First Day Hikes

{{Short description|Guided hike program in the United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}} thumb|130px|upright|right|First Day Hikes logo

'''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 {{convert|110000|mi}} on some 1,300 hikes around the nation.<ref name="dailyad"/> Or in 2026, when there were around 73,000 people hiking some {{convert|150000|mi}}.<ref name="asp-2026"/>

==Hikes== [[Image:Monmouth Battlefield State Park First Day Hike 2015 open fields turn.jpg|thumb|left|A group of First Day Hike participants in 2015 at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in New Jersey makes a turn after crossing an open field]]

The number of different hikes offered within each state varies, with for example in 2018 New Jersey listing 30,<ref name="nj-2018"/> Oklahoma having 19,<ref name="ok-2018">{{cite news | url=http://www.duncanbanner.com/news/oklahoma-state-parks-hosts-annual-first-day-hikes/article_edb2652c-ed01-11e7-bba5-0f3d56d9092f.html | title=Oklahoma State Parks hosts annual First Day Hikes | first=Megan | last=Prather | newspaper=The Duncan Banner | date=December 30, 2017}}</ref> and California offering over 80 of them.<ref name="lat-2017">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-california-new-years-day-hikes-at-state-parks-20171228-story.html | title=Start 2018 with free New Year's Day hikes in state parks nationwide. More than 80 are planned in California | first=Mary | last=Forgione | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>

Hikes vary widely in duration and difficulty, with many being {{convert|1|-|3|mi}} 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.<ref name="nj-2018"/><ref name="ok-2018"/> However some are very short and easy and are family-friendly for all ages, while others are strenuous with significant elevation gains.<ref name="nj-2018"/><ref name="ca-2018"/> 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.<ref name="ca-2018">{{cite web | url=https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28055 | title=2018 First Day Hikes Park List | publisher=California Department of Parks and Recreation | access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref name="nj-2018"/> In some locations, park officials offer hot drinks and treats after the hikes.<ref name="bmag"/><ref name="bsun"/> 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.<ref name="kma">{{cite news | url=http://www.kmaland.com/news/waubonsie-state-park-gears-up-for-annual-first-day-hike/article_64cbd240-ea7a-11e7-86d2-e303b9d5dcf4.html | title=Waubonsie State Park gears up for annual First Day Hike | publisher=KMA radio | location=Shenandoah, Iowa | first=Ryan | last=Matheny | date=December 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/news/local/kick-off-with-annual-hike-at-state-park/article_175f5d62-eb4a-11e7-8437-775b7652dbd7.html | title=Kick off 2018 with annual hike at state park | first=Julissa | last=Hill | newspaper=The Franklin News-Post | date=December 27, 2017}}</ref><ref name="bsun"/>

[[Image:Colorado First Day Hike (16167721392).jpg|thumb|right|A First Day Hike in James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park in Colorado in 2015]]

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.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/las-vegas-group-kicks-off-2018-with-exclusive-hike/ | title=Las Vegas group kicks off 2018 with exclusive hike | first=Jamie | last=Munks | newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal | date=January 1, 2018}}</ref> A few hikes feature modes other than walking, such as horseback riding, mountain biking, or all-terrain vehicles.<ref name="nj-2018"/><ref name="ca-2018"/> Night hikes have even been held when there is an especially bright moon.<ref name="in-2018"/>

Cold weather is usually expected on January 1 across much of the nation and participants are advised to dress in layers appropriately.<ref name="nj-2018"/> In cases of severe winter weather some of the hikes in a state may be cancelled, while others go on.<ref name="nj-2018"/><ref>{{cite news | url=http://wtnh.com/2018/01/01/3-first-day-hikes-cancelled-due-to-extreme-cold-weather/ | title=3 First Day Hikes cancelled due to extreme cold weather | first=Alex | last=Ceneviva | publisher=WTNH-TV | location=New Haven, Connecticut | date=January 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://boston.cbslocal.com/2018/01/01/first-day-hikes-massachusetts-cancelled/ | title=Bitter Cold Forces Cancellation Of Some 'First Day Hikes' | publisher=WBZ-TV | location=Boston, Massachusetts | date=January 1, 2018}}</ref> 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 {{convert|1|F}}.<ref name="in-2018">{{cite news | url=http://kokomoperspective.com/sports/state-parks-visitors-braved-arctic-air-on-first-day-hikes/article_06fb4786-fad8-11e7-bb65-1b9b66102ba9.html | title=State Parks visitors braved Arctic air on First Day Hikes | newspaper=Kokomo Perspective | date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>

==History== [[Image:Caledon Natural Area (6618241333).jpg|thumb|left|A group of all ages during a First Day Hike in Caledon State Park in Virginia in 2012, the first year the practice went national]]

The tradition began on January 1, 1992, at the Blue Hills Reservation state park in Norfolk County, Massachusetts outside of Boston.<ref name="bmag">{{cite news | url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2016/12/21/massachusetts-first-day-hikes-2017/ | title=Where to Take First Day Hikes in Massachusetts | first=Jamie | last=Ducharme | magazine=Boston magazine | date=December 21, 2016}}</ref> It was the idea of Patrick Flynn, supervisor of Blue Hills Reservation, who had remembered a February winter hike taking place in his home state of Ohio.<ref name="pl"/> The New Years Day hike at Blue Hills drew 380 people that first year, and has since become so popular at that site that the parking lots become full and people must stop their cars along nearby roadsides.<ref name="pl"/> The start of 2018 marked the 27th annual First Day Hike at Blue Hills Reservation.<ref name="bhr-grand">{{cite web | url=http://friendsofthebluehills.org/calendar/?date1=all | title=Blue Hills Reservation 27th Annual First Day Hikes | publisher=Friends of the Blue Hills | access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref> For his contribution, Flynn subsequently received an award from the National Association of State Park Directors; as one Massachusetts state official said at the ceremony, "One person having one idea can really spark a revolution."<ref name="pl">{{cite news | url=http://www.patriotledger.com/news/20160101/braintree-man-honored-for-starting-national-first-day-hikes | title=Braintree man honored for starting national First Day hikes | first=Sue | last=Scheible | newspaper=The Patriot Ledger | location=Quincy, Massachusetts | date=January 2, 2016}}</ref>

Breakheart Reservation in Massachusetts was another park that started the practice early on.<ref name="hist-from-ca">{{cite web | url=https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29786 | title=History of America's State Parks First Day Hikes | publisher=California Department of Parks and Recreation | access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> Then in 2008, hikes were added at other sites in Massachusetts under the sponsorship of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.<ref name="pl"/> The hikes continued to grow in popularity in that state.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2017/12/ring_in_the_new_year_with_hikes_at_massachusetts_parks | title=Ring in the new year with hikes at Massachusetts parks | agency=Associated Press | newspaper=Boston Herald | date=December 31, 2017}}</ref>

Independently, another first day walk tradition began on January 1, 1970, in Assateague State Park on the Maryland Eastern Shore.<ref name="md-assa"/> It was started by two women who sought to celebrate the beauty of Assateague Island and rally against plans to develop it.<ref name="md-assa"/> It subsequently became an annual tradition, with the 30th iteration taking place in 2010,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.oceancity.com/winter-ocean-city-sparkling-fun/ | title=Winter in Ocean City: Sparkling fun | publisher=OceanCity.com | date=November 30, 2009 | access-date=January 16, 2018}}</ref> and became very popular over time, with people driving from various other parts of the state to join in with up to 300 others.<ref name="bsun">{{cite news | url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bs-sp-outdoors-first-day-hike-20151226-story.html | title=First Day Hikes give a 'great perspective for the coming year' | first=Mike | last=Klingaman | newspaper=The Baltimore Sun | date=December 27, 2015}}</ref> The Ilia Fehrer / Judy Johnson Memorial Beach Walk, named after the two women who started it, is now part of Maryland's roster of First Day Hikes.<ref name="md-assa">{{cite web | url=http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/firstdayhikes.aspx | title=Maryland State Park First Day Hikes 1/1/2018 | publisher=Maryland Department of Natural Resources | access-date=January 16, 2018}}</ref>

During 2011, Priscilla Geigis, the director of state parks in the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, suggested that other state park directors in nearby states adopt the practice.<ref name="hist-from-ca"/> The idea quickly spread and by the end of the year, state park directors across the country had become involved.<ref name="hist-from-ca"/> Thus, First Day Hikes became a nationwide event on January 1, 2012,<ref name="bg-2016"/> under the America's State Parks association,<ref name="asp-2018"/> with some 400 hikes being offered.<ref name="hist-from-ca"/> The practice has continued to grow in popularity since then. In 2016, about 55,000 participants were involved in the hikes nationwide.<ref name="bg-2016"/> with that number exceeding 62,000 in 2017 with some 1,300 hikes being given.<ref name="dailyad">{{cite news | url=http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2017/12/19/start-2018-hike/964698001/ | title=Start 2018 with a hike | newspaper=The Daily Advertiser | location=Lafayette, Louisiana | date=December 19, 2017}}</ref>

[[Image:First Day Hike Patapsco State Park - 50789072308.jpg|thumb|right|Masks being worn by hikers in 2021 at Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland]]

The effects of the 2017–18 North American cold wave, which gave frigid temperatures across much of the nation, resulted in numbers for 2018 decreasing to 32,000 participants across some 1,200 hikes.<ref name="in-2018"/><ref>{{cite press release | url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20180112c | title=Despite Freezing Weather More Than 950 People Participate in First Day Hikes at Texas State Parks | publisher=Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> The numbers rebounded in 2019 with 55,000 people engaging in hikes that totally some 133,000 miles walked.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/624131163/?terms=%22first%20day%20hikes%22%2055000%20133000&match=1 | title=State parks across Montana to offer guided 'First Day Hikes' on holiday | agency=Associated Press | newspaper=Great Falls Tribune | date=December 30, 2019 | page=3A | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The start of a new decade on January 1, 2020 saw almost 85,000 people hiking a total of over 175,000 miles.<ref name="wv-2021">{{cite news | url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/put-your-best-foot-forward-in-2021-start-the-year-with-a-first-day-hike/article_9d5469fd-c72f-500c-93ed-ced6803a303a.html | title=Put your best foot forward in 2021: Start the year with a First Day Hike | author-first=Rick | author-last=Steelhammer | newspaper=Charleston Gazette-Mail | date=December 30, 2020}}</ref>

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States had an impact on First Day Hikes as it did almost everything else. For the January 1, 2021 hikes, some states such as New Jersey and Minnesota cancelled them altogether, with perhaps suggestions for what could be undertaken on one's own;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.njhiking.com/first-day-hikes/ | title=Celebrate the New Year with 'First Day Hikes' | publisher=NJ Hiking | date=December 16, 2020 | access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.startribune.com/get-2021-off-on-the-right-foot-with-these-first-day-hike-ideas-in-minnesota/600005691/ | title=Get 2021 off on the right foot with these 'first day hike' ideas in Minnesota | author-first=Bob | author-last=Timmons | newspaper=Minneapolis Star Tribune | date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> some states such as Connecticut and Arkansas offered self-guided hikes, with provisions to share experiences virtually afterward or gain participation badges;<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/state-park-first-day-hikes-program-goes-virtual-self-guided-for-new-year-e2-80-99s-2021/ar-BB1coVB3?ocid=uxbndlbing | title=State park First Day Hikes program goes virtual, self-guided for New Year's 2021 | author-first=Amanda | author-last=Blanco | newspaper=Hartford Courant | date=January 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/dec/31/entertainment-notes/ | title=Entertainment Notes: Annual 'First Day Hikes' to be self-guided | author-first=Eric E. | author-last=Harrison | newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> and some states such as New York and West Virginia went forward with guided hikes, but on a smaller scale and with social distancing related measures in place.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://parks.ny.gov/events/first-day-hikes.aspx | title=First Day/First Weekend Hikes – 10th Anniversary! | publisher=New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation | access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref><ref name="wv-2021"/>

[[Image:Alapocus Run State Park First Day Hike 2026 start at Blue Ball Barn.jpg|thumb|left|Sign showing both America 250 branding and a state park system's 75th anniversary, at the start of a hike in Alapocas Run State Park in Delaware in 2026]]

Beginning in 2023, the number of hikes rebounded to levels roughly similar to before the pandemic,<ref name="ctfp-2024"/> with over 1,000 hikes being offered in a year.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/welcome-2024-in-the-outdoors-on-a-first-day-hike-in-americas-state-parks-302023419.html | title=Welcome 2024 in the outdoors on a First Day Hike in America's State Parks | publisher=PRNewswire | date=December 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/pinnacle-outlook-hikers-join-1-000-state-parks-nationwide-for-the-2025-first-day-hikes/article_0660091c-c888-11ef-b9c0-57cb9eb2f2f7.html | title= Pinnacle Outlook hikers join 1,000 state parks nationwide for the 2025 First Day Hikes program | first=Sarah | last=Nicell | newspaper=LNP | date=January 2, 2025}}</ref> In 2024, Texas set a record for any state by having 17,000 total miles hiked in a single year.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2024-12-27/greet-the-new-year-on-a-first-day-hike/ | title=Greet the New Year on a First Day Hike | first=Amber | last=Williams | newspaper=The Austin Chronicle | date=December 27, 2024}}</ref> Nationwide, the year 2024 also saw milestones being reached of over 500,000 participants having walked over 1,000,000 miles during the existence of the program.<ref name="ctfp-2024">{{cite news | url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2024/jan/22/state-parks-first-day-hikes-surpass-1-million/ | title=State parks' First Day Hikes surpass 1 million miles | first=Sam | last=Still | newspaper=Chattanooga Times Free-Press | date=January 22, 2024}}</ref>

In some cases, first day hikes can be associated with milestones in a state's park system, such as in 2026 when they marked the beginning of celebration of the 75th anniversary of Delaware's state park system.<ref name="whyy-2026">{{cite news | url=https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-first-day-hikes-2026/ | title=First Day Hikes return to Delaware State Parks as visitors welcome 2026 outdoors | first=Johnny | last=Perez-Gonzalez | publisher=WHYY | date=January 1, 2026}}</ref> Nationwide, the year 2026 also saw revised branding for the First Day Hikes program to associate it with the United States Semiquincentennial.<ref name="asp-2026">{{cite news | url=https://www.stateparks.org/special-programs/first-day-hikes/ | title=First Day Hikes | publisher=America's State Parks | access-date=January 20, 2026}}</ref> {{clear}}

==Purpose== [[Image:Cheesequake State Park First Day Hike 2017 guide checks on group.jpg|thumb|right|A guide checks on the progress of his group during a First Day Hike in Cheesequake State Park in New Jersey in 2017]]

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?"<ref name="asp-2018">{{cite web | url=https://www.stateparks.org/initiatives-special-programs/first-day-hikes/ | title=First Day Hikes | publisher=America's State Parks | access-date=January 2, 2018 | archive-date=December 31, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231051918/https://www.stateparks.org/initiatives-special-programs/first-day-hikes/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> (The association emphasized that idea one year by saying that the hikes burned off the equivalent of over 41,000 fast-food hamburgers.<ref name="wv-2021"/>) 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."<ref name="nj-2018">{{cite web | url=http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/first_day_hikes.html | title=New Jersey State Parks Celebrate the New Year with First Day Hikes across the state on January 1, 2018 | publisher=State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection | access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref> As one state parks official in Massachusetts itself said, "We want to launch the year saying, 'Get outside!'"<ref name="bg-2016">{{cite news | url=https://www.boston.com/culture/events/2016/12/27/join-a-first-day-hike-at-one-of-these-7-massachusetts-parks-on-new-years-day/ | title=Join a First Day Hike at one of these 7 Massachusetts parks on New Year's Day | first=Kristi | last=Palma | newspaper=The Boston Globe | date=December 27, 2016}}</ref>

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.<ref name="bsun"/> Still others view it as a mechanism to mark a personal reset for the year ahead.<ref name="whyy-2026"/> A 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."<ref name="kma"/> {{clear}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|First Day Hikes}} thumb|right|Button handed out in Washington *{{Official website|https://www.stateparks.org/special-programs/first-day-hikes/}}

Category:Hiking in the United States Category:State parks of the United States Category:Annual events in the United States Category:1992 establishments in Massachusetts Category:2012 establishments in the United States Category:New Year's Day