Last week the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a new, high-tech way to explore the area using a location-based game called SCVNGR. Visitors get to interact with the people and places of Rapid City in a new and interactive way, all through their mobile phones.

Using their own smartphones, equipped with either an Apple iPhone or Google Android platform, visitors will be able to download the free SCVNGR application and navigate around Rapid City. The object is to complete challenges and earn points as you learn more about the city.

The Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau has built three “treks” on SCVNGR:

• The Rapid City Trek – highlights 11 of the most unique locations throughout the city.
• The Reptile Gardens Trek – leads visitors through the famous animal attraction that’s home to more species of reptiles and amphibians than any other zoo in the world.
• The City of Presidents Trek – leads visitors through a series of life-size bronze statues of our nation’s past presidents, all located in downtown Rapid City.

All of the treks showcase quick, fun challenges to do at each location. For example, players heading to Dinosaur Park will see a three point challenge to find their dinosaur “alter-ego.” Once found, players snap a picture with their new pal while giving their best fierce face and nab their three points.

Players earn points for completing challenges like this all across town and can choose to share their activity out to their friends via Facebook and Twitter and, of course, to other players on SCVNGR.

Michelle Thomson, Tourism Director for the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau said, “This is an exciting, interactive way for visitors and residents to experience and explore our city. We are excited to be one of the first cities to use this cutting-edge form of location-based social media.”

To play, grab the free SCVNGR app from the Android Market or Apple App Store, Once in the app, tap the treks tab and select the Rapid City, Reptile Gardens, or Presidents trek. Through the SCVNGR app, these treks can be accessed for free by anybody at any time.

Treks can also be played via text message by sending the trek’s keyword to 728647. If playing by text, keywords for the treks are:

• RAPIDCITY
• PRESIDENTS
• REPTILEGARDENS

“We are offering our visitors a way to not just tour the city, but actually play their way through the city,” Thomson said. “Players are saying it’s a lot of fun!”

For more information about Rapid City’s SCVNGR game, check out www.visitrapidcity.com/scvngr.