Valley Quests are a unique Upper Valley tradition. These treasure hunts take you on a journey through farms, fields, towns, and forests as you learn about the cultural and natural heritage of a place. Valley Quests were created in 1994 by Delia Clark and Stephen Glazer. Together, Stephen and Delia wrote a book on Questing as well as the original Valley Quest guides. Since then, over 160 quests have been created in our region. Nowadays, you can use our Quest Finder to search for quests online by terrain, difficulty, location, and season.
Our Valley Quest program would not be possible without the assistance of our wonderful box monitors. These volunteers make sure the treasure boxes are out, create quests, and check on the trails.
Linda Kahl’s Valley Quest Guidebook is chock full of Quest stamps.
Our most active box monitors have turned this Upper Valley tradition into a family tradition! Sisters Linda Kahl and Lois Frazer, alongside their husbands Tom Kahl and Ted Frazer, collectively monitor over 60 quests. Linda and Lois grew up in South Strafford; while Lois stayed in the Upper Valley, Linda moved to Maine for 34 years. Whenever Linda came back to the Upper Valley to visit she would ask Lois to take her on a Valley Quest. As an avid quester, Lois’ usual answer to Linda’s queries was that she had already done the quests Linda proposed.
When Linda and Tom returned to the Upper Valley nine years ago, they happily became box monitors! According to Linda, she gets “caught up in the coolness of all the adventures.” Her quest guide books are a testament to the many quests she has completed, as they are filled with colorful stamps from all over the region. She’s even gotten her grandchildren in on the fun!
We recommend checking out the Stafford Watershed Quest that Linda and Lois created. Linda also recommends exploring in Woodstock, as there are six quests nearby. “Go spend a day. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with the area.”
Are you interested in becoming a Valley Quest Box Monitor? Email volunteer@vitalcommunities.org to join the team. We are always looking for passionate volunteers to help us keep the quests in tip top shape.