First Day Hikes Cape Cod Back For 2023

BARNSTABLE, MA — Looking to get out of the house to start the new year? How about a hike?

Barnstable Land Trust is coordinating First Day Hikes Cape Cod for the second year. The event is a Cape-wide initiative between 10 conservation groups that are inspired by the national state park program originally created in Massachusetts. The day features 11 free walks, talks, and hikes across Cape Cod.

On New Year's Day, local nonprofit conservation organizations representing the towns of Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Falmouth, Harwich, Orleans, and Wellfleet/Truro will offer free First Day Hikes on Cape Cod starting at sunrise and lasting throughout the day.

All hikes and activities are being offered free to the public and include sunrise salutes, history talks, family activities, and more, officials said.

“We are excited to take the lead in championing the second annual First Day Hikes Cape Cod, a collaborative effort that was launched last year to encourage people to get outdoors with free guided walks and activities,” said Janet Milkman, Executive Director of Barnstable Land Trust. “It is a perfect time to explore Cape Cod’s parks, trails, and natural resources and to appreciate how the efforts of the conservation community are protecting and conserving the natural places that make Cape Cod so special.”

First Day Hikes began locally in Massachusetts in 1992 and grew under the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as a program celebrating the state parks before it went nationwide in 2012 with America's State Parks alliance, officials said.

For more information on the hikes, and a full schedule of events, click here.