Celebrate the New Year with 'First Day Hikes'

OLYMPIA – The public is invited to ring in the new year with First Day Hikes, offered on Jan. 1 in any of 32 state parks across Washington. State Park rangers and volunteers will be on hand to guide participants and most participating parks will offer refreshments.

More than 30 parks will offer guided hikes, snow shoe treks and fat tire bike rides. There will be something for every fitness level. For more information about the hikes being offered visit http://www.naspd.org/initiatives-special-programs/first-day-hikes/.

Jan. 1 is also the first of 12 Washington State Park free days in 2017, when visitors will not need to display a Discover Pass to access the park.

Nearby parks participating in First Day Hikes include Palouse Falls State Park near Starbuck and Columbia Plateau Trail State Park in Pasco.

Palouse Falls State Park, near Starbuck: Take a two-hour, moderate round-trip hike featuring incredible views of Palouse Falls, Washington's official state waterfall. Learn about the area's flora, fauna and geology, while discussing the principles of Leave No Trace. Meet at noon, at the lower parking lot. Carpooling is recommended, as the parking lot is small. (Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/dBNJVqAs9wK2)

Columbia Plateau Trail State Park, Pasco: A moderate 2-hour round-trip bicycle ride to the portion of the trail between Ice Harbor Dam Trailhead and the Snake River Junction Trailhead. Learn about the principles of Leave No Trace, while enjoying a brisk ride along this trail with scenic views of the Snake River. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Ice Harbor Dam Trailhead, east of Pasco. (Park map: http://parks.state.wa.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1854).

For more details about 2017 First Day Hikes visit the official Washington State Parks blog, Adventure Awaits, at: http://adventureawaits.com/2016/12/first-day-hikes-2017/. The blog includes information about degree of difficulty for each hike, age appropriatementss, whether pets are allowed, contact information and more. First Day hikers are also encouraged to share their stories on the blog.