First Day Hikes: Hike in the New Year

Kick off the New Year with some fresh air by joining in on one of the many First Day Hikes in state parks across the country. Most are interpretive and introduce visitors to wildlife, trees and geology. Many people, especially those in northern states, have never visited state parks in winter, so a First Day Hike can be a new experience in a familiar place. 

While there aren’t any hikes for Central Ohio listed on the America’s State Parks page, there are several scheduled near Dayton and Cincinnati, and several others on the Ohio State Parks website.

Local First Day Hikes near Columbus on January 1, 2020

Dress for the weather!

Blendon Woods: New Year’s Day Bird Hike – Begin your new year bird list while walking 2 miles on our trails. 8 am

Clear Creek: New Year’s Day Hike – Start the New Year off with a 3-mile hike on one of the parks most rugged trails and along the creek. 10 am

Shale Hollow Park: New Year’s Day Hike – Hike through the woods and prairies of Shale Hollow Park starting at 10 am. Afterward, warm up with a hot beverage and cookies by the fireplace in the lodge.  

Take a little drive for these First Day Hikes

• Pymatuning State Park NE Ohio: First Day Hike at 11 a.m. Join the Naturalist and start the New Year right- with a hike in the great outdoors! Bring the whole family! Meets @ Beaver Dam Trailhead- park at cabin beach/ launch ramp parking lot. Contact Cynthia Orth, 440-466-8400 or cynthia.orth@dnr.state.oh.us for questions. 
• Hueston Woods State Park (SW of Dayton): First Day Hike at 11 a.m.  Hike our 3- mile loop trail thru a scenic forest and close to Acton Lake’s shore. We will learn about native flora and fauna along the way.  Please wear appropriate footwear.  Bring your vehicle; we will drive to the trailhead. 
• Shawnee State Park (south of Chillicothe): First Day Hike at 1 p.m. Get the year off to a good start on a fun relaxing walk through an oak hickory forest with family and friends in the center of the largest state forest in Ohio along the 1 mile Lampblack Trail.  Meet at the lodge lobby at 1pm. Light refreshments served afterwards in the cozy, cheerfully decorated timber-framed lodge.
• Caesar Creek State Park (SW Ohio): First Day Hike at 1 p.m. On New Year’s Day, meet the Park Naturalist for a 1 mile guided hike near the Nature Center. If you choose, stay for an additional 3 mile hike to Pioneer Village, the Swinging Bridge, Horseshoe Falls and a Rock Gorge. See our Facebook page ‘Caesar Creek State Park’ for details, or email: caesarnaturecenter@gmail.com
• Salt Fork State Park (Eastern Ohio): First Day Hike at 1 p.m. Hike into the new year! Meet at the Morgan’s Knob/Pinecrest Trailhead and hike into the new year on this .8 mile scenic trail. Call Naturalist John Hickenbottom at (740) 630-6105 for any questions. 

Can’t make a hike on New Year’s Day?  Find a hike that fits your schedule with the Winter Hike Series with the Columbus Metro Parks.

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