From Asilomar State Beach to Mount Diablo, more than 70 California State Parks will be offering special guided hikes on New Year’s Day. It’s part of the state’s First Day Hikes program, which encourage people to start the new year in the great outdoors.
The hikes are easy to find via the interactive First Day Hikes webpage — parks.ca.gov/FirstDayHikes — which includes special events on Jan. 1 and beyond, including a guided, family-friendly hike on Mount Diablo on Jan. 2 that’s open to kids ages 7 and up.
Here’s just a sampling of possibilities at Bay Area state parks. Check out the First Day Hikes site for details, including rendezvous points, parking and day use fees, age restrictions and weather caveats.
5 First Day Hikes to try
1 Angel Island State Park: Join state park interpreters at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 1 for a 4-mile, moderately paced “walk ‘n’ talk” that includes moderate elevation gain, paved and unpaved surfaces and stairs.
2 Sugar Loaf Ridge SP: Meet at the Kenwood park’s White Barn at 9 a.m. Jan. 1 for a 6.5-mile trek to Bald Mountain, where some serious elevation gain — a climb of 1,500 feet — nets you 360-degree views. Bring a reusable cup so you can enjoy hot cocoa afterward.
3 Pacheco SP: This Hollister hike starts at noon on New Year’s Day and includes a mile-long walk through 180 years of history and tales of the Pacheco adobe and Pacheco Pass.
4 Big Basin Redwoods SP: Meet at 8 a.m. Jan. 1 for this guided, 0.7-mile loop hike that explores the forest’s recovery from the 2020 CZU wildfires. A 3-mile hike leaves at 11 a.m. and takes you up moderately difficult to strenuous terrain, including a portion of the Skyline to the Sea Trail.
5 Mount Diablo SP: Meet at 9 a.m. Jan. 1 for a 4-mile hike that explores the park’s seasonal sights, including mistletoe and California holly. Or take a 1.5-mile “fire and water” themed walk that leaves at noon on Jan. 2.