Puzzle solvers, prepare yourselves for the return of Portland’s great Rose Festival Treasure Hunt.

The treasure, as always, is a medallion encased in a block of lucite, placed inside a small metal box that will be hidden on public property somewhere in Multnomah, Clackamas, Clark, Washington or Yamhill county. The box will not be buried, and no structure or object will need to be disturbed to find it.

The first person to find the medallion and return it to the Rose Festival headquarters in Portland will receive $1,000 and a one-night stay for two at Spirit Mountain Casino.

The 2019 hunt starts Saturday, May 25, and will end Friday, June 7, if the medallion has not already been found. Clues will be posted daily on OregonLive.com.

Of course, long-time treasure hunters know the real prize is the adventure and glory of solving the complex clues that usually require knowledge of local history and geography. Since the treasure hunt’s return in 2014, online communities have become a crucial tool to deciphering the clues.

Laura E. Hall and Jey Biddulph of Portland were the winners of the 2018 Rose Festival Treasure Hunt.Eder Campuzano/The Oregonian

The hiding spot for the 2018 Rose Festival Treasure Hunt medallion.

Last year’s medallion was hidden in a wood pile at Molalla River State Park, found by Laura E. Hall and Jey Biddulph of Portland. The pair might have had an edge on the competition as creators of escape room puzzles.

Hall said their successful strategy will remain the same for the 2019 event, though she’s planning on trusting her gut more often. And while becoming the hunt’s first two-time winners would be great, they’re not going into it with that goal in mind.

“Of course winning again would be great, but either way we're going to get to see some amazing scenery and explore parts of Oregon we've likely never been to before,” she said. “That's the part that I'm the most excited about.”

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB