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 button!

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 (Fields Spring, Lake Easton, Lake Wenatchee and Mount Spokane).

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

https://parks.wa.gov/find-activity/activity-search/first-day-hikes