The summer may be winding down and the kids are going back to school, but local parks and trails are open well after pools and camps are closed and vacations are only memories.

There is still plenty of good weather left to enjoy Luzerne County’s beautiful natural resources with the Keystone Active Zone Passport – a free program that encourages people of all ages and abilities to get outside and active at close-to-home parks, trails and events.

In addition to our four spectacular state parks, the passport lists many wonderful outdoor places that are free and open to all. The passport’s 30 “stops,” all within an hour’s drive of most county residents, offer a wide menu of opportunities to be active outdoors. With the passport, you can visit places such as the Avondale Mine Disaster Memorial Garden on the Susquehanna Warrior Trail in Plymouth Township; stroll the main street of Eckley Miners Village, an authentic coal patch town in Freeland; explore the Seven Tubs or the new Natural Land Trust Bear Creek Preserve, both off state Route 315, or discover Lock 28 on the Lehigh Gorge Trail in White Haven, once considered the tallest canal locks in the world.

You also can enjoy the Pittston RiverFest, on Sept. 12, and join a guided bicycle ride on the Pittston Trail on Sept, 20.

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There is still plenty of summer left to join the fun before the program ends on Sept. 30. It’s easy to participate by registering on the program’s website, www.KAZpassport.org.

Participants visit as many stops as they wish, find the answers to each stop’s unique questions, then return to the website to log their answers. The more stops visited and logged, the greater the chances to earn awards, win prizes and discover all our great public, outdoor resources.

Become a Luzerne County explorer and start your outdoor adventure today; discovery is just beyond your front door.

Carol Hussa

Healthy community coordinator

Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA