I do not have to travel far to participate in an annual First Day Hike at a state park I have yet to visit. With more than 1,000 events planned nationwide, opportunities abound from Maine to Hawaii.
Closer to home, Missouri State Parks will host guided walks at 25 locations, including many in the Jefferson County region. I am proud to have been on the trails at all except eight of those places. My options to find a new place range from 100 miles away at Jefferson Landing in Jefferson City, or Big Sugar State Park, almost 250 miles across the state in Pineville.
I may wait for a later opportunity to visit those locations, and take my next New Years Day trek someplace closer to home, such as a repeat visit to Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial or the always-popular Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve County.
The hike at Mastodon would be the simplest for Jefferson County residents by any measure. At just a shade longer than three-quarters of a mile, the hike is the shortest on the state list. The Spring Branch Trail is packed gravel and considered handicapped and stroller accessible. The creek bottom loop has minimal elevation change throughout its course. Scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., even the latest sleepers can get plenty of recovery time after ringing in the new year the previous evening.
For those in the northwest corner of Jefferson County, the 10 a.m. hike at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park in Wildwood provides a bit of everything. Along with the wild and rugged two-mile Dogwood Trail, historical structures will be highlighted by the interpretive guide.
Two options will be available at Washington State Park south of De Soto off Highway 21. A park naturalist will guide a 1.5-mile hike, starting at 1 p.m., on the 1,000 Steps Trail from the Thunderbird Lodge up into the hills overlooking Big River valley. The other walk invites bikes, trikes and strollers to cover a one-mile excursion on the access road to the day-use area in the park.
Staying to the south, three parks in the Park Hills area of St. Francois County will host events including a one-mile walking tour of the remnants of structures and buildings at Missouri Mines State Historic Site at 9 a.m. The trek is mostly paved or gravel and has a few steep grades.
Beginning at 1 p.m. at the adjacent St. Joe State Park, a 1.25-mile walk on the Lakeview Trail follows the shoreline with its undulating terrain. Most of the hike is considered easy, including a quarter-mile section of pavement along Monsanto Lake.
If none of those events sound challenging enough, then try the 3-plus mile hike planned at 1 p.m. on the Swimming Deer Trail at St. Francois State Park near Bonne Terre. Considered moderately difficult, the two-hour tour includes time along the Big River and climbs to the tops of bluffs through the woods.
Last but not least in our region is the two-mile excursion at Hawn State Park at 2 p.m. Utilizing two connector trails, participants will experience both the Whispering Pines Trail and the White Oak Trail. Both are moderately difficult.
The First Day Hikes at Missouri State Parks are free, but require advance registration, and most have limited capacity. Hikers are advised to wear sturdy shoes, bring water and dress appropriately for the January forecast. To register, visit mostateparks.com and search First Day Hikes. The online registration form requires users to select the park and enter Jan. 1 as the event date.
For those in search of something more exotic than the Missouri woods, Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, welcomes visitors for a 6:30 a.m. sunrise celebration prior to a hike at 7:30 a.m. Gates open at 5:30 a.m. for the hike at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline in Honolulu.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and is the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.