News Release

Health & Wellness well within reach: National Park Service Wellness Challenge kicks off at Missouri’s seven National Park Service sites

Join Ozark National Scenic Riverways as we celebrate National Park Week with the NPS Wellness Challenge April 16-24, 2022.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: April 11, 2022

Contact: Dena Matteson, [phone]

VAN BUREN, Mo. –The National Park Service (NPS) has introduced a new way to experience Missouri’s beloved treasures – our national parks – with the National Park Service Wellness Challenge. The NPS Wellness Challenge promotes the unique health resources that are found in national park sites across the country, and asks visitors to participate in physical, mental, and learning wellness activities unique to each park. Missouri is the pilot state for this program.

“Not only are our national parks vital to the story of America, but they also provide so many incredible benefits to our health and wellbeing,” says Diana Allen, Chief, Healthy Parks Healthy People. “Join us in participating in the NPS Wellness Challenge this year. Whether you choose to hike Missouri’s trails, visit museums and historic homes, or take a moment to be aware and still, health and wellness are all well within reach at Missouri’s national parks.”

The NPS Wellness Challenge, part of NPS’s “Healthy Parks Healthy People” initiative, will kick off during National Park Week, beginning Saturday, April 16 and will run indefinitely. The challenge was created with leadership and support from Gateway Arch National Park, Healthy Parks Healthy People and community partners.

“National Park Week is a great time to explore our national parks and to celebrate them,” says Jason Lott, Superintendent, Ozark National Scenic Riverways. “We are so excited to join our fellow Missouri national parks in commencing the National Park Service Wellness Challenge. We hope to help you discover the many ways in which our parks promote healthy lifestyles.”

HOW IT WORKS

Each national park site will offer nine Wellness Challenge activities, organized within three categories: physical wellness, learning wellness and mental wellness. To get started, participants can pick up a National Park Service Wellness Challenge Guide at any Missouri national park site.
 

When an activity in each category is completed, participants can get their guide stamped by an NPS ranger or download a digital badge to mark their achievement at https://go.nps.gov/NPSWellnessChallenge. More information about the NPS Wellness Challenge can be found online at https://go.nps.gov/NPSWellnessChallenge. 

Missouri’s seven national park sites are: 

 · Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis 

 · George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond 

 · Harry S Truman National Historic Site in Independence 

 · Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Van Buren 

 · Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park in Ste. Geneviève                         

 · Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis 

 · Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Republic 

At Ozark National Scenic Riverways the NPS Wellness Challenge activities include: 

Physical Wellness 

· Paws in the Park 

· Reach New Elevations 

· A Paddler’s Paradise 

Learning Wellness 

· A Detective in Nature 

· Ask a Ranger 

· Discover Geological Wonders 

Mental Wellness 

· Find Serenity at Alley Spring 

· Clear Your Mind at Big Spring 

· Picture This 

Share your Wellness Challenge journey on social media with #NPSWellnessChallenge!

Be sure to follow Ozark National Scenic Riverways on Facebook & Instagram at www.facebook.com/Ozarkriverways/ or www.instagram.com/ozarkriverwaysnps/ as special social media challenges will be shared during National Park Week, April 16-24. 

For more information, contact park headquarters at [phone] or website at www.nps.gov/ozar. 
 

www.nps.gov/ozar

Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves 134 miles of the free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork rivers, the surrounding resources, and the unique cultural heritage of the Ozark people. 

 Learn more at www.nps.gov/ozar.  Find us on Facebook @ozarkriverways and on Instagram @ozarkriverwaysnps.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.