Looking for something to do this summer?

Join Jackson County Parks and Experience Jackson for the first ever Jackson County Parks Challenge! 

Explore your Jackson County Parks and win prizes! This challenge is an initiative to highlight some of our hidden gems throughout the park system, as well as recent additions and improvements.

The contest runs between June 23, 2026-September 7, 2026.

How do I participate?

1. Download the Experience Jackson app
2. Click on “Challenges”
3. Select “Jackson County Parks Challenge 2026”
4. Visit and check in at least 8 of the locations, clinking “check in” in the middle of the screen at each to confirm your visit
5. Once you check in at those 8 locations, click “submit” at top center of the app challenge, enter your contact info and you’ve qualified for the water bottle and in the drawing (see details below).
6. Explore your parks and win prizes!

There are two prize levels: Anyone who visits and checks-in at 8 of the 14 locations by September 7, 2026 will collect a Jackson County Parks water bottle. Anyone who visits and checks in at 8 of the 14 locations by the end of July will be eligible for a drawing for tickets to a Detroit Tigers game! The drawing will take place at random on August 1, 2026 from all entries and winner will be notified by email or phone number provided in the app. The Detroit Tigers game prize includes four tickets to the game on 8/14/2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit. Those eligible for the water bottle, and the winner of the Tigers tickets (random) drawing will be contacted directly with the information they provide upon submitting their challenge completion in the app. Visits to these locations can happen any time within the contest duration, and check-ins all happen on the “challenge” tab of the Experience Jackson app. 

Note -Participants do not have to visit the locations in any particular order. 

Challenges take place at the following locations:

• Pleasant Lake County Park
• Sparks Museum at The Cascades (note- see app listing for hours/admission)
• The Cascades (note- see app listing for hours/admission)
• Cascades Ice Cream
• Falling Waters Trail (Various spots in Jackson and Spring Arbor)
• Alfred R. Snyder County Park
• Round Lake County Park
• Vandercook Lake – Townsend Beaman County Park
• Cascades Park
• Grass Lake County Park
• Swains Lake County Park
• Keeley Park

Learn more about all Jackson County Parks here.

General Contest Rules

ENTRY: No purchase necessary to enter or win. One entry per person. Contestants enter by either submitting information as request, which may include a digital form on the Experience Jackson website (www.experiencejackson.com) or other entry methods as specified for the contest; Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Experience Jackson and Jackson County Parks.

ELIGIBILITY: Contests are open to any legal U.S. resident, with some contests specifying age based on activity or content of prize. Employees of Experience Jackson or Jackson County Parks (along with its contractors, affiliates and subsidiaries) and their families are not eligible. Void where prohibited by law.

WINNER SELECTION: Winner will be chosen at random. One entry per person, per entry system. Odds of winning a prize depend on the number and quality of eligible entries received. All entries must be received prior to the specified time and date of drawing (eastern time zone).

PRIZES: As identified in the contest, the winner must pick up the prize from a specified location. The prize is nontransferable. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Experience Jackson and Jackson County Parks to use winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Winner may be required to show photo identification upon receiving the prize.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winner will be selected by a random drawing. Winners will be notified within 72 hours after the determination date. Experience Jackson and Jackson County Parks shall have no liability for Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for Winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If Winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 30 days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and release as required, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate Winner selected.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Participants hereby grant Experience Jackson and Jackson County Parks a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to publish, store, reproduce, distribute, and otherwise use and exhibit the submission (along with their names and/or likenesses) in all media now known and later come into being for purposes of trade or advertising without further compensation. Participants represent and warrant that they have full legal right, power and authority to grant Experience Jackson the foregoing license and if applicable, have secured all necessary rights from any participants in, and contributors to, their submission in order to grant such a license. Experience Jackson is under no obligation to use any submission.

CONDUCT: Experience Jackson and Jackson County Parks in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person it finds to be tampering with the entry process or is otherwise in violation of these rules.

LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: Experience Jackson and Jackson County Parks are not responsible for late, lost or misdirected email or for any computer, online or technical malfunctions that may occur.  If for any reason, the contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort, Experience Jackson may cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest.  Entrants further agree to release Experience Jackson from any liability resulting from or related to participation in the contest.

Any Jackson County Parks questions can be directed to (517) 768-2919.