The Oregon Trail State Volkssport Association (OTSVA) provides the opportunity to participate in long term scavenger hunts or challenges. The AVA has special Programs which are National walking challenges.
A long-time series of challenges is based on the alphabet. To earn colorful patches to use or display, you will record your encounters with various qualifying objects seen or experienced on our sanctioned walking routes. For each letter, there are four separate categories of qualifiers to find. Some examples of the targets are banks, candy stores, gazebos, water towers, ocean beaches, unique sights, totem poles, yogurt shops, or zoos. You will need to find seven of each category for a total of 28 walking events. Some qualifiers are easy and quick to find while some will take more effort and time to collect. These challenges are an incentive to get out and away from your regular walking areas to explore the many interesting areas throughout Oregon and the rest of the AVA Northwest Region including Alaska, Washington, and Idaho.
To participate in a Letter challenge, you purchase a challenge book to keep your record of qualifiers by stamping them with the approved IVV/AVA stamp associated with the sanctioned walk. After collecting the stamps for all 28 qualifiers, the book is sent back to be redeemed and returned with the colorful patch for that challenge.
Please Note: OTSVA is selling bundles of the 26 alphabet challenges, including books and patches for $130
New challenges are created by the OTSVA on a regular basis. The Peace Pole challenge sales will continue through the end of 2026. After that you'll have two more years to redeem the booklets. These are the poles you see planted around our communities with the message of "May Peace Prevail On Earth". Each pole has that phrase repeated in several other languages that are important to that community. The challenge will require you to complete 20 sanctioned walks that pass by a Peace Pole. There is a webpage that has detailed information about the program and pole locations.
https://www.worldpeace.org/peacepoleproject/
https://www.worldpeace.org/peace-pole-map-2/
The Butterfly challenge is the new challenge for 2026. This is an OTSVA challenge. Sales will run until Dec. 31, 2028. Each book and patch will be $12.00. After that you'll have two more years to redeem the booklets.
Butterfly walks qualify if there are murals, yard displays or art, butterfly gardens, butterfly parks, signs, artwork or other semi-permanent displays featuring butterflies. Regional walks in AK, WA, ID and OR qualify. The same walk may be used multiple times.
A long-time series of challenges is based on the alphabet. To earn colorful patches to use or display, you will record your encounters with various qualifying objects seen or experienced on our sanctioned walking routes. For each letter, there are four separate categories of qualifiers to find. Some examples of the targets are banks, candy stores, gazebos, water towers, ocean beaches, unique sights, totem poles, yogurt shops, or zoos. You will need to find seven of each category for a total of 28 walking events. Some qualifiers are easy and quick to find while some will take more effort and time to collect. These challenges are an incentive to get out and away from your regular walking areas to explore the many interesting areas throughout Oregon and the rest of the AVA Northwest Region including Alaska, Washington, and Idaho.
To participate in a Letter challenge, you purchase a challenge book to keep your record of qualifiers by stamping them with the approved IVV/AVA stamp associated with the sanctioned walk. After collecting the stamps for all 28 qualifiers, the book is sent back to be redeemed and returned with the colorful patch for that challenge.
Please Note: OTSVA is selling bundles of the 26 alphabet challenges, including books and patches for $130
New challenges are created by the OTSVA on a regular basis. The Peace Pole challenge sales will continue through the end of 2026. After that you'll have two more years to redeem the booklets. These are the poles you see planted around our communities with the message of "May Peace Prevail On Earth". Each pole has that phrase repeated in several other languages that are important to that community. The challenge will require you to complete 20 sanctioned walks that pass by a Peace Pole. There is a webpage that has detailed information about the program and pole locations.
https://www.worldpeace.org/peacepoleproject/
https://www.worldpeace.org/peace-pole-map-2/
The Butterfly challenge is the new challenge for 2026. This is an OTSVA challenge. Sales will run until Dec. 31, 2028. Each book and patch will be $12.00. After that you'll have two more years to redeem the booklets.
Butterfly walks qualify if there are murals, yard displays or art, butterfly gardens, butterfly parks, signs, artwork or other semi-permanent displays featuring butterflies. Regional walks in AK, WA, ID and OR qualify. The same walk may be used multiple times.
The current challenge coordinator information is below.
Dan Webster
1195 SW Jay Ct.
Aloha, OR 97003-3709
Cell: 971-221-4994 [Initial Text preferred]
Dan Webster
1195 SW Jay Ct.
Aloha, OR 97003-3709
Cell: 971-221-4994 [Initial Text preferred]
| 2025_nw_region_challenge_spreadsheets.pdf |
| 2025_alphabet_challenge_spreadsheets.pdf |
WINTER WALK CHALLENGES OREGON and WASHINGTON
Oregon is not doing the Winter Walk Challenge. You may participate in the Washington Walk Challenge if you are an active member of a Washington club. Walks in Oregon, Idaho or Alaska along with Washington are accepted for the challenge.
| winter_walk_contest.pdf |
For AVA CHALLENGES check out the AVA Special Programs and the Centurion Challenge.
Washington (ESVA) Evergreen State Volkssport Association has challenges that are open to Oregon residents
Washington (ESVA) Evergreen State Volkssport Association has challenges that are open to Oregon residents
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A Labyrinth found along the trail in the town of Rogue River, OR.
It qualifies but it does not look permanent.
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