What’s a Park Hop? How does it work?

The Park Hop is a free, community-wide scavenger hunt through our parks and nature preserves. Ripley County, Indiana is full of places for you to explore in nature. The Park Hop is a fun way for families (and kids of all ages) to get outside and have fun.

From waterfalls to forests, and city parks to lakes, there’s something for everyone, right here in our backyard.

Visit as many parks as you can, and have fun exploring new parks. As you go, answer the clues on your Passport. Kids can claim prizes based on how many parks they visit at the Park Hop Finale on May 1st at the Versailles State Park Shimmerhorn Shelter.

Are there any extra activities you are hosting with the Park Hop?

This year, Ripley County Reads Committee added activities to the Park Hop. We have added Six Storywalk locations and Four Pop-up at the park events.

What is a Story-walk?

Story-walk is a fun, educational activity that places a children’s story along a popular walking route in our community. The Story-walk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Ripley County Reads’ Story-walk is a free story that is displayed on a nature or hiking trail for you and your child’s enjoyment. Stop by our six locations anytime between now and April 30th, 2021 to read this year’s nature themed stories while enjoying nature! You can also read the stories at our Park Hop Finale! We will have them set-up through the Versailles State Park! Story-walk’s are beneficial in providing a safe outdoor activity for your child(ren) that also promotes reading and early childhood literacy.

Story Walk projects have a BROAD APPEAL to everyone":

•         Promotes reading and outdoor physical activity for kids and families.

•         physical activity

•         reading/literacy

•         family time

•         builds community

Where are the Storywalk’s located?

Storywalk’s are located at the following parks between March 1st and April 30th, 2021:

• Pangburn Park - Versailles

• Holton Community Park - Holton (no longer at this location due to damage)

• Brum Woods -Batesville

• Osgood Trails - Osgood

• Sunman Community Park - Sunman (temporarily unavailable due to damage)

• Daren Baker Memorial Park - Milan

What is a Pop-up at the Park event?

Pop-up at the park is a free event hosted at different parks throughout the county. We will have a nature themed activity for your child along with some fun-facts about nature!

When and where are the Pop-up at the Park events?

• April 10th- (Pangburn Park) 1-2 pm

  • DIY SEED PAPER CARDS

• April 17th- (Osgood Trails) 11 am- 12 noon

  • SEED PROGRAM

• April 17th- (Daren Baker Memorial Park) 1pm-2 pm

  • SEED PROGRAM

• April 24th- (Freedom park ) 10am – 12 noon

  • BIRDFEEDER CARD

Where are the clues listed?

The “Passport” lists the parks and the scavenger hunt clues for each park and nature preserve. Click the link below to print the passport at home OR stop by any Ripley County Library or the Ripley County Tourism Bureau to get yours today!

When is the Park Hop?

March 1st – May 1st, 2021 – perfect for a Spring Break adventure!

Where are the Parks?

All over Ripley County. We made an interactive map to help (Scroll down – it’s at the bottom of this page). Addresses for all of the parks are listed on the Passport. Plus, we tried to get as many of the parks as possible recognized on Google Maps.

Someone said there are prizes…

Prizes are available for youth (ages 18 & under) that complete all clues at 1, 5, or 10 parks. Prizes include things like magnifying glasses, nature-themed books, and more! Submitting all clues for more than 10 parks will enter youth for the grand prize drawings!

How do I turn in the clues and claim prizes?

Families can have fun and claim kids’ prizes at our Park Hop Celebration on May 1st, 2021, from 11-1pm at Versailles State Park Shimmerhorn Shelter. This is the only opportunity to claim prizes. Just bring along each child’s passport, with their answers to the clues (this is how they show which parks they visited).

Come for the prizes – but also for hands-on nature activities!

This is neat – I want to invite my friends!

We’re grateful that you want to you help spread the word! Share this website, and post something to social media (maybe you all “hopping” in the air at the park!) add #RipleyCoParkHop21

Who’s Supporting the Park Hop?

Ripley County Reads is leading the Park Hop but this is truly a team effort. Our partners are hardworking and fun. We are so grateful for all the community support we have received!

Sponsors include:

STORYWALK SPONSORS:

• FRIENDS OF THE BATESVILLE MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY

• CRUM TRUCKING

• TOM TEPE AUTO CENTER

• HUMMEL/MEISBERGER INSURANCE

  POP-UP AT THE PARK SPONSORS:

• FRIENDSHIP STATE BANK

  ALL OTHER SPONSORS:

• BATESVILLE TOOL AND DIE INC

• WRBI RADIO

• RESERVATION RESTAURANT

• NAPOLEON STATE BANK

• OSGOOD GRUB COMPANY

• VERSAILLES HOMETOWN IGA

• POLLARD'S BOWL AND LOUNGE INC

• VERSAILLES LIONS CLUB

• LARRY EATON, ATTORNEY AT LAW

• HALCOMB HOME CENTER

• SOUTH RIPLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

• MILAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

• JAC-CEN-DEL COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

• BATESVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

• ST LOUIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL

• SUNMAN-DEARBORN COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

• SOUTHEASTERN IN YMCA

• HONDA MANUFACTURING OF INDIANA

• CIVISTA BANK

• RIPLEY COUNTY TOURISM BUREAU

• VERSAILLES STATE PARK

• FRIENDS OF THE VERSAILLES STATE PARK

• HOLTON COMMUNITY PARK

• SUNMAN COMMUNITY PARK

• BATESVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION

• DAREN BAKER MEMORIAL PARK

• PANGBURN PARK

• VERSAILLES SPORTS COMPLEX

How can I help sponsor the Park Hop?

Click here to see how you can help Ripley County Reads with the 2021 Park Hop.

Past sponsors of the Ripley County Park Hop:

• The Versailles State Park

• Oak Heritage Conservancy

• Ripley County Tourism Bureau

• Ripley County Chamber of Commerce

• Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce

• Batesville Tool and Die

• Ripley County Community Foundation

• Big Oaks Conservation Society

• Friends of Versailles State Park

• South Ripley Community School Corporation

• Batesville Community School Corporation

• Milan Community School Corporation

• St. Louis Catholic Schools

• Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corporation

• Southeastern Indiana YMCA

• WRBI Radio

• Ripley County Publishing Company

• The Herald-Tribune

I still have a few questions.

We’d love to hear from you! Contact us at ripleycountyreads@gmail.com.

Where did you get this idea?

The Park Hop isn’t a brand new idea. Ripley County Reads learned about it from Liz Brownlee with Oak Heritage Conservancy, who learned about a Park Hop in Greenville, South Carolina. Community organizations started their Park Hop in in 2013. That year, over 100 families participated. Their Park Hop has grown each year, and now includes a year-round scavenger hunt and events at the parks. Last year, over 1,100 children participated. We’ve been talking with them, and they’ve helped us adapt the idea for our community.

Go outside and have a hopping good time in nature!

Where are the Parks?

Click on this map to find the 17 parks and nature preserves in the #RipleyCoParkHop21. We’ve provided some helpful hints about finding the parks and parking in the description of each park.

You will also be able to type each park name into Google maps. We hope this makes it easier to find the parks in 2021!