GREAT FALLS — This summer, Giant Springs State Park is hosting three free programs open to the community. These include a junior ranger program, trivia in the park, and an all-new hike series.
AmeriCorps member Emily Auld said these programs are a way to draw people to their backyard state park during the pandemic - in a way that’s safe.
“I really was looking for a way to do social programming kind of in the era of covid and how we can do stuff that’s social distance appropriate. So we’re doing mainly outdoor programs this summer,” Auld said.
Below is a breakdown of each of the state park’s upcoming programs:
Junior Ranger Program (NEW!):
(July 11 - August 15)
- 6 week program for young children (recommended for ages 5-11)
- Saturdays at 10 a.m. starting July 11th
- Educational topics include plants, animals, Lewis and Clark history and Native American history
- All children under age 10 must have a parent with them
- Only 15 children can participate
Trivia in the Park:
(July 1 - 29)
- Trivia groups limited to 50 people, no more than 6 people to a group
- Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
- First trivia night begins Wed, July 1st
- 5 different rounds every week covering wide range of topics (current events, movies, books, food and drink, African American history, women’s history)
- Returning public event
- Prizes available
Hike Series (NEW!)
(July 3 - 26)
- Bi-weekly hikes during the month of July
- Groups limited to 15 participants per hike
- Hikes take place Fridays at 9 a.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
- Hikes change each week but Fri/Sun hikes are identical to each other
- Participants limited to those age 12 and up due to difficulty level of hikes
- Participants cna sign up for more than one hike
Auld said the staff developed the hike series with the goal of introducing locals to some of the region’s lesser known trails.
“A lot of people often don’t know about those trails that are out there because they’re a little bit more tricky to get to, so a way to get to know the trails is to do some guided hikes,” Auld said.
Outdoor programming will be dependent on weather conditions. Follow Giant Springs State Park on Facebook [facebook.com] for updates on cancellations. To reserve your spot for one of these programs, call the Giant Springs State Park Ranger Station at (406) 727-1212.
