says:

LEW FITTINGS CO CHICAGO 12X12

12 multiplied by 12 equals 144, so 144’s problem is 12X12.