~ Press release issued by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Enjoy the great outdoors on New Year’s Day with a first day hike at any of the 41 Virginia State Parks.
All state parks offer free parking on Jan. 1, 2022 and visitors to each park will receive a commemorative water bottle sticker (while supplies last).
For a list of scheduled hikes and programs, www.virginiastateparks.gov/firstdayhikes
Virginia State Parks has many hikes and opportunities to choose from, or visit a park and create your own special First Day Hike. Here are a few ideas:
• Sky Meadows State Park will open at 5:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day to support the sunrise celebration of various cultures. At 10 a.m., join a ranger at the Backcountry Trailhead for a guided hike.
• Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield offers a special New Year’s Eve night hike to celebrate the countdown. The park also offers a variety of special hikes for different ages and capabilities throughout New Year’s Day.
• Guided hikes are available every hour from 9 a.m. – noon at Natural Bridge State Park. The approximately 45-minute hike will lead you to great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
• Join a ranger at Smith Mountain Lake State Park on a mile hike that is rated as easy. The hike includes a scavenger hunt to discover winter’s hidden secrets in nature.
• At Clinch River State Park, a ranger will lead you on a 4-mile hike along the Clinch and to ruins of a failed French settlement.
The 41 award-winning Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
For more information, or to buy an annual pass or gift certificate, visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.
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