Treasures of the Swamp Scavenger Hunt – Free
September 19 at 10:00 am - September 20 at 3:00 pm
Event Navigation
Adventure awaits!
Sat, 9/19: 10 am-4 pm: Scavenger Hunt
Sun, 9/20: 10 am-1:30 pm: Scavenger Hunt | 2-3 pm: Celebration Event & Raffle Drawing
Join us for a fun, free community event, brought to you by the Great Swamp Partners! Play solo or team up with friends and family. The Treasures of the Swamp Scavenger Hunt launches September 19, and the Great Swamp is your playground! Unleash your inner explorer for an afternoon or weekend (it’s up to you) of riddle-solving and treasure-seeking across 7 beautiful natural spaces. Your clue booklet holds the secrets and each site unlocks the answers.
What to expect at this family-friendly event: Forest trails, wildlife sightings, code-cracking, and celebratory high-fives as you solve each clue. It’s a great opportunity to experience the incredible natural beauty right here in our back yard! Begin your exploration at any of the participating locations within the Great Swamp watershed region – visit 1 or all 7 sites in any order – all at your own pace:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (GSNWR) / Friends of Great Swamp NWR
Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center: 32 Pleasant Plains Rd., Basking Ridge
Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA)
Conservation Management Area (CMA): 1 Tiger Lily Lane, Harding Twp.
Morris County Park Commission (MCPC)
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center (GSOEC): 247 Southern Blvd., Chatham
National Park Service (NPS)
Jockey Hollow Visitor Center: 586 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown (New this year!)
New Jersey Audubon
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary: 11 Hardscrabble Rd., Bernardsville
Somerset County Park Commission (SCPC)
Environmental Education Center (EEC): 190 Lord Stirling Rd., Basking Ridge
The Raptor Trust (TRT)
1452 White Bridge Rd., Millington
Your adventure kicks off when you arrive at the first location and receive your clue booklet and instructions from the location leaders.
Your mission: Follow and solve the clues that relate to that site. You will need to explore the area to find the answers. Once you complete the challenge, return to location leader to get your booklet stamped. This entitles you to one free ticket for a chance to win a cool prize! (See below.) Then you’re off to your next destination for another challenge to earn another ticket.
Go at your own pace. You have most of the weekend to visit as many locations as you choose. Every stamp in your booklet earns you another free ticket for the drawings, so the more places you visit, the higher your chance to win swag, private hikes, and the grand prize!
Wrap up your hunt with us on Sunday at the New Jersey Audubon Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville for a festive post-event celebration! Gather around a crackling campfire for adventure sharing, complimentary s’mores, and the eagerly awaited prize drawings!
Schedule of Events
Saturday, September 19
10 am-4 pm: Scavenger Hunt
Sunday, September 20
10 am-1:30 pm: Scavenger Hunt
2-3 pm: Celebration Event & Raffle Drawing @
NJ Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary: 11 Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville
Prizes
(Winners must be present to claim prizes)
$75 REI Gift Card
$50 REI Gift Card
Kids Backpack: Moki 1.5 w/ Res Amaranth (Purple) – value $65
Adult Backpack: Manta 24 w/ Res (Black) – value $200
Great Swamp Partners prize packages (each valued at up to $50)