Explore nature this fall with Be a Trailblazer

The first mission drop for Fall in the 2026 Be a Trailblazer experience landed on Wednesday, Sept. 23 and the second will come during the week of Nov. 1.

Each drop includes a combination of GPS-based missions in preserves, photo missions and trivia questions. Some photo missions must be completed at specific locations, while others can be done anywhere outdoors.

Missions will be sprinkled across more than a dozen locations.

"Some of these locations have been included in each seasonal mission drop as a way to get people to experience the same preserves in all the seasons, because each one shines in its own way throughout the year,” said Chad Merda, the Forest Preserve’s head of digital marketing strategy/engagement.

The fall session of Be a Trailblazer runs through Saturday, Dec. 12. To join, download the free Goosechase app to your smartphone and search for 2026 Be a Trailblazer or enter the code JYBKK4.

Participants are randomly selected to receive prizes funded by The Nature Foundation of Will County and donated by more than 30 local businesses. Nearly 200 prizes worth more than $15,000 will be awarded during the 2026 challenge.

Foundation-funded items include a Fitbit Charge 6, Yeti Roadie 48 cooler and Bonfire 19-inch Solo Stove. Donated items include bird-feeding prize packs from Wild Birds Unlimited in Joliet, gift cards from West52 BBQ in Shorewood, wine from Goat & Vine Restaurant and Winery, and golf passes from Prairie Bluff Golf Club in Crest Hill and X-Golf in Shorewood.

If you’ve been blazing trails all year, keep going. If you haven’t joined the challenge yet in 2026, fall is a great time to begin because temperatures are cooler, fall colors are popping and migrating birds are passing through.

“So a preserve you’ve visited before can feel completely different,” Merda said. “The missions give you that extra push to get outside, explore somewhere new and experience the season.”

Be a Trailblazer began as a way to encourage people to spend time in nature and explore the District’s many preserves, trails and visitor centers. But it has grown into something much bigger.

“We’ve heard from people who have discovered places they never knew existed, made memories with family and friends, become more active and even turned to the preserves during difficult times in their lives,” Merda said. “That’s the real impact. The prizes from The Nature Foundation and dozens of local businesses are a fun extra incentive but, ultimately, we want people to find their own reasons to keep coming back to nature.”