“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?” according to an article posted on www.stateparks.org. “These hikes provide a means for individuals and families to welcome the coming year in the outdoors, exercising and connecting with nature. For many it has become a tradition.”
First Day Hikes through the state parks officially started on Jan. 1, 1992, at the Blue Hills Reservation State Park in Norfolk County, Massachusetts but I think my husband’s grandmother was probably taking a hike to ring in the new year with a lifelong friend long before that.
Each year, “Granny Thelma” and her friend drove from Cherryville, N.C., to King’s Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina where the battle of Kings Mountain was fought during the American Revolution. “Thomas Jefferson called [the battle] ‘the turn of the tide of success’,” according to a post on www.nps.gov “The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, S.C. in May 1780.”
“Granny Thelma” knew that exercise and communing with nature (and God) are important. She must have done something right because she lived well into her nineties.
My family and I, along with our dogs, took a First Day Hike on one of the coldest days (for South Texans anyway) three years ago. We hiked within the Government Canyon State Natural Area near San Antonio, and it was so much fun. It made such a nice memory, and while our schedules haven’t allowed us to do it since, I hope 2022 will change that. Nature is calling!
Log on to www.stateparks.org to see a list of participating First Day Hike parks and their park entry fees. (More than 400 hikes are listed as of this writing.) The hikes, ranging from easy to more difficult, can be either guided or self-paced, so just be sure to check the list before you head out.
Many parks offer unique activities and events like Abilene State Park in Texas which is hosting a hike for those who want to sleep in. The park’s hike called “Late Risers” starts at the respectable, holiday hour of 2 p.m. (CST) on New Year’s Day.
No matter what time you decide to take a First Day Hike, you’ll be glad you did.
Happy New Year!
#pamelarobertshowell #firstdayhikes #nps #americasstateparks #abilenestatepark #governmentcanyonsna