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State Park Pin & Patch Hoosier Quest Program
Join us for our newly revamped Hoosier Quest – the patch program that gets you outside and active at Indiana’s State Park and Reservoirs.
The Hoosier Quest outdoor adventure program consists of three levels: Discover, Challenge and Explore.
Discover
Designed for everyone who is at least 5 years old.
Attend interpretive programs, volunteer and complete activities listed in the brochure.
Earn your patch and certificate after completing all requirements.
There’s no time limit.
Patch requirements can be done using multiple properties on different visits.
Download the brochure.
Challenge
No age limits or requirements.
People of all abilities are welcome to participate.
Attend interpretive programs, volunteer and complete 15 fun outdoor activities as you learn about Indiana’s State Parks and Reservoirs.
The activities align with the DNR Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, but they are for all ages.
There’s no time limit.
Patch requirements can be done using multiple properties on different visits.
Download the brochure.
Explore
Specially designed for individuals and families visiting State Parks and Reservoirs. Find out what makes each state park and reservoir special. Upon completion, each person can purchase a property specific enamel lapel pin for $2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What about the old Hoosier Quest program?
Our former Hoosier Quest program (Discover, Connect, Explore) will be honored through 2015 for participants who started it before July 2014. After that date, the new version will be the only version offered. It is designed to be much easier to follow, and allows many more choices for active participation.
Is there a program for my group (scouts, youth group, etc)?
Yes. The Hoosier Pathfinder Patch Program is designed for any group wishing to earn a patch while hiking or working on a service project in one of several selected Indiana State Parks, State Forests and State Reservoirs. To learn more about the program, view the brochure.
Can adults participate in all three programs?
Absolutely! Many of the activities involved in each program can be taken to a more advanced adult level. Talk with an interpreter at your favorite park or reservoir for more information.
Hoosier Quest Testimonials
Last April when I was hiking in Shades, someone told me all about the program and gave me a copy of the brochure. Since that conversation, I have fallen in love with the program, and have been able to earn pins at sixteen different state parks.
Some of the opportunities I have been able to enjoy are the following: being in the dam tower at Patoka Lake; paddling a kayak at Shakamak (something I never thought I would have a chance to do); participating in the Poker Hike at Shades (WONDERFUL!); seeing families enjoy walking and biking together at Raccoon SRA (such a family-friendly park); tasting the best spring water I have ever tasted at Pokagon, enjoying a guide's talk about the glacial features there, and hearing people from both Michigan and Indiana extoll the virtues of the park; learning that Indianapolis has a wonderful state park, Fort Harrison (that was a shock to see that state park within the city!); getting to talk to Kelley Morgan, Naturalist at Mounds, who was fascinating and so willing to share her love of the park; meeting both Jarrett Manek and Stanley Baelz at O'Bannon Woods (Stanley is my hero, he found me when I got lost while hiking [not an opportunity I enjoyed] in that huge park, and he was so incredibly kind); and enjoying Raptor Days at Hardy Lake and learning about those birds from Leslie Grow.
In case you are wondering about the order of the above, it is strictly in order of when I got to visit the park.
I am a retired teacher and have presented a talk on this program to fellow retired teachers, and I also carry extra copies of the Explore brochure with me, so that I can share with anyone I meet in a park who seems interested. I even gave a brochure to a couple I met from Michigan who were hiking with me in a Road Scholar program this past week in Georgia!
The Indiana DNR deserves high praise for establishing this program, and I hope many people come to your program on Sunday.
Sincerely,
Chris Blair
Robinson, Illinois