THAMES RIVER QUESTS OPEN ANY TIME THIS SUMMER

Instead of holding group gatherings as part of Connecticut Trails Day, The Thames River Heritage Park and Connecticut Sea Grant are inviting people to enjoy one or more of the four Thames River Quests any time this summer.

The treasure-hunt-style tours are available at Fort Trumbull State Park and the downtown Waterfront Park in New London, and Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park and Thames Street in Groton. Directions are available at bit.ly/trhpquests.

While exploring historic sites, participants follow clues to solve a word puzzle leading to an ending spot where people take a photo and email it to info@thamesriverheritagepark.org. They then will be entered into a drawing for heritage park T-shirts and water taxi tickets, with winners randomly selected throughout the summer.

Photos of the winners will be posted on the Thames River Heritage Park page on Facebook. In addition to the park and Connecticut Sea Grant, The Day Publishing Co. is also a sponsor.

“The quests offer families a safe and affordable opportunity to enjoy being outdoors on a pursuit that is both fun and educational,” heritage park board of directors President Marian Galbraith said in a statement.

“We enjoy partnering with the Thames River Heritage Park and The Day to highlight the maritime heritage and history of the Thames River region through this interactive quest,” Nancy Balcom, associate director of Connecticut Sea Grant, said in a statement.