2,000 People Participate in First Day Hikes
With mild temperatures and sunny skies throughout much of the state, the Maryland Park Service welcomed over 2,000 hikers for First Day Hikes 2017.
Staff and volunteers hosted 33 guided hikes at 21 state parks on New Year’s Day. From beachside marshes to rocky cliffs, each park offered its own unique adventure and walk.
A total of 2,034 hikers logged 4,030 miles.
“First Day Hikes are becoming a New Year’s tradition with thousands of citizens starting the new year off immersed in the great outdoors,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. “My family and I enjoyed a tremendous outing at Cedarville with a beautiful three-mile trek. We enjoyed some quality time together and made some lasting memories.”
Maryland takes part in the national First Day Hikes initiative, which for past six years has encouraged Americans to celebrate the outdoors on the first day of the year. Sponsored by America’s State Parks, the hikes highlight the value of public lands and state parks in providing year-round enjoyment, recreation and relaxation.
| State Park | Hikers | Miles |
| Assateague | 250 | 250 |
| Cedarville | 87 | 261 |
| Cunningham Falls | 36 | 36 |
| Dan’s Mountain | 12 | 12 |
| Deep Creek | 22 | 44 |
| Elk Neck | 55 | 82 |
| Fair Hill | 100 | 300 |
| Fort Frederick | 24 | 72 |
| Gambrill | 71 | 71 |
| Greenbrier | 58 | 87 |
| Greenwell | 44 | 88 |
| Gunpowder Falls | 208 | 364 |
| Janes Island | 26 | 52 |
| Merkle | 50 | 75 |
| New Germany | 56 | 84 |
| North Point | 42 | 84 |
| Patapsco – Avalon | 100 | 180 |
| Patapsco – McKeldin | 47 | 94 |
| Pocomoke | 12 | 12 |
| Rocks | 42 | 42 |
| Rocky Gap | 21 | 42 |
| Sandy Point | 146 | 584 |
| Seneca Creek (10 a.m.) | 60 | 150 |
| Seneca Creek (11 a.m.) | 140 | 350 |
| Smallwood | 16 | 24 |
| Soldiers Delight (sunrise) | 20 | 40 |
| Soldiers Delight (afternoon) | 129 | 258 |
| St. Mary’s | 31 | 62 |
| Susquehanna | 47 | 94 |
| Swallow Falls | 16 | 20 |
| Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail | 6 | 9 |
| Tuckahoe | 35 | 70 |
| Wye Island | 25 | 37 |
| Total | 2,034 | 4,030 |
