First Day Hikes

Ring in the New Year with Washington State Parks! First Day Hikes offer an experience for everyone to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state parks.

Participate in staff-led and self-guided hikes, snowshoe excursions, trail rides, polar plunges, scavenger hunts and more at 30+ parks on New Year's Day. When you are done, don't forget to pick up your free, collectible Washington State Parks 2026 First Day Hikes pin!

All hikes are free and a Discover Pass is NOT needed to park on state managed lands on Jan. 1, our first Washington State Parks free day of 2026. However, you may need to register for some events with participation limits and/or purchase the appropriate Sno-Park permit for parks that become Sno-Parks during the winter (Lake Easton, Lake Wenatchee and Mount Spokane).

Thank you to the Washington State Parks Foundation for supporting our 2026 First Day Hikes events.

Please read hike descriptions carefully and check the park's event descriptions to make sure you are registered and have what you need. Enjoy your New Year's Day State Parks adventure!

Eastern Washington First Day Hikes

Park	Event Time	Event Link
Bridgeport State Park	TBD	Bridgeport First Day Hike
Columbia Plateau Trail	TBD	Columbia Plateau Trail First Day Hike
Lake Easton State Park	TBD	Lake Easton First Day Hike
Lake Chelan State Park	TBD	Lake Chelan First Day Hike
Lake Wenatchee State Park	TBD	Lake Wenatchee First Day Hike
Maryhill State Park	TBD	Maryhill Polar Plunge
Mount Spokane State Park	TBD	Mount Spokane First Day Hike- Smith Gap Snowshoe Hike
Mount Spokane State Park	TBD	Mount Spokane First Day Hike- Summit Snowshoe Hike
Palouse Falls State Park	TBD	Palouse Falls First Day Hike
Riverside State Park	TBD	Deep Creek Canyon First Day Hike
Sacajawea State Park	TBD	Sacajawea First Day Hike
Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park	TBD	Making New Years tracks in the Shrub Steppe
Wenatchee Confluence State Park	TBD	Wenatchee Confluence First Day Hike

Northwest Washington First Day Hikes

Park	Event Time	Event Link
Bridle Trails State Park	TBD	Bridle Trail Trotting into '25
Cama Beach State Park	TBD	Cama Beach First Day Hike
Camano Island State Park	TBD	Camano Island First Day Hike- Howard Adams Trail
Deception Pass State Park	TBD	Deception Pass First Day Hike
Lake Sammamish State Park	TBD	Lake Sammamish Polar Plunge
Larrabee State Park	TBD	Larrabee First Day Hike
Lime Kiln Point State Park	TBD	Lime Kiln Point First Day Hike
Millersylvania State Park	TBD	Millersylvania First Day Hike
Moran State Park	TBD	Moran First Day Hike
Nolte State Park	TBD	Nolte First Day Hike
Rockport State Park	TBD	Rockport First Day Hike
Saint Edward State Park	TBD	Saint Edward First Day Hike
Saltwater State Park	TBD	Saltwater First Day Hike
Spencer Spit State Park	TBD	Spencer Spit First Day Hike
South Whidbey State Park	TBD	South Whidbey First Day Hike
Tolmie State Park	TBD	Tolmie First Day Hike

Southwest Washington First Day Hikes

Park	Event Time	Event Link
Beacon Rock State Park	TBD	Beacon Rock First Day Hike Beacon Rock First Day Hike-Afternoon Hike
Bottle Beach State Park	TBD	Bottle Beach First Day Hike
Cape Disappointment State Park	TBD	Cape Disappointment First Day Hike
Fort Worden State Park	TBD	Fort Worden First Day Hike
Griffiths-Priday State Park	TBD	Griffiths-Priday First Day Hike
Harstine Island State Park	TBD	Harstine Island State Park Loop
Lake Sylvia State Park	TBD	Lake Sylvia First Day Hikes
Lewis and Clark State Park	TBD	Lewis and Clark First Day Hike
Mount Saint Helens Visitor Center - Seaquest State Park	TBD	Bird Walk on the Boardwalk (Wetland Haven Trail)
Penrose Point State Park	TBD	Penrose Point First Day Hike
Twanoh State Park	TBD	Twanoh First Day Hike

Rules & safety

We at State Parks want you to enjoy all the wonders the winter season has to offer. Preparing for safety on your First Day Hike experience is the first step. Visit our park Rules & Safety pages, pay careful attention to the equipment lists and difficulty level of each event, know your own abilities and limitations and always pack the Ten Essentials.

If you have questions about the difficulty or equipment requirements of any hike, please reach out to the event organizers. Happy New Year from Washington State Parks!