{"id":46461,"date":"2025-12-23T08:30:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T13:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=46461"},"modified":"2025-12-23T11:10:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:10:40","slug":"first-day-hikes-invite-marylanders-to-kick-off-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/12\/23\/first-day-hikes-invite-marylanders-to-kick-off-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"First Day Hikes Invite Marylanders to Kick Off 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"width: 419px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54241645462_55f906a2e6.jpg\" alt=\"People holding a First Day Hikes sign and posing with a Greenbrier State Park frame\" width=\"409\" height=\"307\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Staff at Greenbrier State Park welcome guests during the 2025 First Day Hikes. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maryland State Parks will offer First Day Hike opportunities across the state from December 31, 2025 through January 2, 2026. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hikes are held in every region of Maryland. Visitors can <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">find a <a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/publiclands\/pages\/firstdayhikes.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Day Hikes event<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> near them on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America\u2019s State Parks that encourages all 50 states to offer outdoor hiking opportunities to begin each year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This annual tradition offers a fantastic way to reconnect with nature, get some fresh air, and celebrate the start of a new year. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/01\/08\/marylanders-brave-wind-and-cold-to-welcome-2025-with-first-day-hikes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year began with more than 5,200 visitors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> across Maryland braving the wind and cold to join the fun. With more than 50 different First Day Hike options being offered across the entire state of Maryland, there is truly something for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For 2026\u200b, there will be three types of hikes available:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ranger-led hikes: These hikes will be led by a Park Ranger, have specific start times, and many require pre-registration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Self-guided hikes: These hikes will be available throughout the weekend on well-marked trails. Park staff and volunteers may be available to help hikers get started but will not join the hike itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">AllTrails-Guided: Maryland DNR has partnered with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alltrails.com\/explore\/list\/maryland-first-day-hikes-2026-5cbd02f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">AllTrails Public Lands Program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help Marylanders discover and navigate trails throughout the park system. Hikers use AllTrails to navigate and easily share their adventure on social media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">New events for this year include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Calvert Cliffs State Park offers a 3.6-mile \u201cHike into the New Year!\u201d Ranger-led Night Hike that begins at 10:30 p.m. on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Janes Island State Park offers a \u201cFirst Day Sunset\u201d Ranger-led Hike, which will end at the marina to view the first sunset of 2026, with a campfire and hot cocoa.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are also two First Day bike rides planned: the \u201cRide and Shine 2026\u201d at Tuckahoe State Park on Anna\u2019s Trail, and the \u201cFirst Day Bike on the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail\u201d along the former Northern Central Railway.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-46465\" src=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original-300x300.png\" alt=\"Maryland State Parks I HIked 2026 logo\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/fdh-2026-sticker-format_original.png 1181w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>As Jan. 1 will ring in the year of our nation\u2019s 250th birthday, some hikes will introduce historic themes that will continue through the year. Deep Creek Lake State Park features the \u201cBrant Mine Hike\u201d where hikers can learn about Garrett County history. North Point State Park will offer the \u201cBlack Marsh\u201d Hike, a step into the past through the Black Marsh Wildlands, where nature and history intertwine and visitors can explore a landscape rich with stories of the region\u2019s past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Special extras for participants include First Day Hike \u201cI Hiked\u201d Stickers, available at select locations while supplies last. Those who chart their own course are welcome to take a First Day Hike on any trail or at any Maryland State Park on January 1 and are invited to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/274fgoqg\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">visit the DNR website to share their adventure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and how many miles they covered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Note to Editors, Reporters, and Producers:<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Media is always welcome to cover a First Day Hike on our public lands; if possible contact the park office where you wish to attend in advance. Please be advised that onsite park staff may have limited availability for interviews or other assistance.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maryland State Parks will offer First Day Hike opportunities across the state from December 31, 2025 through January 2, 2026. Hikes are held in every region of Maryland. Visitors can find a First Day Hikes event near them on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.\u00a0 First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/12\/23\/first-day-hikes-invite-marylanders-to-kick-off-2026\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,4998,12],"tags":[2914,4981],"class_list":["post-46461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-hiking","category-parks","tag-first-day-hikes","tag-maryland-state-parks"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46461"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46466,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46461\/revisions\/46466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}