Celebrate New Year’s in Nature with the DNR’s First Day Hikes

(KNSI) — A new Forbes Health/OnePoll survey of 1,000 U.S. adults showed getting healthy as the number one New Year’s resolution for 2024, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has just the thing to get you started on the right foot.

The First Day Hikes are set for 12 state parks on January 1st. Naturalists will take hikers on a guided tour to learn about the plants and trees you’re walking amongst and the creatures that call them home at these parks:

Afton State Park
Blue Mounds State Park
Forestville Mystery Cave State Park
Fort Snelling State Park
Frontenac State Park
Lake Bemidji State Park
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Minneopa State Park
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Tettegouche State Park
Whitewater State Park
Wild River State Park

Jay Cooke State Park, just off Interstate 35 on the way to Duluth, is hosting a last day hike on December 31st.

First day hikes are free, but a vehicle permit is required to enter. Permits are $7 a day, or get one for the entire year for $35. That gets you into all 75 state parks that dot Minnesota.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hiking in winter has numerous health benefits, including burning more calories than exercising indoors – within reason, of course. If it’s below zero, you may want to think twice about going outside. Being in nature also reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and improves cognitive function.

First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to get people outdoors, with over 400 hikes scheduled this year in all 50 states.

___