2024 Hiking Challenge

There will be a challenge on the app during each season of the year as follows: 

Winter: January 1 – March 31, 2024  
Spring: April 1 – June 30, 2024 
Summer: July 1 – September 30, 2024 
Fall: October 1 – December 31, 2024 

• Download the free OuterSpatial app to your mobile device and create an account in the app to participate. 

• Check in to at least three trails per season and earn a digital badge for each completed trail and seasonal challenge. Note: All badges are digital; no physical items will be mailed. 

• Participants can begin a seasonal challenge at any time during which the challenge is open. If you miss the challenge during one season, no problem, you can sign up for the next one when it starts!  

• Check-ins will be allowed all season long, subject to seasonal, weather-related, or emergency closures. (Each seasonal challenge will begin at 12:00 a.m. (CST) and end at 11:59 pm. (CST) on the dates listed above.) 

• Multiple check-ins (on different trails) are allowed each day or month.  

• Check-in can occur anywhere on a participating trail. 

• Only location-verified check-ins will qualify for prizes.

• No check-ins other than through the app will be accepted. 

• Participating trails may change during each of the four seasonal challenges. 

• Participating trails will vary in distance, type of path, and difficulty. No special signage will be provided on the trails indicating that it is a participating trail. Only the app will indicate participating trails. Trails may not be stroller friendly. Please refer to online information, app information, park maps, or inquire with park employees for questions on trail conditions or difficulty. 

• Leashed pets are welcome on our trails, but please clean up after them! 

• Complete three hikes in a season to be entered into a drawing for one of two $50 North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department gift cards. Prizes will be drawn at the end of each season and winners will be notified via email. 

   

• Additionally, the top 50 on the leaderboard in each seasonal challenge will be entered into a drawing for two nights of weekday camping at any North Dakota State Park. The more trails you hike, the higher you climb on the leaderboard. Prizes will be drawn at the end of each season and winners will be notified via email. 

• Download the OuterSpatial App, create an account and click the Challenge tab to select the current seasonal challenge. Click Participate, get out to a trail, check-in and start hiking!  

• All North Dakota State Park trails listed under the To-Do section of the seasonal challenges qualify. Please note that once you have checked into a trail for that season, it will move to the Done tab and you will not be able to hike that trail for credit until the next season opens. 

• Yes. The trails are open all season long! However, be aware that some parks are only open seasonally and other areas may close due to weather-related events or emergency situations. If you have questions, call ahead to confirm the trail/park is open. 

• Yes! Get out and hike as much as you can. You need three hikes over a three-month period to be eligible for the gift card drawing. The drawing for the camping nights depends on where you fall in the leaderboard so the more trails the better!  

• Participating locations include Beaver Lake, Fort Abraham Lincoln, Icelandic, Fort Ransom, Turtle River, Lake Metigoshe, Lake Sakakawea, Grahams Island, Lewis & Clark, Cross Ranch, Rough Rider (Sully Creek) and Fort Stevenson state parks along with Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area. Additional locations may be added throughout the challenge and will be posted when active.  

• You can participate as an individual, a couple, with friends, or with your family. However, to be eligible for the prize drawing they must have an account set up through the OuterSpatial App and check-in separately.  

• Yes, but each participant must have the app and account through OuterSpatial.  

• All ages are welcome to participate in the hiking challenge! 

• Participants are only eligible for prizes if they have their own account through OuterSpatial.  

• No, you can choose to complete all hikes in one location, or you can venture to as many locations as you like. However, to climb to the top of the leaderboard each season you may need to venture to different locations.  

• No problem! Jump in at any time. In order to qualify for a prize drawing you just need to complete three hikes during one of the timeframes listed above.  

• You do not need to register; however, you do need to download the OuterSpatial App and create an account to participate in this challenge.  

• Although there is no cost affiliated with the 2023 12 Months - 12 Hikes Challenge itself, fees may include state park entrance fees, camping fees and associated reservation fees. 

Can I check in if I don't have cellular service?

• Once you've started participating in a challenge, the rest of the challenge functionality will work even when you're using the OuterSpatial app in low network or no network situations. You can respond to challenge tasks while offline, but, if/when you do so, you must submit your challenge task responses when you get back into network service. To submit challenge task responses that were saved while offline, come back to the challenge screen, tap on the "More" button in the upper, right-hand corner, and select "Submit Pending Responses". This will submit the challenge task responses that were saved while offline.

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