If you have a few wellness resolutions in the works for 2025, get to ’em ASAP with free First Day Hikes across New York State Parks.
To kick off the New Year, over 100 green spaces across the state are welcoming guests for a winter hike to take in the scenes and get some fresh air. Most hikes are typically one to five miles and family-friendly, but check the location you’re interested in before you register.
“There’s no better way to kick off the New Year than with family and friends at a First Day Hike to experience and enjoy the winter beauty of New York’s amazing scenic landscapes,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
The the First Day Hike concept originated in Massachusetts in 1992, and we’re glad to see the tradition has made its way across all 50 states, including the Empire State. We’ve broken down the participating locations by region. Parking fees are waived across the state. Where are you venturing on January 1st?
Long Island and NYC free first day hikes
- Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale
- Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, W. Babylon
- Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, Staten Island
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
- Gantry Plaza State Park, Long Island City
- Hallock State Park Preserve, Jamesport
- Heckscher State Park, North Babylon
- Hempstead Lake State Park, West Hempstead
- Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center, Wantagh
- Mt. Loretto Unique Area (DEC), Staten Island
- Ridge Conservation Area (DEC), Ridge
- Robert Moses State Park, Babylon
- Shirley Chisholm State Park, Brooklyn
- St. Francis Woodlands (DEC), Staten Island
- Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park
Hudson Valley/Catskills
- Hudson Valley/Catskills
- Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain
- Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, Yorktown
- Huckleberry Point Trail (DEC), Elka Park
- Little Stony Point/Hudson Highlands State Park, Cold Spring
- Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Peter’s Kill, Kerhonkson
- Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Sam’s Point, Cragsmoor
- North-South Lake, DEC’s Kaaterskill Wild Forest, Haines Falls
- Nyack Beach State Park, Upper Nyack
- Croton Gorge Park, Cortlandt; 646.303.1448
- Rockwood Hall, Sleepy Hollow; 914.370.9352
- Staatsburgh State Historic Site/Mills Norrie State Park, Staatsburg
- Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center, DEC’s Friends Support Group, Wappingers Falls
- Taconic State Park – Copake Falls, Copake Falls
- Tremper Mountain Fire Tower from Willow Trailhead (DEC), Phoenicia
- Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Poughkeepsie
Note that sign-ups are required. To register at your local park, visit parks.ny.gov