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First Day Hikes is a program of free, guided hikes offered by the fifty state park systems of the United States each year on New Year's Day. The program began locally in Massachusetts in 1992 and then went nationwide in 2012 under the aegis of the America's State Parks alliance.
The hikes are intended to promote an alternate way of celebrating the new year by going outside, getting some exercise, and experiencing local nature and history. In 2017, for instance, more than 62,000 people participated in First Day Hikes, covering over 110,000 miles (180,000 km) on some 1,300 hikes around the nation.
Hikes
The number of different hikes offered within each state varies, with for example in 2018 New Jersey listing 30, Oklahoma having 19, and California offering over 80 of them.
Hikes vary widely in duration and difficulty, with many being 1–3 miles (1.6–4.8 km) in length, easy-to-moderate in difficulty, and starting between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and taking one to two hours to complete. However some are very short and easy and are family-friendly for all ages, while others are strenuous with significant elevation gains. Still others, such as at Spruce Run Recreation Area in New Jersey or at Red Rock Canyon State Park in California, are all-day affairs. Walks often stop to hear the guides describe local flora, fauna, or historical sites of interest, such as at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in New Jersey. In some locations, park officials offer hot drinks and treats after the hikes. The number of participants on any given hike can range from a dozen to a hundred or more; some hikes even draw two or three hundred people, and in any case numbers often vary depending upon the weather.
In some cases, such as at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park in Nevada, guides may take participants into areas of a park normally off-limits to the general public. A few hikes feature modes other than walking, such as horseback riding, mountain biking, or all-terrain vehicles. Night hikes have even been held when there is an especially bright moon.
Cold weather is usually expected on January 1 across much of the nation and participants are advised to dress in layers appropriately. In cases of severe winter weather some of the hikes in a state may be cancelled, while others go on. People do turn out even in very cold weather, with for instance over 1,000 participants across Indiana in 2018 despite an average high temperature in the state that day of 1 °F (−17 °C).
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Purpose
The America's State Parks association proclaims, "What better way to kick off the New Year than by getting a jump start burning off those extra holiday calories in the great outdoors?" (The association emphasized that idea one year by saying that the hikes burned off the equivalent of over 41,000 fast-food hamburgers.) Or as New Jersey's park system says about the activity, "These free First Day Hikes offer a great incentive to get outside, exercise, experience history, enjoy nature, and celebrate the New Year with friends and family in one of your state parks." As one state parks official in Massachusetts itself said, "We want to launch the year saying, 'Get outside!'"
Some people engage in First Day Hikes to counteract the effects of New Year's Eve celebrations the night before, while others find the outdoor activity the best aspect of the whole holiday. Another parks official in Iowa said, "We started this as a health initiative, but it's really just grown into a good way to spend time with the family and do something that you maybe normally wouldn't do on that holiday."
References
- "Start 2018 with a hike". The Daily Advertiser. Lafayette, Louisiana. December 19, 2017.
- ^ "New Jersey State Parks Celebrate the New Year with First Day Hikes across the state on January 1, 2018". State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ Prather, Megan (December 30, 2017). "Oklahoma State Parks hosts annual First Day Hikes". The Duncan Banner.
- Forgione, Mary (December 29, 2017). "Start 2018 with free New Year's Day hikes in state parks nationwide. More than 80 are planned in California". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "2018 First Day Hikes Park List". California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- Cite error: The named reference
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Matheny, Ryan (December 27, 2017). "Waubonsie State Park gears up for annual First Day Hike". Shenandoah, Iowa: KMA radio.
- Hill, Julissa (December 27, 2017). "Kick off 2018 with annual hike at state park". The Franklin News-Post.
- Munks, Jamie (January 1, 2018). "Las Vegas group kicks off 2018 with exclusive hike". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ^ "State Parks visitors braved Arctic air on First Day Hikes". Kokomo Perspective. January 19, 2018.
- Ceneviva, Alex (January 1, 2018). "3 First Day Hikes cancelled due to extreme cold weather". New Haven, Connecticut: WTNH-TV.
- "Bitter Cold Forces Cancellation Of Some 'First Day Hikes'". Boston, Massachusetts: WBZ-TV. January 1, 2018.
- "First Day Hikes". America's State Parks. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- Cite error: The named reference
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - Palma, Kristi (December 27, 2016). "Join a First Day Hike at one of these 7 Massachusetts parks on New Year's Day". The Boston Globe.
External links