Point your arm north. Hop 5 times along it.North is the opposite of south.Leg
Find west. Take 12 tiny steps that way.West is on your left hand when you face north.Leg
Point your arm south. Hop 4 times along it.When you face south, east is on your left hand.Leg
Face north. Walk 6 paces.North is the way the marked end of the needle points.Leg
Turn until you face north. Walk 9 paces.You face north when the marked end of the needle points straight ahead of you.Leg
Turn until you face west. Walk 3 paces.West is the opposite of east.Leg
Find where the wind is coming fromDrop a few blades of grass and watch which way they drift. The wind comes from the other side.At a stop
Point east without looking at the compass, then checkClose counts. Try again at the next stop.At a stop
Lay the compass on the ground and turn until you face southThe marked end of the needle now points back at you.At a stop
One more leg: face ____ and walk ____ paces. Then look down.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.Treasure
Face east. Walk 8 paces.East is a quarter turn to the right of north.
Face north. Walk 6 paces.North is the way the marked end of the needle points.
Face south. Walk 5 paces.South is straight behind you when you face north.
Face west. Walk 7 paces.West is a quarter turn to the left of north.
Find east. Take 10 tiny steps that way.East is on your right hand when you face north.
Find north. Take 4 giant steps that way.Hold the compass flat and let the needle settle. Its marked end shows north.
Find south. Take 6 giant steps that way.South is the way the plain end of the needle points.
Find west. Take 12 tiny steps that way.West is on your left hand when you face north.
Point your arm east. Hop 7 times along it.When you face east, north is on your left hand.
Point your arm north. Hop 5 times along it.North is the opposite of south.
Point your arm south. Hop 4 times along it.When you face south, east is on your left hand.
Point your arm west. Hop 6 times along it.When you face west, north is on your right hand.
Turn until you face east. Walk 4 paces.East is the opposite of west.
Turn until you face north. Walk 9 paces.You face north when the marked end of the needle points straight ahead of you.
Turn until you face south. Walk 10 paces.South is a half turn from north.
Turn until you face west. Walk 3 paces.West is the opposite of east.
Show all 98 clues (82 more)
Eight compass points 16
Head east for 17 paces.East sits halfway between northeast and southeast.
Head north for 20 paces.North sits halfway between northwest and northeast.
Head northeast for 16 paces.Northeast is 45° on the dial.
Head northwest for 8 paces.Northwest is 315° on the dial.
Head south for 9 paces.South sits halfway between southeast and southwest.
Head southeast for 6 paces.Southeast is 135° on the dial.
Head southwest for 18 paces.Southwest is 225° on the dial.
Head west for 12 paces.West sits halfway between southwest and northwest.
Walk 7 paces southwest.Southwest is halfway between south and west.
Walk 9 paces northeast.Northeast is halfway between north and east.
Walk 10 paces northwest.Northwest is halfway between west and north.
Walk 11 paces east.East is 90° on the dial, a quarter turn to the right of north.
Walk 12 paces southeast.Southeast is halfway between east and south.
Walk 13 paces south.South is 180° on the dial, the opposite of north.
Walk 14 paces north.North is 0° on the dial, and the marked end of the needle points to it.
Walk 15 paces west.West is 270° on the dial, a quarter turn to the left of north.
Bearings in degrees 16
Follow a bearing of 20° for 25 paces.20° lies between north (0°) and northeast (45°).
Follow a bearing of 60° for 11 paces.60° lies between northeast (45°) and east (90°).
Follow a bearing of 100° for 22 paces.100° lies between east (90°) and southeast (135°).
Follow a bearing of 160° for 9 paces.160° lies between southeast (135°) and south (180°).
Follow a bearing of 210° for 17 paces.210° lies between south (180°) and southwest (225°).
Follow a bearing of 250° for 24 paces.250° lies between southwest (225°) and west (270°).
Follow a bearing of 280° for 8 paces.280° lies between west (270°) and northwest (315°).
Follow a bearing of 340° for 19 paces.340° lies between northwest (315°) and north (360°).
Set the dial to 30°. Walk 12 paces.30° lies between north (0°) and northeast (45°).
Set the dial to 75°. Walk 15 paces.75° lies between northeast (45°) and east (90°).
Set the dial to 110°. Walk 14 paces.110° lies between east (90°) and southeast (135°).
Set the dial to 150°. Walk 18 paces.150° lies between southeast (135°) and south (180°).
Set the dial to 200°. Walk 10 paces.200° lies between south (180°) and southwest (225°).
Set the dial to 245°. Walk 16 paces.245° lies between southwest (225°) and west (270°).
Set the dial to 290°. Walk 13 paces.290° lies between west (270°) and northwest (315°).
Set the dial to 330°. Walk 20 paces.330° lies between northwest (315°) and north (360°).
Loops by compass point 12
East 5, south 5, west 10, north 5, east 5Five legs. The west leg is twice as long as the others.
East 6, north 6, west 6, north 6, east 6, south 12, west 6Seven legs for a team that wants a long one. It still ends on the coin.
East 8, north 4, west 8, south 4A rectangle. The long sides run east and west.
North 3, east 3, south 6, west 6, north 3, east 3Six legs around a plot shaped like the letter L.
North 4, east 4, north 4, west 4, south 8Up, across, up, back across and one long walk home.
North 6, east 6, south 6, west 6A square. Mark the start with a coin: four legs later you should be standing on it.
North 10, south 10Out and back. South is the opposite of north, so the second leg undoes the first.
Northeast 7, southeast 7, southwest 7, northwest 7A diamond: a square turned on its corner.
Northwest 8, northeast 8, southeast 8, southwest 8A diamond that sets off toward the northwest. Hide the treasure under the start marker.
South 5, west 9, north 5, east 9A rectangle that starts by heading south. Mark the start before the first step.
Southwest 9, northeast 9Out and back on a diagonal. Northeast is the opposite of southwest.
West 6, north 6, east 12, south 6, west 6A wide box that starts in the middle of its bottom side.
Loops in degrees 12
Hexagon: 5 paces each at 0°, 60°, 120°, 180°, 240° and 300°Six short legs, each bearing 60° more than the last.
Out and back: 14 paces at 65°, then 14 at 245°The way back is the first bearing plus 180°.
Out and back: 20 paces at 310°, then 20 at 130°Past 180° you take 180 away instead: 310 minus 180 is 130.
Pentagon: 6 paces each at 10°, 82°, 154°, 226° and 298°Five legs, each bearing 72° more than the last.
Square: 6 paces each at 45°, 135°, 225° and 315°The four in-between points of the compass, in order.
Square: 9 paces each at 20°, 110°, 200° and 290°Four equal legs, each bearing 90° more than the last.
Square: 14 paces each at 70°, 160°, 250° and 340°Add 90° for each new leg.
Triangle: 8 paces each at 100°, 220° and 340°A small one for a yard. Each bearing is 120° more than the last.
Triangle: 10 paces each at 0°, 120° and 240°Three equal legs, each bearing 120° more than the last, bring you back to the start.
Triangle: 12 paces each at 30°, 150° and 270°A triangle that sets off at 30°. Add 120° for each new leg.
Triangle: 15 paces each at 75°, 195° and 315°Mark the start with a coin and see how close the third leg lands.
Triangle: 20 paces each at 260°, 20° and 140°When a bearing passes 360°, take 360 away: 260 plus 120 is 380, so the dial reads 20°.
To find at a stop 18
Count your paces to the nearest tree, walk back and count againThe two counts should match. If they do not, your steps changed size.
Find a leaf, a stone and a stick, each in a different direction from hereSay the three directions out loud, then put all three back.
Find a straight line on the ground and say which way it runsA path edge, a fence or a crack. North to south, or east to west?
Find something in the southwest corner of the yard or fieldFirst agree where that corner is.
Find something red within five paces of this spotThen say which direction you walked to reach it.
Find something smaller than the compassA pebble, a seed or a bottle cap. Leave it at this stop for the next team.
Find the tallest thing you can see to the northPoint at it with a straight arm. The whole team has to agree.
Find where the wind is coming fromDrop a few blades of grass and watch which way they drift. The wind comes from the other side.
Find your own shadow and say which way it pointsCheck with the compass. Ask again at the last stop: has it moved?
Guess the bearing to the start, then measure itWithin 20° earns a cheer.
Hold the compass near a metal fence post, a bike or a bench legWatch the needle swing. Iron and steel pull a compass off, so step away before the next leg.
Lay the compass on the ground and turn until you face southThe marked end of the needle now points back at you.
Name one thing to the north, east, south and west of youFour things, one for each point.
Pick a landmark and read the bearing to itPoint the travel arrow at it, turn the dial until the needle lies over the orienting arrow, and read the number.
Point east without looking at the compass, then checkClose counts. Try again at the next stop.
Spin around three times, then find north againHold the compass flat and wait for the needle to settle.
Turn to face the way you came and read the bearingIt is 180° away from the leg you just walked. It is called the reciprocal bearing.
Which way does the nearest door face?Stand with your back to the door and read the compass.
Final clues 8
From here the treasure lies to the ____. It is closer than ____ paces.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.
Go back to the start. The treasure is ____ paces ____ of the marker.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.
Last bearing: ____°. Count ____ paces and you are standing on it.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.
The needle will not help now. The treasure is under ____.The closing clue. Write the hiding place in the gap by hand.
One more leg: face ____ and walk ____ paces. Then look down.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.
The treasure is ____ paces ____ of this spot.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.
Turn to face ____. The treasure is at the first tree, post or wall you reach.The closing clue. Write the hiding place in the gap by hand.
Walk ____ paces ____, then ____ paces ____. Dig with your eyes, not your hands.The closing clue. Write the paces and the direction in the gaps by hand after you have walked the last leg yourself.
How this list was compiled: An original list of October 2026: 98 cards for a treasure hunt walked with a compass. 16 legs use north, east, south and west, 16 use the eight points of the compass and 16 give a bearing in degrees; 24 are loops that end where they began, 18 are things to find or do at a stop and 8 are final clues with gaps for the host. Nothing was copied from another list. The paces are samples for the host to change to fit the ground. Every loop was checked: its legs, added up as distances north and east, come to nothing, so a walker who keeps the bearings and an even pace ends at the start. The note under each leg in degrees was checked against the degrees of the eight points. Facts about the compass were checked on 15 October 2026. From the Wikipedia article Compass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass): north is 0° and the degrees run clockwise, so east is 90°, south 180° and west 270°; a bearing is read with the needle lying over the orienting arrow; a compass is held level; iron and steel nearby throw it off; over a short walk the gap between magnetic and true north can be left alone. From Points of the compass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Points_of_the_compass): the four in-between points halve the angles between the main four, 45° apart. From Bearing (navigation) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearing_(navigation)): the opposite direction, 180° away, is the reciprocal bearing. From Pace (unit) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pace_(unit)): a pace is one walking step, or in some uses a double step. From Orienteering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orienteering): the sport of finding points with a map and a compass. The triangle course, three equal legs with 120° added to the bearing each time, and the way to follow a bearing (turn the dial to it, turn the whole compass until the needle lies in the orienting arrow, sight along the travel arrow to a landmark and walk to it) are from Scout Life magazine, Use the Compass Game to Improve Your Navigation Skills (https://scoutlife.org/about-scouts/scouting-around/191944/use-the-compass-game-to-improve-your-navigation-skills/), read the same day. Every leg is walked on open ground the host has checked: no leg crosses a road, water or a fence, and nobody digs. Licence: own work
How it works
Each clue in a compass treasure hunt gives a direction and a number of paces, and the next clue waits where the walk ends. The page opens on a trail for beginners: six legs, three things to find at a stop and a final clue.
Read the full guide
Lay the course
Mark a start, then walk the trail yourself: face the way the first clue says, count the paces in a child's steps and put the next clue down where you stop. Type over any number that does not fit your ground. Lay an At a stop card at any three stops, write the last direction and paces into the final clue, and hide the treasure there.
Three levels, and loops
4 points is a treasure hunt using compass directions only: north, east, south and west. 8 points adds northeast and the other in-between points, and Degrees gives every leg as a bearing. Loops deals courses that end where they began, so a coin dropped at the start is the target.
For a fun compass treasure hunt for kids under eight, keep to 4 points: some of its legs are hops and giant steps.
A pace here is one walking step. Let the smallest hunter pace the course, so the counts fit short legs.
Keep every leg on open ground you can see across: no road, water or fence between two clues.
Questions and answers
How do you design and set up a compass treasure hunt?
Pick a level the hunters can read, keep each leg short enough to see its end from its start, and decide whether the trail ends at a hiding place or loops back. Then lay it on your own ground with the compass in your hand.
How do you follow a bearing?
Turn the dial until the bearing sits at the travel arrow. Hold the compass flat and turn your whole body until the needle lies inside the orienting arrow. Pick a landmark along the travel arrow and walk to it, counting paces.
What age can kids do a treasure hunt with a compass?
A second grade class that knows the compass rose can walk the 4 points trail as its treasure hunt. Degrees needs hunters who read numbers up to 360 and can hold a compass steady.
Does a compass point to true north?
It points to magnetic north, which sits at an angle from true north that depends on where you are. Over the short legs of a yard or a park the difference does not matter, as long as the course was laid with a compass too.