Sunrise Sampler: Three Gems Before Lunch

First light on an oak savanna, dew on a remnant prairie, then the Tippecanoe River below Norway Dam.

Play this quest in Shenanigo

An early-bird loop east of Remington. Watch the sun come up over Fisher Oak Savanna (NICHES Land Trust), with its black oak dune ridges and wet prairie. Then walk the edge of Spinn Prairie, a 29-acre remnant of the tallgrass prairie that once covered this country (The Nature Conservancy). Finish at the Norway Dam public fishing area on the Tippecanoe River north of Monticello, just in time for a late breakfast in town.

Best at sunrise. About 35 miles of driving; allow 3 hours. Note: Fisher Oak is in Jasper County on Central time, while Spinn Prairie and Monticello are on Eastern time.

Fisher Oak: Free. Open dawn to dusk, December through October; NICHES closes its preserves for all of November for a deer-control hunt. In November, start at Spinn Prairie instead. Spinn Prairie is open sunrise to sunset, but it has no parking lot and no trail: park on the road shoulder and enjoy it from the edge. An active railroad runs along the west side, so stay off the tracks. Both are state nature preserves: no picnicking and take nothing. Norway Dam PFA is a free DNR fishing site with a pier. Never wade below the dam, where the currents change without warning.

Wear something bright on the road shoulder and long pants for dew and ticks. Watch for hunting from October to early January.

Play safe: stay on public sidewalks and grounds, respect private property, and never read your phone while driving.

Quest details

More quests: all Shenanigo quests in Monticello.

Play it free on your phone. Go in daylight, stay on public ground and follow local rules.