SAN ANTONIO – Jan. 1 marks First Day Hikes, a nationwide program that encourages hiking on New Year’s Day.
Luckily, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will host several events so people of all ages and skills can explore Texas State Parks.
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The events will include ranger- and self-guided walks, bike rides, paddling trips and polar plunges at dozens of parks, according to a news release.
TPWD broke its First Day Hikes participation record in 2024 when 8,729 people visited Texas State Parks.
“One of the many reasons that I love Texas is the nice weather that we can have even in the winter and there is no better way to spend a beautiful winter day than walking with friends and family at a Texas State Park,” parks Director Rodney Franklin said in the news release. “Each year, thousands of Texans turn out to a nearby state park to ring in the new year with a First Day Hike and I always look forward to seeing the photos of smiling folks enjoying parks on January 1.”
Here are the state parks hosting special events on New Year’s Day.
- Abilene State Park
- Atlanta State Park
- Balmorhea State Park
- Bastrop State Park
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
- Big Bend Ranch State Park
- Big Spring State Park
- Blanco State Park
- Bonham State Park
- Brazos Bend State Park
- Buescher State Park
- Caddo Lake State Park
- Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
- Cedar Hill State Park
- Choke Canyon State Park (Calliham Unit)
- Cleburne State Park
- Colorado Bend State Park
- Cooper Lake State Park (Doctors Creek Unit)
- Cooper Lake State Park (South Sulphur Unit)
- Copper Breaks State Park
- Davis Mountains State Park
- Daingerfield State Park
- Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area
- Devils River State Natural Area
- Dinosaur Valley State Park
- Eisenhower State Park
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
- Estero Llano Grande State Park
- Falcon State Park
- Fort Boggy State Park
- Franklin Mountains State Park
- Galveston Island State Park
- Garner State Park
- Goose Island State Park
- Goliad State Park & Historic Site
- Government Canyon State Natural Area
- Guadalupe River State Park
- Hill Country State Natural Area
- Honey Creek State Natural Area
- Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
- Huntsville State Park
- Inks Lake State Park
- Lake Arrowhead State Park
- Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
- Lake Brownwood State Park
- Lake Casa Blanca International State Park
- Lake Corpus Christi State Park
- Lake Livingston State Park
- Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
- Lake Somerville State Park (Birch Creek Unit)
- Lake Somerville State Park (Nails Creek Unit)
- Lake Tawakoni State Park
- Lockhart State Park
- Lost Maples State Natural Area
- Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
- Martin Creek Lake State Park
- Martin Dies, Jr. State Park
- McKinney Falls State Park
- Meridian State Park
- Mission Tejas State Park
- Monahans Sandhills State Park
- Mother Neff State Park
- Palmetto State Park
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park
- Pedernales Falls State Park
- Possum Kingdom State Park
- Purtis Creek State Park
- Ray Roberts Lake State Park (Isle Du Bois Unit)
- Ray Roberts Lake State Park (Johnson Branch Unit)
- Resaca de la Palma State Park
- San Angelo State Park
- Sea Rim State Park
- Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site
- Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center
- South Llano River State Park
- Stephen F. Austin State Park
- Tyler State Park
- Village Creek State Park
Click here for details on those events.
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