Long drive ahead? Long car rides can get boring. But what if you could turn your road trip into a hilarious, interactive game that keeps everyone engaged from Point A to Point B?
Add some fun and laughter with a road trip scavenger hunt! In this blog, we’ll share a mix of funny and GPS-based scavenger hunt ideas, plus templates and tools to help you get started.
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These road trip scavenger hunt missions will turn any drive into a hilarious, interactive adventure. Packed with funny challenges, laugh-out-loud moments, and local-friendly tips for U.S. travel, they’re the perfect way to explore America one pit stop at a time.
At your next gas station stop, each player must pick one bizarre item for under $5 (or local currency). Use these to create the wildest possible outfit, then walk the “runway” by your car. Some U.S. gas stations sell everything from cowboy hats to bathrobes. You could leave with an entirely new look.
Spot a cow on the roadside or find a cow statue in a town. Snap a selfie with it (safely, of course). Texas alone has over 13 million cows, more than any other U.S. state, so this challenge is especially fun if you’re driving through Texas or the Southern states. You'll likely spot a few herds or quirky cow statues along the way.
Next time you hit a drive-thru, place your order using a made-up accent or in pirate speak. Bonus points if you stay in character.
Fun Fact - The first drive-thru opened in Missouri in 1947, long before anyone ordered fries in a French accent.
Find a funny or oddly specific road sign and try to copy its pose or message using your body. Example: There’s a road sign in Alaska that says “No Moose After Dark.” Real sign. Real mystery.
At your next highway rest stop, solve a riddle or trivia question tied to the area’s history or geography. There are over 1,800 rest stops in the U.S., and many have unique regional displays or info boards.
Find a regional snack you’ve never tried before, something truly local, then rate it from 1 to 10. In Hawaii, Spam musubi is a common snack found even in gas stations and convenience stores.
Find the weirdest souvenir you can at a roadside shop. Think: alien mug, rubber chicken, or oddly specific keychain. ‘South of the Border’ in South Carolina is famous for its bizarre souvenir collection.
Arriving in a small town? Trigger trivia about local folklore, legends, or unsolved mysteries. The Mothman of West Virginia even has a dedicated museum and festival!
At each brewery or bar stop, complete a mini task like try a local beer or high-five the bartender. There are over 9,000 breweries in the U.S.; that’s a lot of potential missions.
Keep a lookout for license plates from all 50 states. Snap a photo for each new one you spot. Hawaii plates are the rarest to spot unless you're in Hawaii, of course.
Setting up your road trip scavenger hunt with PlayTours scavenger hunt app is simple and powerful. Unlike other platforms, PlayTours offers three types of GPS task types, making it more flexible for all kinds of road trip challenges.
Here’s how to do it:
Start by signing up on the PlayTours admin. It’s free to create your game and test all the features.
PlayTours offers three unique types of GPS-based task options, giving you more flexibility than other platforms. Whether you want a mission to show the location or require a manual check-in without showing the location to the participants, there’s a GPS mode that fits.
Add accurate coordinates to ensure players arrive at the correct spot. This helps the GPS trigger activate precisely and makes it easier for participants to complete the task smoothly.
To increase engagement, combine GPS check-ins with an additional task type, such as Photo, Video, or Trivia. You can select multiple task types, including AI-judged tasks, which don’t require manual checking.
Tip: Enable the “Hide Next Task” setting on your GPS task. This keeps the follow-up mission hidden until players successfully check in at the location, adding mystery and flow to the game.
Now that the challenge setup is complete, you’re ready to customize the game to your preferred style.
Example - For the Gas Station Fashion Show, set up a GPS + Photo mission that activates when players arrive at a gas station. They snap and upload their “runway” look.
If you prefer something easy and screen-free, a printable scavenger hunt is a great way to add fun to your road trip. We’ve created free road trip scavenger hunt printables that you can print and start using right away. Whether you’re using just the templates or turning them into interactive missions with PlayTours, the setup is quick and simple, no stress, just fun.
A: Adult scavenger hunt clues can be witty, challenging, or tied to local landmarks. For road trips, try clues based on roadside attractions, regional snacks, historical markers, or pop culture references.
A: Start by choosing your route and key stops. Then, create missions based on local culture, scenery, or food. Use a GPS-based scavenger hunt app like PlayTours to trigger tasks at specific locations. You can mix trivia, photo challenges, and dares for variety. Make sure to include a scoring system and set a time limit for each mission.
A: Keep it fun and lighthearted! Popular prize ideas include:
1. Gas station gift cards
2. Local souvenirs
3. Funny trophies (like “Most Ridiculous Outfit”)
4. First pick of snacks at the next stop
5. Free drinks or dinner on the next leg of the trip
A: Make it exciting by adding creative tasks, regional challenges, and team-based competition. Include dares, GPS-triggered surprises, and time-limited bonus missions. Use photo or video uploads for instant laughs, and keep things unpredictable by hiding future tasks until current ones are complete.
A: It depends on your travel schedule. Some players prefer short 1–2 hour games during stretches of downtime, while others run their scavenger hunt throughout the entire trip. With PlayTours, you can schedule GPS-triggered missions across multiple cities or states, perfect for multi-day adventures.
With these funny, GPS-based scavenger hunt ideas, you can transform a long drive into a truly unforgettable experience. Using a scavenger hunt app like PlayTours makes it easy to set up interactive, location-based missions that engage everyone in the car, whether you're planning a day trip or a cross-country journey. So pack your bags, charge your phone, and let the hunt begin.
That's it! If you need help, do email us at hello@playtours.app
