Health & Fitness

First Day Hikes 2026 In MD: Find A State Park To Visit

First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative to draw people outdoors on New Year's Day 2026. Check out where to hike in Maryland.

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Work off the holiday sweets and hit Maryland's trails New Year's Day as part of the nationwide First Day Hike initiative.

Hikes will be held Dec. 31 through Jan. 2 in every region of Maryland. Visitors can find a First Day Hikes event near them on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.

For 2026, there will be three types of hikes available:

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Ranger-led hikes: These hikes will be led by a park ranger, have specific start times, and many require pre-registration.

Self-guided hikes: These hikes will be available throughout the weekend on well-marked trails. Park staff and volunteers may be available to help hikers get started, but will not join the hike itself.

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AllTrails-Guided: Maryland DNR has partnered with the AllTrails Public Lands Program to help Marylanders discover and navigate trails throughout the park system. Hikers use AllTrails to navigate and easily share their adventure on social media.

New events for this year include:

  • Calvert Cliffs State Park offers a 3.6-mile “Hike into the New Year!” ranger-led night hike that begins at 10:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
  • Janes Island State Park offers a “First Day Sunset” ranger-led hike, which will end at the marina to view the first sunset of 2026, with a campfire and hot cocoa.
  • There are also two First Day bike rides planned: the “Ride and Shine 2026” at Tuckahoe State Park on Anna’s Trail, and the “First Day Bike on the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail” along the former Northern Central Railway.

As Jan. 1 will ring in the year of our nation’s 250th birthday, some hikes will introduce historic themes that will continue through the year.

Deep Creek Lake State Park features the “Brant Mine Hike” where hikers can learn about Garrett County history. North Point State Park will offer the “Black Marsh” Hike, a step into the past through the Black Marsh Wildlands, where nature and history intertwine.

Special extras for participants include First Day Hike “I Hiked” Stickers, available at select locations while supplies last. Those who chart their own course are welcome to take a First Day Hike on any trail or at any Maryland State Park on Jan. 1 and are invited to visit the DNR website to share their adventure and how many miles they covered.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has put together a list of where you can go Dec. 31 through Jan. 2.

Here are Maryland parks taking part in the First Day Hikes:

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