River Quest is a series of treasure hunts stretching throughout West Volusia County that utilize rhyming and riddle-like clues along with hand-drawn maps, icons and GPS coordinates to reveal special places and stories. They might meander through villages, historic sites, cemeteries, forests, wetlands and more. Quests are usually on-foot adventures that gently share and teach the cultural, historical and natural history of the region. They are a perfect way to spend special time with family or friends.

Current Quests include:

Persimmon Hollow Quest – Featuring the history of DeLand from its origins as a small river settlement, as recounted on our bronze markers throughout the Downtown DeLand historic district. It’s a nationally award-winning MainStreet community known for great shopping, dining, antiques and specialty shops and more.

Kingsbury’s Quest – This Quest makes for a nice long walk or easy bicycle ride through the charming town of Enterprise. Learn about its early settlement on Lake Monroe and growth during the glory days of the steamboat era on the St. Johns River.

DeBary’s Backcountry Retreat Quest – DeBary Hall was the winter retreat of a European-born wine merchant Frederick deBary who chose the St. Johns River country for his hunting estate.  DeBary built a large vacation house and tried his hand at orange growing and commercial steamboating. Once an estate of more than 6,000 acres, today’s 10-acre historic site still includes the 8,000-square-foot main house, stables and other structures, plus artifacts from the working farm. You’ll find remarkable buildings, a treasure trove of historical images, and many good stories.