What floats your boat? Late summer and early autumn offer incredibly beautiful paddling opportunities in the American Midwest. In an extraordinarily biodiverse ecosystem like ours, there are countless parks, groups and clubs where you can float away into the sunset (or sunrise, or anything in between) and uncover stunning views from the waters of the Illinois River Valley.

For our fourth challenge of 2023, we hope you will join us on the water. Whether it’s kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding or going all out on a riverboat or yacht, we challenge you to float three different waters of the Illinois River Valley before winter hits.

Ready to head downhill for a Shipwreck? We challenge you to join us at Fort Creve Coeur for some hiking, biking, riverside food and drinks, and maybe even some paddling! Featuring a new downhill trail system, an amazing beverage concoction, a fort from 1680 and a shipwreck from 1918, this challenge has it all.

To kick off Spring 2023 in the woods on a mission, we challenge you to embark on an exhilarating Trailside Treasure Hunt for a Peoria map medallion necklace. The medallion is hidden somewhere at Forest Park Nature Center and will be until further notice. Do you accept the challenge? Will you find it next?