UPDATES: 6.6.25
Happy Valley installation on KGW. Watch video
We have just opened new TRACK Trails at Happy Valley City Park in Clackamas, Spongs Landing, and Aumsville Pond in Marion County, Hagg Lake in Washington County, Kilchis River Park in Tillamook and this weekend on June 7, we will open at McGregor Park in Trail, Prescott Park in Medford, and Lithia Park in Ashland. All open TRACK Trails can be found at www.kidsinparks.com by choosing “Find An Adventure.”
###
Excerpted from Wednesday, May 28, 2025 By JAMES SLOAN / Rogue Valley Times
Looking to offer new outdoor opportunities for kids and families to learn and spend more time in nature, three existing park trails will be converted to TRACK Trails in the near future.
TRACK Trails are self-guided and interactive, incorporating brochures and other elements to make hikes more fun. “Our mission is to engage kids and families in nature as a way to promote overall health and health of parks and public lands,” said Jason Urroz, program director of the Kids in Parks program.
The TRACK Trails are a partnership between nonprofits Oregon Parks Forever and Kids in Parks, and the three new — or newly converted — trails will be in Medford, Ashland and Trail.
The grand openings for three new TRACK Trails in Southern Oregon will be held June 7 and June 8. The McGregor Park ribbon cutting will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7, in Trail.
The Prescott Park ribbon cutting in Medford is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 8, and the Lithia Park ribbon cutting in Ashland is set for 2 p.m. on June 8.
TRACK Trails are an environmental treasure hunt of sorts, encouraging kids and families to locate and identify local flora and fauna while on their hike, winning free prizes such as stickers, bike lights, mini disks, and more after logging in their adventures later online. “We talk to rangers and staff at parks to coordinate with them on which trails they think will be the best to be a TRACK Trail and work with them on which brochure topics to include,” Urroz says. “We do the art and design and fabrication process and have all the materials shipped to them, and they do the trail head sign, and we build the website and register the hike.”
“In June, there will be 30 trails (in Oregon),” Urroz says.
The primary focus overall for organizers of the TRACK Trails and Oregon Parks Forever is getting more people outdoors and enjoying and advocating for nature. “It’s about spending time outdoors, being active and exploring nature. …We’re trying to see what to do to get people more excited about being outside and off their phone,” he says.
“If kids today aren’t excited about nature, they won’t stand up and fight for it; national parks are threatened as they are now.” “The favorite thing for me is reading the answers of kids when registering their hikes; I have, for 25 years, been an educator, and ranger in the national park services and director of the national level kids hiking program,” Urroz added.
Organizers and partners intend to keep bringing new TRACK Trails to the Beaver State. “Oregon Parks Forever is funding the expansion of TRACK Trails in Oregon and are funding 50 trails in Oregon right now. …30 of them will be installed as of June 9,” Urroz said. “We have more work to do and more trails in the queue.”
“We are very excited to add to 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 and forests, and this is an important project for us. We hope these trails will allow young kids and their families to get unplugged and active outdoors, and inspire them to become stewards of our public lands.”
To learn more about TRACK Trails visit www.kidsinparks.com
To learn more about Oregon Parks Forever visit www.orparksforever.org
Contact Info:
Seth Miller 503/966-1053 or seth@orparksforever.org
Jason Urroz 866/308-2773 ext 384 or jurroz@brpfoundation.org
First Published 8:00 am Wednesday, May 28, 2025 By JAMES SLOAN / Rogue Valley Times
Read more at: https://rv-times.com/2025/05/28/new-track-trails-to-open-in-june-program-encourages-outdoor-adventure-for-youth-families/
