First Day Hikes

First Day Hikes have become an annual tradition nationwide. With the ongoing "get outside" trend, it's easy to see why this event is so popular. Not only do park visitors get exercise while interacting with park staff, but they get to meet so many others who enjoy outdoor activities. 

This year I was able to join Cunningham Falls State Park staff and visitors on a hike to Cat Rock. Afterward when I was giving out "I Hiked" stickers to participants, I heard nothing but positive comments about how wonderful the experience was for everyone involved (even though the hike was very steep and muddy after a night of heavy rain!) Each year that I've helped lead or coordinate a First Day Hike, I've started the year with a positive attitude thanks to this event. If you have positive, uplifting, or even funny stories from your park's First Day Hike, share them in the comments below!

In Maryland the First Day Hike popularity tends to be somewhat dependent on the weather, but even when the temperatures were in the single digits in 2018 there was a great turnout! The chart at the bottom of this blog shows individual park statistics. Here you can see statewide numbers from the past four years:

2019- 3696 hikers, 8470 miles (36 hikes at 32 parks and warm weather) 

2018- 1227 hikers, 2534 miles (37 hikes at 32 parks, but extremely cold!)

2017- 2034 hikers, 4030 miles (33 guided hikes at 21 state parks)

2016- 2177 hikers, 4531 miles (30 guided hikes at 26 parks)

Check out some more fun facts about First Day Hikes below:

- MPS First Day Hikes are part of America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative, which includes all 50 states! 2019 was the seventh annual national event that encourages everyone to celebrate the new year with guided outdoor exploration. 

- First Day Hikes originated more than 25 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation - a State Park in Milton, Massachusetts. 

- Assateague has held an annual beach walk on New Year's Day since 1970. At that time, the newly formed Committee to Preserve Assateague Island hosted the inaugural walk to draw attention to Assateague’s wild beauty. The committee was created by Ilia Fehrer, Judy Johnson and a few friends who had organized to rally against early plans for development of Assateague Island, which included a 25-mile highway, a number of commercial enterprises, and the Ocean Beach resort, much like Ocean City. A series of 1962 nor-easters interrupted construction, and eventually National and State Parks were established. The committee became the organization, Assateague Coastal Trust, who along with Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park sponsor the New Year’s Day walk each year.

- In 2018, more than 33,000 people participated in guided hikes that covered over 70,500 miles on 1,100 hikes across the country. 

- All 50 states offer First Day Hikes across the country as a way to promote healthy lifestyles and year-round recreation at America's State Parks. 

For more information on America's State Parks First Day Hikes, check out this website!