Guarantee a summer full of outdoor adventure and fun for your family by signing up as a team in Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Park Quest 2019 on April 3 at 10 a.m.
The goal of Park Quest is to engage families in outdoor activities throughout the summer and allow them to experience many of Maryland’s state parks. Park Quest offers 1,000 teams who qualify the chance to explore the many hidden treasures found in the Maryland state parks from May 1 through October 31, 2019.
Registration for Park Quest 2019 opens April 3 at 10 a.m. on a first come, first served basis. Once selected, the registration fee is $10 per family.
The goal is for each team is to visit as many of the 20 designated Maryland State Parks as possible and complete the assigned Quest challenge. The challenges range from activities sheets, hikes and scavenger hunts to canoeing and Geocaching. The activities are designed to take the average family 1 ½ to 2 hours to complete. The activities do not need to be completed in any order, and any time and day restrictions will be noted.
Parks on the list include those close such as Sandy Point, Patapsco and Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and as far as Assateague and New Germany state parks. All park day-use service charges are waived for the day the teams are at the park to complete the Quest but return visits or any camping fees for overnight accommodations are not included.
Park Quest is designed to get teams out to experience and enjoy the state parks so, while teams are meant to be made up of families, the only requirements are they include at least one adult and one minor 16 years or younger. There is a limit of 10 persons per team.
Each team will be issued a Park Quest Passport which will be used by park staff to confirm your team’s participation. When teams go to a State Park to complete a Quest, they should follow the instructions posted on the Park Quest website. Once they complete the challenge, they will get their Passport endorsed. At the end of Park Quest, teams that have completed a minimum number of Quests will be entered into a drawing for special Park Quest prizes.
Families who may have missed the Park Quest Passport registration process may still participate in Park Quest. Quest materials can be found on the Park Quest website and downloaded. However, without the Park Quest Passport, teams will need to pay the appropriate day-use service charges at some of the participating State Parks.
Parks included for 2019:
Cedarville State Forest (Southern Region)- Basic Quest
Cunningham Falls State Park- Manor Area (Western Region)- Basic Quest
Elk Neck State Park (Central Region)- Basic Quest
Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (Central Region)- Basic Quest
Fort Frederick State Park (Western Region)- Basic Quest
Gathland State Park (Western Region)- Basic Quest
Greenwell State Park (Southern Region)- Basic Quest
Gunpowder Falls State Park (Central Region)- Basic Quest
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park (Eastern Region)- Bonus Quest
Herrington Manor State Park (Western Region)- Basic Quest
Janes Island State Park (Eastern Region)- Basic Quest
Martinak State Park (Eastern Region)- Basic Quest
Patuxent River State Park (Central Region)- Basic Quest
Pocomoke River State Park (Eastern Region)- Basic Quest
Rocky Gap State Park (Western Region)- Bonus Quest
Sang Run State Park (Western Region)- Basic Quest
Saint Clements Island State Park (Southern Region)- Bonus Quest
Seneca Creek State Park (Central Region)- Basic and Bonus Quests
Susquehanna State Park (Central Region)- Basic and Bonus Quests
For details and to register your family as a team visit the Park Quest 2019 website or email Melissa Boyle.
