Historic sites, parks offer hikes on Jan. 1

Several state parks and historic sites will host “First Day Hikes” on Monday to welcome the new year.

Similarly, there is a “Day 1” walk scheduled in the city of Kingston.

Locally, First Day hikes will take place at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park in Highland, Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, Minnewaska State Park, and Taconic State Park in Copake Falls. The hikes are free.

In Kingston, the walk takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. The walk begins at Dietz Stadium, 170 N. Front St. and goes through Broadway, ending at the Strand in Downtown. Participants can join at any time for any stretch of the walk. The walk will end at the Riverport Wooden Boat School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing. There will be hot beverages. Visit http://day1united.com/ for more information.

At Walkway Over the Hudson, the hike will take place from 2 to 3 p.m., with participants starting at either the West or East entrances. All participants will be entered into a raffle with a chance to win prizes such as an annual membership to the Walkway, apparel, and tickets to the annual Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular Celebration. The raffle will take place at the Walkway’s Center Overlook at 2:30 p.m.

Registration is required and can be done online at http://walkway.org/event/ first-day-hike.

At Olana State Historic Site, the walk will begin at 11 a.m. with check-in beginning at 10:30 a.m. The approximately 1.5- mile walk will follow the artist- designed Ridge Road carriage drive. The hike is described as “easy” and is relatively flat, with a moderate uphill paved section halfway through.

For more information, email kimberly. f look@ parks.ny.gov or call (518) 828-0135, ext. 303. To register for the hike, visit www.olana.org/calendar. Registered guests will be notified if the event is cancelled. The event will be cancelled 48 hours in advance if there is significant snow or ice on the carriage drives.

At Taconic State Park, the hike will begin at 1 p.m. and follow the Ironworks Heritage Trail from the park headquarters to the Iron Works, then to Bash Bish Falls and back. Hot chocolate, snacks and a fire will follow the hike. The park headquarters is located at 253 state Route 344, Copake Falls.

Three hikes will take place at Minnewaska State Park Preserve, one at Peter’s Kill, Kerhonkson, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the other two at Sam’s Point, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Laura Conner, an environmental educator, will lead the 3.5-mile, Peter’s Kill snowshoe outing through the forest, along the Peter’s Kill and return on Lower Awosting Carriage Road. A limited number of snowshoes will be available for participants to borrow from the education department, located at the Peter’s Kill Area. Early arrival is suggested for participants who would like to borrow snowshoes. If there is insufficient snow cover, this program will be offered as a hike. Participants will meet in the Awosting Parking Area. Preregistration is required and may be done by calling Minnewaska at (845) 255-0752.

The Sam’s Point hikes of about 3 miles trek through the scenic park preserve. Snowshoes may be reserved for this program for a fee of $5 per person. If there is insufficient snow cover, the event will be offered as a hike. Participants renting snowshoes are advised to arrive early. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. This program is being offered at the Sam’s Point Area in Cragsmoor. Preregistration is required and may be accomplished by calling the Sam’s Point office at (845) 647-7989.