Join us on a scavenger hunt in one, all or a few of your county parks this winter! While scavenger hunts may seem like they are just for children, they are truly fun for people of all ages. An outdoor scavenger hunt allows you to immerse yourself in your surroundings and explore the parks with a new lens, giving one a playful and mindful experience outdoors.

A scavenger hunt is also a great activity to be enjoyed in community, with friends, family or a group. Since you might be outside for over an hour in this activity, remember to dress warmly and come prepared. A warm thermos of coffee, hot chocolate or tea would be the perfect complement to pair with this adventure.

During this scavenger hunt, allow the experience to help you focus on nothing but the park and your surroundings. We encourage you to leave no trace while participating in the scavenger hunt by taking photographs of each item on the list, as opposed to collecting them. This way, you can add a little creativity if you want to the photos as well, enhancing the experience. Since we just entered 2025, here are 25 items to find for this scavenger hunt.

Scavenger Hunt Items:

1. Animal tracks in the snow
2. Squirrel
3. A small bird hopping around on the ground
4. A bigger bird, like a crow or a hawk, flying above or perched in a treetop
5. Woodpecker holes in a dead tree
6. Bird’s nest
7. Hemlock tree
8. A tree with a hole or hollow
9. A twig in the shape of the letter ‘Y’
10. A rock covered in lichen or moss
11. A clump of dried grasses peaking out of the snow
12. A berry
13. Pinecone
14. A seed pod or acorn
15. A pile of animal scat
16. Spiderweb covered in frost
17. A frozen puddle
18. A park bench with snow on it
19. The remnants of someone’s play in the snow, like a snowman or snow angel
20. Icicle
21. A depression or bare space where a deer has bedded down
22. A shadow cast by branches in the snow
23. A dried leaf still clinging to a branch
24. Mushroom
25. Something you have never noticed in the park before!

Now that you have all the items for your scavenger hunt, you just need to pick a location, or locations within the to explore. You could try walking a specific trail, like one of these options from our trail guide, or you could pick an area of the park, like a field or meadow, to focus on. Some of our favorite recommendations in each of the nine county parks are listed below.

Suggested Park Area to Explore: 

Boyce Park – Try searching for all these items on the 2.25-mile Green Trail, which is rated as easy to moderate. Alternatively, try just searching around the soccer fields if you want to keep the area smaller.

Deer Lakes Park – Explore the 1-mile Green-with-Red-Dot Trail, which is great for all experience levels. You could also try just searching around the 3 fishing lakes, which is what Deer Lakes Park is most well known for.

Harrison Hills Park – You can walk the 2-mile Green Trail, which is rated as moderate, and begins at the Environmental Learning Center (ELC). You could also just focus the scavenger hunt on the field and meadow that are outside of the ELC.

Hartwood Acres Park – Explore the 2.25-mile Purple Trail, which is rated as moderate and is accessed by the parking lot at the mansion. Another fun place to explore for this activity would be around one of the parks great meadows.

North Park – If you are looking for a tougher hike, try the 2.4 mile White Trail, which is rated as moderately difficult and explores the South Ridge of North Park. An easier option would be to try exploring the arboretum at the park and see if you can find all these items there!

Round Hill Park – Park at the Harmony House Grove and walk the 2-mile, moderate-to-difficult, Harmony House Red Trail. Another good option would be to park at the same location and explore the area around the grove and downhill of it.

Settlers Cabin Park – Try the Green Trail, which is 2-miles long and rated as moderate-to-difficult. If that is too long, you could also try the open space near the Shawnee Shelter and explore around the open space there.

South Park – A fun and historical spot to try in South Park is the Vale of Cashmere Trail, which is 1-mile and rated as easy. Alternatively, try exploring the area around the Cascades and see if you can find all these items there!

White Oak Park – You can walk the 1.5-mile Yellow Trail, which is rated as moderate to enjoy this scavenger hunt. Another good location would be to try exploring around the multi-use field, above the meadow.

Here is a downloadable and printable list of the scavenger hunt items! We hope you have a great experience out on your scavenger hunt. Please let us know what you think and if you post on social media about your adventure, you can tag us using #ACPFScavengerHunt so we can hear all about your experience!