Junior Ranger Program

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Learn. Protect. Explore.

Becoming a Junior Ranger gives kids the opportunity to learn about and explore North Carolina's beautiful state parks with their families or scout, school and homeschool groups through self-led educational activities and programs. Junior Rangers may also have the opportunity to help park rangers protect the health of the park through short community service projects.

Quick links:

Learn how to join the Junior Ranger program	View all the Junior Ranger badges
Download the NEW Junior Ranger activity guide	Download Pocket Activities unique to specific parks
Sign up for our newsletter	Join us for the Junior Ranger jamboree

Become a Junior Ranger

Graphic - Junior Ranger - Getting Activity Guide

Step 1

Visit any North Carolina state park office or visitor center to pick up a copy of the NEW activity guide. The NEW activity guide is available for free at state park offices and visitor center.

You can also download and print the NEW guide at home:

Junior Ranger Activity Guide
NEW for 2019
in color (.pdf)

Junior Ranger Activity Guide
NEW for 2019
in black and white (.pdf)

Step 2

Using the activity guide, you will earn (or "cache") acorn points. If you are visiting the park for a day, you can cache 20 acorn points to earn the park patch.

Cache acorn points by...

Completing activities from the activity guide
Attending park-led programs
Completing small community service projects given to you by park staff
Participating in the ecoEXPLORE program
Hiking in the park

Mix and match the above options however you'd like to cache your acorn points!

Expert patches

If you have more than one day and want to really get to know the park, try to cache at least 40 acorn points to receive a second Expert patch to pair with your park Junior Ranger patch!

Pocket Activities

There is also a pocket in the back of the Activity Book that will be updated with new activities and freebies.

Click below to download the pocket activity for that park:

	Pocket Activity Title	Applicable parks
	Take Root and Grow!	Any park
	Meet the Beetles	Any park
	Girl Scouts Love State Parks: Brownies Outdoor Art Creator / Eco-Friend	Any park This activity can be used during the Girl Scouts Love State Parks event. Learn more here »
	Girl Scouts Love State Parks: Daisies Outdoor Art Maker / Eco-Learner	Any park This activity can be used during the Girl Scouts Love State Parks event. Learn more here »
	Girl Scouts Love State Parks: Juniors Outdoor Art Explorer / Eco-Camper	Any park This activity can be used during the Girl Scouts Love State Parks event. Learn more here »
	Life of a Fire Lover	Carolina Beach · Carvers Creek · Cliffs of the Neuse · Fort Macon · Goose Creek · Hammocks Beach · Jones Lake · Jordan Lake · Jockey's Ridge · Kerr Lake · Lake Waccamaw · Lumber River · Merchants Millpond · Morrow Mountain · Raven Rock · Singletary Lake · Weymouth Woods
	Litter Scavenger Hunt	Any park
	Rockefeller Loop Trail Scavenger Hunt	Carvers Creek
	Who were the Maroons?	Dismal Swamp
	Are You Me? (Metamorphosis) and Be a Box Turtle	Haw River

Step 3

Once you have cached enough acorn points, take your activity guide to a park ranger or park office and recite the Junior Ranger Pledge with our staff. They will sign the certificate in the back of the activity guide and give you your patch(es).

That's it! You're now a Junior Ranger!

Collect all 40 Junior Ranger badges

Visit each state park to collect all 40 of the unique Junior Ranger badges. Can you collect them all?

Stay up to date with the Junior Ranger newsletter

Don't forget to subscribe to the Junior Ranger mailing list, where you will receive the quarterly newsletter packed full of fun facts, games, lighthearted interviews with rangers, and so much more!

You will also get updates on events open exclusively to Junior Rangers and their families, like the annual Junior Ranger Jamboree!

Mark your calendars for the Junior Ranger Jamboree

Join us for a free weekend camping experience with fellow junior rangers and their families! The Junior Ranger Jamboree is hosted by a different state park each year. It is held on the first weekend in October.

2020 Junior Ranger Jamboree Participant Photo Collage, Jones Lake State Park, Elizabethtown, NC

2020 Junior Ranger Jamboree
Jones Lake State Park

Junior Ranger Jamboree 2019 - Group photo

2019 Junior Ranger Jamboree
New River State Park

Junior Ranger Jamboree 2018 canoeing at Merchants Millpond State Park

2018 Junior Ranger Jamboree
Merchants Millpond State Park

Junior Ranger Jamboree 2017 - Group photo

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Junior Ranger Program