On New Year’s Day, State Parks across Oklahoma conduct First Day Hikes, welcoming families of all ages to come enjoy the great outdoors and reconnect with nature.

226 hikers and 21 furry friends gathered at Arrowhead State Park on Jan. 1 to take the hike and walk off the extra Christmas cookies and shake off the dust from the year before.

Hikers got a head start on those fitness resolutions, embarked on a nature-watching adventure and enjoyed a sunny January day with friends and family.

From four to seventy-four, everyone made the mile-and-a-half journey through the trail up the hill and back, led by park employees. The furthest hikers traveled five hours to enjoy the perfect sunny hike.

The trail offered Oklahoma trivia signs for hikers to test their knowledge of Oklahoma history.

Bill Ross and his family traveled from Dallas to visit family and to kick off the new year with a hike.

“I am so glad we came. The weather was perfect. It is something that my kids don’t get to see every day,” Ross said.

The First Day Hike tradition in America started in 1992 at Massachusetts’s Blue Hills Reservation State Park as a local idea by park supervisor Patrick Flynn to get people outdoors in winter. It became a nationwide event in 2012 under America’s State Parks with all 50 states participating to offer guided hikes, snowshoeing, and other activities to start the new year with fresh air and nature The State Park employees would like to remind people that there is still a lot to do in the wintertime at the parks. Visitors can bike around the expansive park’s mountain bike trails. There is also a lot to learn about native animals and plant species at the state park nature centers, where kids and adults can participate in naturalist programs and activities.

This year, Lake Eufaula State Park joined forces with Arrowhead State Park for a combined First Day Hike to encourage visitors to explore new places, discover different paths, and experience the incredible variety our Oklahoma State Parks have to offer.

For more information on Oklahoma State Parks visit www.travelok. com.