Update:
4/29/2020: THE PARK HOP IS STILL A “GO” – We all need nature! Please, follow CDC social distancing guidlines and wash your hands often!
The Park Hop is almost over, so get hopping!
Because of the Covid-19 outbreak, Indiana is now on a Stay-at-Home Order. Parks and nature preserves are still open, though, and we hope that the scavenger hunt can add some normalcy and fun to your life!
If you are still doing the Park Hop, please follow the CDC’s social distancing rules and wash your hands often! DNR is encouraging everyone to limit group sizes to families or 10 people maximum.
If you completed some of the scavenger hunt, good work! We hope you enjoyed it! We are still planning to give away our grand prizes! Some of our volunteers will be at the Oak Grove Shelter from 11 am - 1 pm on Saturday May 2nd 2020 to accept completed passports. If you are uncomfortable coming, please take this opportunity to enter to win a grand prize by completing the form below!
We’re asking parents to help each child fill out a basic little form, to tell us how many parks each child visited – – – and enter to win the Grand Prizes! Click here to enter to win the Grand Prizes!
Normally, the Grand Prize is reserved for kids who visited 10 or more parks. However, this year, because we can’t give out the smaller prizes and celebrate in person, any child who visited even one park is eligible for the Grand Prize drawing.
Please fill out the form by Saturday, May 2nd at 4 pm.
Kids can win one of two State Park pass.
We’ll draw for the winners and get in contact with them via phone. Once our winners have been contacted we will announce them on our Facebook page.
If you missed out this year, don’t worry: we’ll do the Park Hop again next year!
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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 2nd at the Versailles State Park.
Where are the clues listed?
The “Passport” lists the parks and the scavenger hunt clues for each park and nature preserve.
When is the Park Hop?
March 16 – May 2, 2020 – 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 2, 2020, from 11-1pm at Versailles State Park. 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 and a campfire!
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 #RipleyCoParkHop
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’re grateful! They include:
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
**We are still hearing back from some sponsors. When they confirm sponsorship, we will add them to this list.
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 #RipleyCoParkHop. 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 2020!