There’s nothing like a walk in one of North Carolina’s state parks and recreation areas to clear your mind.
“But we thought it would be fun, in addition to all of those good things like air and exercise, to add a little adventure and learn a little science as part of the North Carolina Science Festival,” said Michele Miller Houck, communications director with the NC Science Trail. “We’ve never tried something like this, and it’s taken a few months to put it together, but it’s been well worth it.”
The result: Curious Minds Adventures. The NC Science Trail collaborated with the online platform Goosechase to create scavenger hunts at six state parks, including Lake Norman State Park, Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve and Grandfather Mountain. Every adventure starts with downloading the Goosechase app and discovering what you will be looking for. The adventures all begin at the park visitor center.
“There are ten adventures at each park, and they all focus on what the park is known for, from the longleaf pines or unique plants to wildlife and ecosystems,” added Miller Houck. “At each stop, the app requires you to upload a photo or answer a question, so it’s a very interactive experience. The nice thing is the app is also very user friendly so anybody can go on an adventure.”
Curious Minds Adventures are part of the 2025 NC Science Festival, a month long celebration of science throughout the state. This year’s festival features almost 550 events in all 100 counties as well as online. It also marks the 15th year for the festival.
“This year’s festival theme is ‘Everyday, Everywhere and Everyone,’” said Erik MacIntosh, community engagement manager with Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, which runs the festival. “That’s a really accurate way to describe how science touches our daily lives. People … love doing things together and they learn a little science at all our events as well. That’s why the festival has really become a tradition that remains popular and continues to grow.”
As with the science festival, the NC Science Trail celebrates a birthday in April. Launched in 2023, the trail has grown to include 65 counties with over 100 science-focused public sites, including aquariums, gardens, nature centers and science museums.
While the science trail was fashioned after several other successful cultural and food-based trails in the state, including the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail, NC Civil Rights Trail and NC Oyster Trail, it has quickly become unique in its own right.
“We had several goals for the trail when we started out, including to encourage care for the natural world, to connect visitors to hands-on science experiences and to help visitors understand the role science plays in our daily lives,” said Miller Houck. “From the comments we get from visitors and from the growth that our website and newsletter continue to enjoy, I believe we are doing that, and it’s very exciting.”
Visit the NC Science Festival website to explore all events at this year’s festival.