An Outdoor Adventure Photo Scavenger Hunt

I recently wrote a piece called 6 Tiny Adventures to Boost Your Mood and in it, I suggested heading out on a Photo Scavenger Hunt. And though I originally proposed Google-searching your way to an already put-together list, I’m following up here with my own version.

You can do this scavenger hunt on your own, with a partner, or with a group of friends. It can be timed and competitive, (say, the first group to get 15 items on the list wins a case of beer) or not. You could also just keep the list in your day pack and use it as a way to motivate you to get out the door when it’s cold. 

Life is full of rules, let this be one area where you put 'play' front and center and just do what suits you.

Photo tips and ideas:

If you’re using your cell phone, try using portrait mode to give your photos some background blur.

Post your finds on your IG stories. This can be a fun way to keep tabs on what you've found and if you're doing a scavenger hunt and you're competing against others, it'll allow you to see what they've found in real-time. (If you're opting to do your scavenger hunt over a longer period of time, consider keeping your finds in your story highlights.

Use a camera that makes instant prints and create a collection of photos that you can have as keepsakes. 

The List:

▢ A tent
▢ Singletrack trail
▢ Alpenglow
▢ A butterfly
▢ Waterfall
▢ Four-leafed clover
▢ Something symmetrical
▢ A rainbow
▢ A helmet
▢ Wildflowers
▢ Animal tracks or prints
▢ A cute dog
▢ Selfie at a trailhead
▢ A hammock
▢ Cloud that looks like an animal
▢ Pinecone
▢ Trucker hat
▢ Sunrise or sunset
▢ Picnic table
▢ Feather
▢ A trail blaze
▢ Spider web
▢ A bridge
▢ Mushroom
▢ Your reflection (in a lake, puddle, etc.)
▢ Recycling bin
▢ Reusable water bottle
▢ Something orange
▢ Trash (bonus points for picking it up and packing it out)
▢ Park bench
▢ A VW van
▢ A bicycle