First Day Hikes at Illinois State Parks

Description

Updated Jan. 1, 2026 event details and locations will be posted by Dec. 2025. 

Jump into the New Year with a hike! What better way to start the new year than enjoying nature with friends on the first day of the year! Enjoy a new park, a new activity or just share your old favorites with friends and the public.

First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors.  On New Year’s Day, hundreds of hikes will be organized in all 50 states.  Kids and adults across America will be participating in First Day Hikes, getting their hearts pumping and enjoying the beauty of a state park. Last year nearly 55,000 people rang in the New Year, collectively hiking over 133,000 miles throughout the country!

You are invited to savor the beauty of Illinois state parks’ natural resources on Jan. 1, so you may be inspired to take advantage of these local treasures throughout the year.

Find a First Day Hike near you

List of Illinois State Parks participating in a First Day Hike (Click the links below for trail maps.)

• Beall Woods State Park
• Beaver Dam State Park
• Cache River State Natural Area
• Castle Rock State Park
• Eagle Creek/Wolf Creek State Park
• Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
• Ferne Clyffe State Park
• Fox Ridge State Park
• Giant City State Park
• Illinois Beach State Park
• Pere Marquette State Park
• Rock Island Trail State Park
• Sand Ridge State Forest
• Sangchris Lake State Park
• William Powers State Recreation Area

Time of Event: You can go anytime you want. But remember, days are shorter in the winter, and you may want to plan an earlier start time. Have a good idea of the usable daylight hours before going hiking. Check the park's website for hours of operation.

Location: There will be a designated “check in” area. Likely near the visitors center. (Please see individual site for those details). The “check in” area will have complimentary stickers, trail maps, and any other relevant info you might need. You can go on a short walk, or a long hike, or anything in-between.

Sign-In: We would love to hear from all the hikers who participated! Please fill in the log book, and let us know how many people are in your group, how many miles you hiked, and where you are from. (you can fill this out before or after your hike). There will be a commemorative sticker to remember your healthy start to the new year in one of Illinois’ beautiful state parks.

Celebrate! We want to see your photos. We will collect the pictures of YOU and other folks across Illinois who started the new year off on the right foot. There will be a QR code at the “check-in” location for you to submit your photos OR post on social media usting the hashtag #ILFirstDayHikes and tag Illinois Department of Natural Resources.