Great Park Pursuit: The MA State Park Family Adventure

Outdoor adventure game challenges all ages to disconnect from cyberspace and reconnect with open space.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is launching its fourth annual Great Park Pursuit, a summer-long series of free family adventures in Massachusetts state parks. This year, families will design their own Park Pursuit adventures with activities they choose.

“We envision the Great Park Pursuit as a first step in building the next generation of environmental stewards,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “The Great Park Pursuit gives participants a sampling of what our more than 450,000 acres of state parks offer on a daily basis. Let’s not let television and the Internet replace wonderful, traditional activities like hiking, fishing, and biking.”

Each year, several hundred families have participated in the Great Park Pursuit, hiking to beautiful views, learning to fish, pitching a tent, roasting s’mores, discovering secrets of the past, riding in horse-drawn wagons, and much more.

This year’s program will run through September 18th. DCR parks across the Massachusetts will host Great Park Pursuit activities at various times and locations throughout the summer. Teams are challenged to participate in six programs in several themed categories by September 18th. Categories include “Into the Woods,” “Go Wild,” “Explore the Night” and more. Adults and children will step back in time, discover secrets of the coast, and get to know the night sky.

The Great Park Pursuit is free, but teams must register to be eligible to participate. For information and to register, visit www.greatparkpursuit.org.

About The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR):

An agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees 450,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, bike trails, watersheds, dams, and parkways. Led by Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr., the agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visit http://www.mass.gov/dcr. Contact us at mass.parks@state.ma.us.