North Dakota’s hiking challenge kicks off at state parks

GRAND FORKS — North Dakota is inviting people to start the new year by getting outside — but that doesn’t mean participants had to have started the 2026 Hiking Challenge on Jan. 1. “The hiking challenge basically runs every quarter and people can join at any point in the quarter where it's active,” said Josh Steffan, education and programs division chief with the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department. “They can start March 1 if they wanted.” The hiking challenge is on the OuterSpatial App, where participants can log their experience, earn digital badges and entries into quarterly prize drawings. Steffan said this is the second year the...