Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Start the New Year with First Day Hikes in Missouri State Parks on Jan. 1

One of the hiking trails near Fall Creek in Wa...

Free, guided hikes in nearly 30 state parks and historic sites throughout the state will be held on Jan. 1. The effort is a part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes, which gives visitors the opportunity to start the year off right with an outdoor hike.

“At state parks throughout the state, we are offering First Day Hikes to allow our guests to begin 2016 with a healthy hike,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks. “It’s a fun and relaxing way to spend New Year’s Day while also getting a head start on a year of adventures in the outdoors.”

Guided hikes being hosted in state parks range from a half mile to four miles and are taking place on a wide variety of trails in every region of the state. A list of state parks with guided hikes on Jan. 1 is available atmostateparks.com/page/59235/first-day-hikes.

Nationally on Jan. 1, 2015, more than 41,000 people participated in guided hikes that covered over 79,000 miles on 997 hikes. Details on every state’s hikes are located at naspd.org. Participants are encouraged to log their adventures on social media with #FirstDayHikes.

Missouri State Parks guests were among the more than 25,000 Missourians who have completed more than 4.5 million miles as a part of the Governor’s 100 Missouri Miles Challenge. In 2015, Gov. Jay Nixon and First Lady Georganne Nixon kicked off the third year of the challenge, which celebrates Missouri’s award winning trails and encourages Missourians to enjoy the outdoors. The fourth year of the challenge begins in 2016.

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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