Celebrate 100 Years of Rhode Island State Parks – Play the Great Outdoors Pursuit

Celebrate 100 Years of Rhode Island State Parks – Play the Great Outdoors Pursuit!

Put down the remote, step away from the computer, turn off the video games! Get outside and celebrate 100 years of Rhode Island State Parks and play the Great Outdoors Pursuit – an initiative to re-connect children their families with nature and to encourage more physical activity.

The Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit is a twelve-week contest that will have you decoding clues, discovering state parks and participating in fun activities and challenges - all for a chance to win prizes. The game kicks off on Sunday, May 31 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Lincoln Woods State Park. The Lincoln Woods event will feature:

Rock Climbing Wall by Rhode Island Rock Gym Volley ball demonstrations, lessons and games by Blue Fish Bowl Volleyball Club
Deeply discounted kayaking ($10/hour/person) thanks to Eastern Mountain Sports
Horseback riding ($15/hour/person) for registered participants thanks to Sunset Stables at Lincoln Woods
Fishing and Fishing Lessons by DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife
Tree Identification/Nature Walks by DEM Division of Forestry
Naturalist Program by DEM Division of Parks and Recreation
Healthy Snacks by Whole Foods Market
Music, Games, Raffles, Give-a-ways and More!

You’ll receive clues about Rhode Island State Parks to help you figure out which park you need to visit next. Teams will receive credit for each park visited. Five of the parks in the game require attendance on specific Sundays. The dates in addition to Lincoln Woods are:

Pursuit #2: Sunday, June 28
Pursuit #3: Sunday, July 26—Bay Day
Pursuit #4: Sunday, August 1—Optional: teams are invited to stay overnight to August 2
Pursuit #5: Sunday, August 23—Finale Event

The activities will vary at each event but will focus on living an active, outdoor lifestyle. New this year, Pursuit #4 will focus on camping and teams will be given the option to stay overnight at a state campground free of charge thanks to the generous support of a sponsor. At this event, teams will learn the basics of camping like how to set up a tent, cooking on a campfire and more. This event will also include campfire storytelling, hayrides, hiking and mountain biking.

The remaining activities in the game are "self-guided" events that teams can do on their own before the Grand Finale on August 23. To receive credit for self-guided activities, teams must complete the designated activity and present the required proof-of-visit (which will be revealed after the Lincoln Woods event) at the Grand Finale.

Self-guided choices include:

#1: Camp Cronin, Narragansett
#2: Lafayette Fish Hatchery, North Kingstown [One Day Only—date to be determined]
#3: Roger Williams National Park, Providence
#4: Durfee Hill, Glocester
#5: Beavertail State Park, Jamestown
#6: DEM Forest Environment Fire Tower, Chompmist Hill, North Scituate
[One Day Only—June 13th, 10am to 2pm]

Log on to www.riparks.com or call 222-2632 to register and learn more.

The Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit is brought to you by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management with support from the Department of Health, Kids First, United Healthcare, Cardi’s Furniture Superstores, Macy’s, Hasbro Toys, Whole Foods Market and many other partners.