Challenge yourself to spend 1000 Hours Outside!

Although summer is winding down, the upcoming fall season will be full of new opportunities to spend time outdoors! One way to ensure that you and your fellow parks and trails enthusiasts make the most of the natural environment around you is to participate in a program known as 1000 Hours Outside.

1000 Hours Outside is a global movement aimed at inspiring families and communities to leave the screens behind and get outdoors. The concept at the core of this movement is simple—the amount of time people spend outside matters, and a life flooded with nature time benefits kids and adults in untold ways.

This program lays out a mission for those interested in challenging themselves while enjoying the best that nature has to offer. It’s pretty straightforward, and the name says it all—try to spend 1000 hours immersed in the outdoors doing activities, connecting with others, or just simply being amongst nature.

However, the spirit behind the journey is one of encouragement—not competition. There are often questions about ‘rules,’ but the good thing here is that there really aren’t any! 1000 Hours Outside is about striving for engaged time outdoors, and that looks different from one person to the next. That’s the beauty of nature play; it works for any age and any stage in any outdoor environment.

The 1000 Hours Outside initiative offers trackers and other tools to assist people as they navigate their nature play on their website here. A few GMPT member facilities have also designed park passes, activity booklets, outdoor objectives, and other fun materials to help guide your adventure, so be sure to check out the links below!

• Olmsted County – Nature Prescription Activity Booklet
• Olmsted County – ParkRXAmerica Activity Pass