December 17, 2018
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Celebrate the New Year Outdoors with First Day Hikes at State Parks, Historic Sites, Wildlife Areas and Public Lands on New Year’s Day8th annual event encourages families and friends to spend Jan. 1 holiday enjoying nature |
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New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invite New Yorkers to celebrate the New Year exploring the outdoors at one of the 80 hikes being held at state parks, historic sites, wildlife areas, trails, and public lands across the Empire State. The guided hikes are being held as part of the annual First Day Hikes program taking place throughout the nation on January 1, 2019. \ State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said, “First Day Hikes are a popular annual tradition and the perfect elixir to a hectic holiday season. Spending time in nature among such scenic wintry settings is a great way to start off the New Year. With hike options from the tip of Long Island to Niagara Falls, the Adirondacks to the Finger Lakes – and more, there are plenty of destinations across the state to embrace the outdoors and welcome 2019 with loved ones.” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Start the New Year right by participating in an annual First Day Hike at one of New York’s magnificent outdoor destinations. DEC is proud to partner with State Parks to help New Yorkers of all ages and abilities enjoy this growing tradition, which brings friends and families together in our State’s great outdoors.” Hikes are being offered at 19 DEC State lands, wildlife areas, Forest Preserve trails and environmental education centers, and 52 state parks and historic sites with some facilities offering multiple hikes for different age groups, skill levels and destinations within the park. Staff from State Parks and DEC, along with volunteers and partners at many sites, will lead these family-friendly walks and hikes, which range from one to five miles depending on the location and conditions. A sample of this year’s programs feature a seal walk, walking history tour, snowshoe waterfall hike, pet-friendly treks, gorge walks, military musicology, fire towers, and more. New entries for 2019 include hikes along Lake Ontario, Delta Lake, Lake Champlain, the western edge of the Tug Hill Plateau, and recently added trails at Overlook Mountain in Woodstock. If weather conditions permit, some First Day Hikes may include snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Many host sites will be offering refreshments and giveaways. A list of the hikes follows, and details about hike locations, difficulty and length, terrain, pre-registration requirements and additional information are listed at parks.ny.gov and dec.ny.gov. Western New York Allegany State Park- Red House, self-guided anytime 10am-2pm; 716.354.9101 x.232 DeVeaux Woods State Park, Niagara Falls; 10am; 716.282.5154 Evangola State Park, Irving; 9am; 716.549.1050 Genesee Valley Greenway, Canawaugus Park, Scottsville; 1pm; 585.493.3614 Genesee Valley Greenway, Bull St., Cuba; 1pm; 585.493.3614 Hamlin Beach State Park, Hamlin; 10am and 1:30pm (2 hikes); 585.964.2462 Knox Farm State Park, East Aurora; 10am; 716.549.1050 Letchworth State Park, Castile; 1pm; (4 hikes); 585.493.3600 Niagara Falls State Park, Niagara Falls; 2pm; 716.282.5154 Reinstein Woods, Depew; 11am; 716.683.5959 WAG Trail, Willing; 1pm; 585.415.1521 Finger Lakes & Central New York Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park, Schenevus; 10am; 607.638.5421 Bowman Lake State Park/McDonough State Forest, Oxford; 11am; 607.334.2718 Camillus Forest Unique Area, Camillus; 10am; 315.376.3521 Catharine Valley Trail, Watkins Glen; 10am; 607.535.4511 Chenango Valley State Park, Chenango Forks; 1pm; (2 hikes) 607.648.5251 Clark Reservation State Park, Jamesville; 11am; 315.415.8377 Delta Lake State Park, Rome; 10am; 315.337.4670 Finger Lakes Trail, Corning; 9:30am; dn13@cornell.edu Fort Ontario State Historic Site, Oswego; 10am; 315.343.4711 Gilbert Lake State Park, Laurens; 10am; 607.432.2114 Green Lakes State Park, Fayetteville; 11am; 315.637.6111 Hemlock-Canadice State Forest, Canadice; 10am; 585.374.8366 Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, Savannah; 10am; 315.365.3588 Rogers Environmental Education Center, Sherburne; 10am; 607.674.4733 Seneca Lake State Park, Geneva; 10am; 315.789.2331 Taughannock Falls State Park, Trumansburg; 1pm; 607.387.7041 ext. 131 Two Rivers State Park, Waverly; 10am; 607.732.6287 North Country/Adirondacks Crown Point State Historic Site, Crown Point; 1pm; 518.597.4666 Prospect Mountain, Lake George; 10am; 518.623.1268 Point Au Roche State Park, Plattsburgh; 11am; 518.563.0369 Poke-O-Moonshine Campground, Keeseville; 10am; 518.897.1276 Robert G. Wehle State Park, Henderson; 11am; 315.938.5302 Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, Sackets Harbor; 1:30pm; 315.646.2321 Wellesley Island State Park, Fineview; 1pm; 315.482.2479 Winona State Forest, Lorraine; 10am; 315.376.3521 Greater Capital District Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar; 9am; 518.475.0291 Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton; 1pm; 518.279.1155 Mine Kill State Park, North Blenheim; 11am; 518.827.6111 Moreau Lake State Park, Gansevoort; 11am; 518.793.0511 Peebles Island State Park, Waterford; 10am; 518.268.2188 Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs; 10am; 518.584.2535 Schodack Island State Park, Schodack Landing; 1pm (2 hikes); 518.732.0187 Thacher State Park, Voorheesville; 11am; 518.872.0800 Hudson Valley/Catskills Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest - Kelly Hollow, Margaretville; 10:30am; 845.586.6273 Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower, Margaretville; 9:30am; 845.926.2182 FDR State Park, Yorktown; 10:30am; 914.245.4434 Little Stony Point/Hudson Highlands State Park, Cold Spring;11am (2 hikes); 845.745.0647 John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Katonah; 1pm; 914.232.5651 Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center, Mt. Tremper; 3pm; 845.688.3369 Meads Meadow Trailhead, Woodstock; 9am & 12pm (2 hikes); 845.256.3083 Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Peter’s Kill, Kerhonkson; 9:30am & 1pm (2 hikes); 845.255.0752 Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Sam’s Point, Cragsmoor; 1pm; 845.647.7989 North South Lake Campground, Haines Falls; 10am; 518.357.2068; haliagrace@hotmail.com Olana State Historic Site, Hudson; 11am; 518.828.0135 x303 Old Croton Aqueduct, Dobbs Ferry; 12pm; 646.303.1448 Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville; 9am; 914.631.1470 x107 Sterling Forest State Park, Tuxedo; 11am; 845.351.5907 Taconic State Park - Copake Falls, Copake Falls; 1pm; 518.329.3993 Walkway over the Hudson State Historic Park; Poughkeepsie; 2pm; 845-834-2867 NYC & Long Island Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale; 10am; 516.249.3560 Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, Lloyd Neck; 11am; 631.423.1770 Clay Pit Ponds, Staten Island; 1pm; 718.605.3970 x201 Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale; 1:30pm; 631.581.1072 Hallock State Park Preserve, Wading River; 11am; 631.315.5475 Jones Beach State Park, Wantaugh; 10:30am; 516.780.3295 Montauk Point State, Montauk; 10:30am; 631.668.5000 Mount Loretto Unique Area; Staten Island; 10am; 718.313.8591 Ridge Conservation Area, Ridge; 1pm; 631.444.0347 Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park; 10am; 631.581.1072 The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov, connect with us on Facebook, or follow on Instagram and Twitter. |
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