BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Get outside and get moving on the first day of 2023 with guided hikes hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The DCNR is hosting nearly 60 guided hikes in 24 state parks and three forests on New Year's Day as part of a nationwide "First Day Hike" program.
- Pennsylvania's DCNR staff and volunteers will host First Day Hikes on Sunday
- The hikes are taking place in 24 state parks and three forests on New Year's Day
- It's part of a nationwide program and the hikes have been held in all 50 states since 2012
“First Day Hikes are a great way to start the new year in natural spaces, which we hopeful will continue throughout the year,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a news release.
“These hikes are also a reminder our state parks and forests are open for healthy outdoor adventures in all four seasons," she said. "I encourage Pennsylvanians, and those visiting for the holidays, to consider taking a hike and to make the time to connect with park staff and like-minded outdoors enthusiasts. Now is the perfect time to begin building meaningful bond with our public lands.”
State parks staff and volunteers lead the hikes, which are usually one or two miles long. The hikes have been held in all 50 states since 2012.
Lehigh Valley residents might be interested in the hike at Jacobsburg State Park. The 2-mile trek will explore the growth forest of Henry's Woods and the fields of the Homestead Trail.
Hikes at Jacobsburg will leave at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. from the parking lot at 400 Belfast Road, Nazareth. Registration is required and can be completed HERE.
The following Pennsylvania state park and forest facilities are participating during daylight hours Sunday, January 1, 2023:
- Black Moshannon
- Blue Knob
- Caledonia
- Canoe Creek
- Codorus
- Cook Forest
- Cowans Gap
- Delaware Canal
- French Creek
- Gifford Pinchot
- Hills Creek
- Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center
- Kings Gap Environmental Education Center
- Kinzua Bridge
- Lackawanna
- Laurel Hill
- Little Buffalo
- Lyman Run
- Marsh Creek State Park
- Maurice K. Goddard
- Michaux State Forest -- Beaver Trail
- Moraine
- Nescopeck
- Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
- Parker Dam
- Pine Grove Furnace
- Presque Isle
- Prince Gallitzin
- Raccoon Creek
- RB Winter
- Ridley Creek
- Sinnemahoning
- Susquehanna Riverlands
- Tiadaghton State Forest -- Pine Creek Rail Trail
- Warriors Path State Park
- White Clay Creek Preserve
- William Penn State Forest -- Buck Hollow Tract
Additional details can be found on the DCNR calendar of events.
