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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Penn’s Explorers Youth Program

    Penn's Explorers logo

    Coming Soon - Look for announcements for the start of this youth program in 2025

    Pennsylvania State Parks’ youth program is an exciting way for young people (ages 4–17) to engage in fun, educational activities. Program participants, called Penn’s Explorers, track their visits to state parks and the programs they attend in their Adventure Journal. The journal guides learning about all eight (8) of Pennsylvania’s natural symbols.

    When a Penn’s Explorer participates in a park program (such as day camps, family-oriented programs, and campground programs), they receive a sticker for their journal. For every five (5) stickers gained, they earn a pin representing one of the natural symbols. The adventure continues until the explorer attends 40 programs and collects all eight natural symbol pins. The journey will be different for each Penn’s Explorer, as there is no set time frame to complete the program and it can be continued from year to year.

    Visit a state park office to inquire about the program, pick up an Adventure Journal, and begin exploring state parks. A full listing of state park programs can be found online on the Calendar of Events.