Gnomes are popping up along the trails at Joe Ford Nature Center, and families are invited to join the search. Owensboro Parks & Recreation is hosting a free scavenger hunt this Saturday in celebration of National Trail Day, offering a fun and relaxed way to enjoy the outdoors.
The event will take place from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Joe Ford Nature Center, located at 3870 West Second Street.
Participants can walk the trails and search for hidden garden gnomes — the classic kind with hats and beards — while enjoying the peaceful setting of the nature center. Along the way, they’ll scan QR codes to track their finds and complete a fun digital form. The event also includes prize giveaways, interactive challenges, and a special golden gnome for one lucky seeker to discover.
“We’ve hidden garden gnomes — the classic kind with the hats and beards — throughout the trails,” said Brittany Klotzback, recreation superintendent for Owensboro Parks & Recreation. “Families will be able to scan QR codes to track which ones they’ve found and fill out a fun Google form as they go.”
Anyone who finds the golden gnome can take a selfie and post it to social media using the hashtag #obkyparks and tagging Owensboro Parks to be entered in a prize drawing — which includes a real yard gnome, a family pass to the Edge Ice Center, and pool passes to Cravens or Combest.
Klotzback said the event was inspired in part by her own family.
“I have young children, and I think it’s important to instill in them early the value of being outside,” she said. “When you make it fun — like adding gnomes or turning it into a game — it helps them connect with nature in a different way.”
No registration is required, and the event is open to all ages. Trails are beginner-friendly and suitable for younger kids and casual walkers. A smartphone is recommended for scanning QR codes and capturing photos.
Volunteers and board members from Joe Ford Nature Center will be on site, and the nature center building will be open with reptiles on display and staff available to share details about upcoming programs.
“It’s a great opportunity to explore a space that people might not visit often,” Klotzback said. “We hope it encourages families to get outside, slow down, and maybe go home with a gnome.”
