Forget the hangover, kick off the New Year at a state park for a special guided hike
Get some fresh air for that holiday hangover – California State Parks are offering educational options for those looking to get outside on New Year’s Day.
The annual “First Day Hikes” program will include about 70 guided hikes at 60 participating California parks that will vary in distance and difficulty.
“Nature has been proven to boost our moods and make us feel healthy,” State Parks wrote on its website. “And what a better way to start 2024 than taking in spectacular views and breathing some fresh air. Walk among the giant sequoias or along the state’s coastal beaches or enjoy some wildlife viewing, State Parks has some of the most unique and iconic parks in the country for everyone to explore.”
The website includes an interactive map of the parks participating with information on each hike available. In Sacramento, the Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area is hosting a 1.5-mile hike highlighting the area’s history, including its Native American inhabitants and gold miners.
There will also be an out-and-back hike at Folsom Lake with views of the South Fork of the American river that will be up to four miles. The Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park will also have a roughly four-mile hike from the park’s museum to James Marshall’s Monument, before heading up Monroe Ridge Trail for views of the surrounding valleys.
The Auburn State Recreation Area will have flat 2.5-mile hike along the American River to educate participants on the mining history of the Middle Fork Canyon along the Quarry Trail. That hike is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. For those willing to travel farther, there are also hikes near Lake Tahoe at Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, Donner Memorial State Park, Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, and parks all throughout the North Bay Area and peninsula.
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Forget the hangover, kick off the New Year at a state park for a special guided hike."
