SAN ANTONIO – Jan. 1 marks First Day Hikes, a nationwide program that encourages hiking on New Year’s Day.
Luckily, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will host several events so people of all ages and skills can explore Texas State Parks.
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The events will include ranger- and self-guided walks, bike rides, paddling trips and polar plunges at dozens of parks, according to a news release.
TPWD broke its First Day Hikes participation record in 2024 when 8,729 people visited Texas State Parks.
“One of the many reasons that I love Texas is the nice weather that we can have even in the winter and there is no better way to spend a beautiful winter day than walking with friends and family at a Texas State Park,” parks Director Rodney Franklin said in the news release. “Each year, thousands of Texans turn out to a nearby state park to ring in the new year with a First Day Hike and I always look forward to seeing the photos of smiling folks enjoying parks on January 1.”
Here are the state parks hosting special events on New Year’s Day.
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Abilene State Park
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Atlanta State Park
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Balmorhea State Park
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Bastrop State Park
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Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
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Big Bend Ranch State Park
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Big Spring State Park
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Blanco State Park
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Bonham State Park
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Brazos Bend State Park
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Buescher State Park
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Caddo Lake State Park
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Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
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Cedar Hill State Park
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Choke Canyon State Park (Calliham Unit)
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Cleburne State Park
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Colorado Bend State Park
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Cooper Lake State Park (Doctors Creek Unit)
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Cooper Lake State Park (South Sulphur Unit)
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Copper Breaks State Park
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Davis Mountains State Park
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Daingerfield State Park
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Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area
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Devils River State Natural Area
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Dinosaur Valley State Park
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Eisenhower State Park
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Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
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Estero Llano Grande State Park
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Falcon State Park
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Fort Boggy State Park
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Franklin Mountains State Park
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Galveston Island State Park
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Garner State Park
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Goose Island State Park
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Goliad State Park & Historic Site
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Government Canyon State Natural Area
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Guadalupe River State Park
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Hill Country State Natural Area
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Honey Creek State Natural Area
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Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
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Huntsville State Park
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Inks Lake State Park
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Lake Arrowhead State Park
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Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
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Lake Brownwood State Park
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Lake Casa Blanca International State Park
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Lake Corpus Christi State Park
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Lake Livingston State Park
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Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
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Lake Somerville State Park (Birch Creek Unit)
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Lake Somerville State Park (Nails Creek Unit)
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Lake Tawakoni State Park
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Lockhart State Park
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Lost Maples State Natural Area
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Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
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Martin Creek Lake State Park
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Martin Dies, Jr. State Park
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McKinney Falls State Park
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Meridian State Park
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Mission Tejas State Park
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Monahans Sandhills State Park
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Mother Neff State Park
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Palmetto State Park
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Palo Duro Canyon State Park
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Pedernales Falls State Park
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Possum Kingdom State Park
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Purtis Creek State Park
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Ray Roberts Lake State Park (Isle Du Bois Unit)
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Ray Roberts Lake State Park (Johnson Branch Unit)
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Resaca de la Palma State Park
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San Angelo State Park
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Sea Rim State Park
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Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site
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Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center
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South Llano River State Park
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Stephen F. Austin State Park
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Tyler State Park
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Village Creek State Park
Click here for details on those events.
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