Challenge The National Parks! Week 1

Challenge The National Parks! Hike Week 1 is in full swing.  How far has your team traveled through the National Parks this week?  Have you signed up yet?

What’s the Challenge?

The challenge allows you to hike through the trails of our National Parks.  Hikers complete the trail mileage as well as a “Special Forces Challenge”.  Each Park’s mileage/challenge must be completed and logged by MissionFiT before hiking the next park.

 

Team Standings:

  1. Team “A-Mays-ing Hikers”

2. The Seelig Family

3. The Childers Family

4. The Schlottman Family

5. The Bishop Family

 

…….

Let’s take a look at four National Parks highlighted this week:

Congaree National Park

2 people canoeing on a Cedar Creek Congaree Challenge The National Parks Hike

Canoeing on Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park

Mileage Challenge: 23 miles 

Trail breakdown: Boardwalk Loop Trail – Green – 2.5 miles Weston Lake Loop Trail – Green – 4.5 miles Oakridge Trail – Green – 6 miles River Trail – Green – 10 miles. 

Special Forces Challenge: 1 minute team push-up challenge 

Dry Tortugas National Park

Diver Exploring Ship Wreck Dry Tortugas Challenge the National Parks Hike

Dive Site in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Mileage Challenge: 8.5 miles 

Trail breakdown: Fort Jefferson Loop – Green = 1/2 mile; Bush Key Trail – Green = 1 mile; Islands Kayak Tour (even though we’re on foot) = 6 miles; Snorkeling around the islands = 1 mile. 

Special Forces Challenge: 1 minute team jumping jack challenge 

Everglades National Park

Grass Pink Orchid Everglades Challenge the National Parks Hike

Grass Pink Orchid – An Example of Flora in the Everglades

Mileage Challenge: 11 Miles

Royal Palm Hammock (Learn more about Hammocks)

Anhinga Trail – 1 Mile; Gumbo Limbo Trail – 1/2 Mile; Mahogany Hammock – 1/2 Mile

Long Pine Key

Pineland Trail-1/2 Mile

Flamingo

Snake Bight/Rowdy Bend Trail – 7.5 Miles

Shark Valley

Bobcat Boardwalk Trail – 1/2 Mile; Otter Cave Hammock – 1/2

Special Forces Challenge: Psalm 1 

Read Psalm 1 and think about the Psalm (as a family as possible).  Read these thoughts as a start. 

Who Influences Me? Note the progression in verse 1.   From walking, to standing, to sitting. You walk beside the wrong crowd and before you know it, you are standing with them. Finally, you are sitting with them and your lifestyle and way of thinking is indistinguishable from theirs. Through the media, through our workplaces, in society, someone is trying to influence you. Are you being shaped by the “wicked” or the “righteous” (the two groups in this psalm)? Who is influencing you? Who are you influencing? Is the influence for good or evil? 

Virgin Islands National Park

Yawzi Ruins Site Virgin Islands - Challenge the National Parks Hike

Yawzi Ruins Virgin Islands National Park

Mileage Challenge: 9.5 miles 

Hiking is one of the most popular activities on St. John. Virgin Islands National Park provides a wide variety of hiking experiences and more than 20 trails to choose from but our focus is on four trails.

Trail breakdown: Ram Head Trail – 2 miles Reef Bay Trail – 4.5 miles Carambola Tide Pools – 2 miles Frances Bay Trail – 1 mile.  

Special Forces Challenge: 10 minutes of meditation or quiet time for adults, 5 for kids. 

 

 

 

Register Your Team

There’s still time to lace up your boots and start hiking the trail lengths of these and other National Parks.  Learn more here or register your team now!

Learn More About MissionFiT Athletes and Partners in Our FitBits!