Are you taking a trip to the Midwest? How about to the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, or Wisconsin? Do you know about the National Park Junior Ranger Program? If you are be sure to check out to see if a National Park Service Junior Ranger Program in the Midwest is near you.
What is the Junior Ranger Program?
“Explore, Learn, and Protect!” The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country; each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family.
The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity based program conducted in almost all parks, and some Junior Ranger programs are national. Many national parks offer young visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service “family” as Junior Rangers.
Interested youth complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and Junior Ranger certificate. Junior Rangers are typically between the ages of 5 to 13, although people of all ages can participate.
Junior Ranger Program Online
Sometimes you can’t make it to the specific site. There are some badges that can be earned online by downloading the packet or contacting the site by email/phone/mail. Once you complete the packet you can mail the packet to an address and the site will mail you back a badge and certificate. If this is available at the site it will be indicated with “**Online Available**”.
There are other fun Junior Ranger Badges you can earn at home like Junior Archeologist Badge, Junior Cave Scientist Badge, and Junior Ranger Let’s Go Fishing! Badge. Check out the complete list of Junior Ranger Specialty Badges.
Junior Ranger Badge Display
Collecting Junior Ranger Badges while visiting National Parks and Sites is a great way to show all the kids have learned over the years. Have your many badges from the Junior Ranger Programs in the Midwest? Why not display them. I’m sharing Junior Ranger Badge Display that’s fun and easy to make.
Junior Ranger Programs in Illinois
ILLINOIS (IL)
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Pullman National Monument
Junior Ranger Programs in Indiana
INDIANA (IN)
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Junior Ranger Programs in Iowa
IOWA (IA)
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
Junior Ranger Programs in Kansas
KANSAS (KS)
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Junior Ranger Programs in Michigan
MICHIGAN (MI)
Isle Royale National Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park **Online Available**
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
River Raisin National Battlefield Park
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Junior Ranger Programs in Minnesota
MINNESOTA (MN)
Grand Portage National Monument
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Pipestone National Monument **Online Available**
Voyageurs National Park **Online Available**
Junior Ranger Programs in Missouri
MISSOURI (MO)
Gateway Arch National Park
George Washington Carver National Monument
Harry S. Truman National Historic Site **Online Available**
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield
Junior Ranger Programs in Nebraska
NEBRASKA (NE)
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Homestead National Monument of America
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail **Online Available**
Niobrara National Scenic River
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Junior Ranger Programs in Ohio
OHIO (OH)
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument **Online Available**
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
First Ladies National Historic Site
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
James A. Garfield National Historic Site
Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial
William Howard Taft National Historic Site
Junior Ranger Programs in Wisconsin
WISCONSIN (WI)
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore **Online Available**
Great River Road Visitor and Learning Center
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
Map of all Junior Ranger Programs
Interested in Junior Ranger Programs in other areas check out the following: