In a season all about traditions, First Day hikes have become a mainstay at state parks across the United States.
The Department of Natural Resources has organized 13 guided hikes at state parks around Minnesota to mark the new year Wednesday, from Grand Portage in the far northeast to Blue Mounds in the southwest corner. (Find the full lineup on the Minnesota DNR’s website or at bit.ly/firsthike2025.) There are opportunities in regional park systems, too.
An alliance of U.S. state parks has promoted the New Year’s Day outings since 2012. First Day hikes in Minnesota have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, said DNR Parks and Trails spokesperson Sara Joy Berhow.
“People were missing time with loved ones during the holidays when we were discouraged from gathering indoors, and folks turned to the outdoors for a new holiday tradition,” she said. “It’s such a positive way to start the year.”
Here are four popular places around the state to start the new year with a hike or walk: One draws the masses to connect in one of the state’s oldest parks; another adds a degree of citizen science; a third takes in iconic terrain; and a fourth is in the heart of the metro.
Minneopa State Park, Mankato
Expect a large turnout at Minneopa if previous years are a barometer. As many as 100 people participated last Jan. 1, said Minneopa State Park area lead naturalist Kelsey Moe. The gathering for a 2-mile, mostly flat hike will begin at the group camp parking lot and run from 1-2:30 p.m. The event itself is free, but entrance to the park requires a daily or annual vehicle pass.

“I think the tradition or the legacy has captured people’s hearts,” she said. “People have come to expect it and anticipate it.” The park, which became Minnesota’s third state park when it was established in 1905, has a long history of committed volunteers through groups like Friends of Minneopa.
Moe said she is hoping the cold forecast (a high of 22) doesn’t deter people, and she encouraged walkers and hikers to come prepared for the elements.