Strap in for 390 questions about the wildlife, geology, history, and culture of the national parks in this fun and portable game! Also included are five 10-second challenge cards to get your creativity flowing and your friends arguing passionately about which park rules them all.
Each question and answer needed to clock in around twenty words, and of course, still be accurate and entertaining. My co-author and I invented the structure of the categories (and the challenge cards!) and then delivered the manuscript on time and with very few changes needed. The game is selling great and I couldn’t be more proud!
Below are four sample questions—one from each of the four categories of the game, with two easy questions and two hard questions.
Plants, animals, and water
sample Question 1 (easy)
Question: About how long has it taken the Colorado River to carve the Grand Canyon?
A. 5 million years B. 15 million years C. 500,000 years D. 50 million years
Answer: A. 5 million years. That might seem like a long time compared to a human life, but geologically speaking it’s not much time at all.
GEOLOGY & ASTRONOMY
sample Question 2 (HARD)
Question: True or False: the 200-million-year-old logs that give Petrified Forest National Park its name represent a species of tree that no longer exists.
Answer: False. The fantastic preservation of the wood has enabled scientists to identify at least a dozen species of trees—including gingko, which we can still see today, and trees related to modern monkey puzzle trees.
CULTURAL HISTORY
sample Question 3 (easy)
Question: What pioneering crusader for women’s rights, conservation, and other causes coined the term “river of grass” and was a major voice in fighting for the establishment of Everglades National Park?
A. Susan B. Anthony B. Minerva Hamilton Hoyt C. Claire Marie Hodges D. Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Answer: D. Marjory Stoneman Douglas. She was an accomplished journalist and activist whose book The Everglades: River of Grass helped cement the creation of the park.
TOURISM
sample Question 4 (HARD)
Question: The Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest-elevation visitor center in the National Park Service at:
A. 9,796 feet B. 10,796 feet C. 11,796 feet D. 12,796 feet
Answer: C. 11,796 feet. It’s so high up that it’s typically only open about six months every year—from late May to mid-October—due to weather conditions. Most visitors also report at least some effects of altitude sickness.