DALLAS, OR – September 27, 2023 – City of Dallas Parks, Oregon Parks Forever and the Kids in Parks program are pleased to announce the opening of two new TRACK Trails at City Park and Roger Jordan Community Park.
TRACK Trails are a type of environmental scavenger hunt for young children and their families to get unplugged and active outdoors, offering a series of self-guided activities that turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled, discovery-packed adventure. Each trail will have four brochures available that help kids learn about topics such as birds, trees, flowers, ferns and animal tracks. Two of the brochures, Animal Athletes/Animales Atletas and Nature’s Hide & Seek/Caminata y Busqueda de la Naturaleza, are bilingual English/Spanish. The trails also provide families with multiple opportunities to learn about the natural, cultural and historical resources at each site.
Kids who participate in the program can register their TRACK Trail adventures at www.KidsInParks.com to earn a series of prizes designed to make their next outdoor adventure even more fun and meaningful. Since the program’s inception, children have completed more than 1 million TRACK Trail adventures.
Oregon Parks Forever has set a goal of funding 50 TRACK Trails across the state of Oregon. These trails join trails already established in Madras (2), Prineville (3), LaGrande (2), Clackamas County (3) and in Newport (2), plus a disc golf trail in Clackamas County that will be added this fall.
“With each of our TRACK Trails, we hope to engage children in the joys of outdoor exploration,” said Jason Urroz, director of Kids in Parks. “Our ultimate goal is to help families fall in love with nature, so they can recognize the value our parks and public lands hold for their lives.”
“We’re grateful to Kids in Parks and Oregon Parks Forever for the opportunity to bring TRACK Trails to Dallas” said Jennifer Ward, Park and Recreation Manager for the City of Dallas. Our City parks and trails are the gems of our community, and TRACK Trails gives kids a new reason to explore them. I’m excited for English and Spanish speaking families to discover (or rediscover!) Hunter Arboretum, City Park, the Rickreall Creek Trail, Roger Jordan Park, and all of the wild creatures that inhabit these beautiful public spaces.”
“We are very excited to arrange funding for the growing network of TRACK Trail locations in Oregon,” said Seth Miller, executive director of Oregon Parks Forever. “Our mission is to enhance the experience and accessibility of Oregon’s Parks & Forests, and this is an important project for us.”
To learn more about TRACK Trails visit www.kidsinparks.com
To learn more about City of Dallas Parks visit https://www.dallasor.gov/publicworks/page/city-parks
To learn more about Oregon Parks Forever visit www.orparksforever.org
