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:

• North Carolina
• Virginia

The post 104 New Year’s Day Hikes (and that’s just in state parks)  appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Today: Plan your New Year’s Day Hike

Today’s tip is more about Sunday than today, but today is when you need to figure out which New Year’s Day Hike you plan to attend. A good place to start your planning is at America’s State Parks, where you’ll find a rundown of all First Day Hikes at the nation’s state parks, including 27 in North Carolina. Live in Charlotte? Head to the Boulders Access area of Crowders Mountain State Park at 10 a.m. for a 10-mile hike to King’s Mountain State Park in South Carolina. In the Triad, head to Pilot Mountain State Park at 11 a.m, for a skyline hike on the Jomeokee Trail. In the Triangle, there’s a 10 a.m. hike at Umstead State Park (not to mention the annual Eno River Association New Year’s Day Hike at Eno River State Park).

Find out more about these hikes and others at state parks around the state by going here.

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Previously in our Holiday Escapes series …

Dec. 19: Go paddling
Dec. 20: Hit your neighborhood park
Dec. 21: Climbing the walls
Dec. 22: Take a guided hike
Dec. 23: An educated walk
Monday: Go play in a parking lot
Tuesday: I spy a bufflehead
Wednesday: Explore your neighborhood
Thursday: Explore the winter woods

The post Holiday escapes: Plan your New Year’s Day Hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.