First Day Hikes

First Day Hikes

The Nation’s 250th Anniversary was rung in by over 73,000 Visitors Participating in First Day Hikes Across the Country

More than 73, 000 Americans hiked approximately 150,000 miles in America’s State Parks on January 1st. Visitors climbed lighthouse stairs in Ohio, explored burnt orange sandstone in Utah, hiked through snow squalls in Rhode Island, and watched the sunrise in Hawaii.

In all, over 1,000 parks hosted events. A visitor from Auburn Valley State Park in Delaware remarked "we have been doing this for ten years, it helps our family start the year outside, together, facing a challenge together." A couple in Indiana taking part in a hike had met six years previously on a First Day Hike while an infant in Vermont spent their first January 1st at a state park. Many dogs, some wearing snow booties, joined in on hikes across the country as well.

Join us next year and make it a tradition in your family!