Outdoor Nebraska 250-Mile Challenge
Complete 250 miles of outdoor recreation in Nebraska throughout 2026 and enter to win prizes!
In 2026, America will commemorate its 250th anniversary since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Honor the occasion and show your appreciation for America’s natural spaces by participating in our Outdoor Nebraska 250-Mile Challenge!
How it works
- Complete 250 miles in 2026. From Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, complete 250 miles of logged activities outside in Nebraska, such as walking, hiking, horseback riding, running, biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hand cycling or kayaking.
- Track your miles. Use your favorite fitness tracker or app — including Strava, Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Fitness, RunKeeper, NikePlus — to track your logged activity miles or complete a personal mileage log.
Share your progress
- Post your adventures. Share photos throughout the year on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and tag Nebraska Game and Parks (@NEGameAndParks).
- Add a competitive twist. Participate in trail runs hosted by Angry Cow Adventures or other local races in your community, such as the Leprechaun Chase 10K at E.T. Mahoney State Park.
Finish and win
- Submit your miles. Once you reach 250 cumulative miles of logged activities, complete the form below and upload a screenshot documenting your mileage and a photo from one of your favorite outings.
- Earn rewards. After submitting your logged activity miles, you’ll receive a finisher sticker and be entered into a random drawing for prizes from our sponsors. Participants 12 and up are eligible to win prizes, excluding the grand prize — a two-night stay at a Nebraska state park (must be 18 or older).
The challenge is designed to encourage outdoor miles. If indoor miles are your only option for logged activities, such as running or cycling, they can be included toward the goal.
Yes, the miles should be logged in Nebraska.
Logging all miles in Nebraska state parks and recreation areas is not required, but we highly recommend hitting the trails in some of our beautiful state park areas during this challenge!
The minimum age is 12. To be eligible to win the grand prize, participants must be 18 years or older.
Many devices and apps have multiple reporting features if you log in to the app settings and select a timeframe. If you are having a difficult time locating this functionality, try looking at the app’s website or help section. Often times you can find help in forums.
You can take a screenshot of your miles from your fitness app or take a picture of your totals. Note: This should not be your step count, but logged activity miles only.
You can take a screenshot of your miles for each logged activity for a cumulative total of 250 miles.
Yes, a written log of total is acceptable.
Keep track of your own miles, then submit them once you hit 250.
Yes. However, each person is only eligible for one prize.
No, this challenge is designed to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary by logging 250 miles of outdoor recreation. Your Parks Adventure will launch in May 2026.
Enter your miles
Complete this form once you have documented 250 miles in 2026.
Sponsors
Special thanks to these prize sponsors, in partnership with Angry Cow Adventures and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, for their generous donations:
Promotional partners
We’d also like to give thanks to the following promotional partners:
Contact us
If you have questions about the challenge or would like to sponsor a prize, please reach out to Christy Firestone.
America’s semiquincentennial
In 2026, Nebraska Game and Parks will join the nation in commemorating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The semiquincentennial is a unique opportunity to connect Nebraskans with the state’s rich natural, cultural, and outdoor heritage.
