First Day Hikes In VA: Find A State Park To Visit On Jan. 1, 2023

VIRGINIA — The new year is here, whether we like it or not. To start 2023, many Virginians will look to their nearest state park for a First Day Hike.

Virginia has 41 state parks from which to choose to participate in First Day Hikes, an initiative of America's State Parks.

Starting the year with a hike allows residents and their families to get outdoors, reflect on the new year, and start 2023 on a positive note. In 2020, 85,000 people rang in the New Year, collectively hiking more than 176,366 miles throughout the country on the guided hikes.

In Virginia, people looking to get outdoors can choose a guided event or an independent journey at any of the state's 41 parks.

This year, parking will be free at all of Virginia's state parks on Jan. 1. Park visitors will also receive a First Day Hike sticker, as supplies last.

Different parks will offer different events. Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane is encouraging hikers to arrive at 5:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise on a self-guided tour. Twin Lakes State Park in Green Bay is offering a geocache list for hikers who crave some extra interactivity.

Many state parks have geocaches scattered throughout their trails. Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects. Seekers use GPS devices to find hidden caches. Caches are the hidden treasure. After registering online, geocachers look for the longitude and latitude of caches.

Here is the full list of state parks in Virginia:

• Bear Creek Lake
• Belle Isle
• Breaks Interstate
• Caledon
• Chippokes Plantation
• Claytor Lake
• Clinch River
• Douthat
• Fairy Stone
• False Cape
• First Landing
• Grayson Highlands
• High Bridge Trail
• Holliday Lake
• Hungry Mother
• James River
• Kiptopeke
• Lake Anna
• Leesylvania
• Mason Neck
• Machicomoco
• Natural Bridge
• Natural Tunnel
• New River Trail
• Occoneechee
• Pocahontas
• Powhatan
• Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historic
• Seven Bends
• Shenandoah River
• Shot Tower
• Sky Meadows
• Smith Mountain Lake
• Southwest Virginia Museum Historical
• Staunton River
• Staunton River Battlefield
• Twin Lakes
• Westmoreland
• Widewater
• Wilderness Road
• York River

Park trail maps are available online for people to download before their hike. More information about specific First Day Hikes at parks around Virginia is available on the Department of Conservation and Recreation's website.