If you live in North Carolina or Virginia you have only yourself to blame if your year gets off to a sluggish start. The two states combined have more than 100 First Day Hikes planned, from New Year’s Eve hikes at Virginia’s Natural Tunnel and Pocahontas state parks, to late day hikes in both states for folks who might not feel like getting out of bed early New Year’s morning.
Most hikes are geared toward beginners and those looking to turn over a new leaf in the year ahead. North Carolina’s Carolina Beach State Park, for example, offers a two-mile hike to the Sugarloaf Dune at 10 a.m., while Virginia’s Lake Anna State Park plans a 1.5-mile hike at 2 p.m. Both are relatively flat, both will go at leisurely pace. Don’t mind a little company? The Eno River First Day Hike, led in conjunction with the Eno River Association, has drawn close to a thousand hikers in the past.
That’s 104 First Day Hikes in our state parks alone. It doesn’t include hikes such as the Triangle Land Conservancy’s New Year’s Day Hike at White Pines, or the Piedmont Land Conservancy’s First Day Outdoors on the Stuart & Emma Thomas Memorial Trail. You’ll find people hiking everywhere on New Year’s Day.
What makes this year’s First Day Hikes a little more special is that five of the hikes in North Carolina are in state parks that were closed for a time by Hurricane Helene.
The adjoining Stone Mountain State Park and Rendezvous Mountain, both located on the Blue Ridge escarpment, are sponsoring hikes. Stone Mountain starts the day at 9 a.m. with a moderate 2.5-mile hike on the Cedar Rock and Wolf Rock trails (with great views), while Rendezvous Mountain will hold a mile-long hike at 2 p.m. through a mixed hardwood forest. A bit more rugged is the 2.4-mile scavenger hunt hike planned at Grandfather Mountain on the Nuwati Trail (from the Boone Fork Parking area off the Blue Ridge Parkway). This self-guided event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Meanwhile, Gorges State Park will have a 30-minute hike to Bearwallow Falls at 10 a.m., and a 60-minute hike on the Raymond Fisher Pond Trail at 2 p.m.
Lake James, Elk Knob, Mount Jefferson and New River all have reopened, and may post First Day Hikes as well.
Welcoming the new year on the trail is always a great idea. With 104 to chose from you’re sure to find one to match your interests.
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First Day Hikes
Check out the First Day Hike offerings in North Carolina and Virginia by clicking the links below: