A hike is a great way to kick off the New Year. There is nothing like fresh air and an invigorating hike on the first day of the year.
It’s also not a bad way to shake off some holiday over-indulgence… although, in our opinion, leftover holiday cookies count as “trail mix”.
For New Year’s Day hike ideas to do on your own, try our Top 10 Hikes in NJ, Best Hikes in NJ, Best Hikes Central Jersey, Best Hikes South Jersey, Easy Hikes, or our Hike Finder map.
For group hikes check out one of the First Day Hikes that the New Jersey State Parks are holding across the state on January 1, 2026 plus a few more listed below.
And for links to First Day Hikes for each of the 50 states, visit America’s State Parks.
Some New Jersey First Day Hikes for 2026 include:
For times, meeting locations, and more information for the State Park events listed below check the New Jersey State Park’s First Day Hikes page. All mileage is round trip.
- High Point First Day Challenge Hike ~ 6.0 miles
- Kittatinny Valley State Park – 41st Annual New Year’s Day Group Hike ~ 4.0 miles
- Round Valley’s Green, White, & Blue Hike ~ 2.5 miles
- Wawayanda Lake Loop Hike ~ 5.5 miles
Related: Gifts for Hikers | Hiking Clothing | Hiking Footwear
- D&R Canal State Park / Mapleton Preserve ~ 1.5 miles
- D&R Canal State Park / Holcombe Jimison Farm ~ 3.0 miles
- Washington Crossing First Day Hike ~ 2.0 miles
- Allaire State Park – Be the First to Hike Allaire ~ 3.5 miles
- Cheesequake Celebrates 250 Hike ~ 3.0 miles
- Discover Double Trouble – Easy ~ 1 to 2 miles
- Island Beach State Park – New Year’s Day Beach Walk ~ 1.5 miles
- Apple Pie Hill – Sunrise First Day Hike to Fire Tower and Climb ~ 2.5 miles
- Apple Pie Hill – Carranza Monument to to Fire Tower and Climb ~ 8.0 miles
- Bass River State Forest – Revolution to Recreation ~ CCC Trail
See Also: Winter Hiking | Traction Devices
- Belleplain State Forest – Thursday Trails 1st Day Hike Edition ~ 4.0 miles
- Belleplain State Forest – First Day Nature Hike ~ 3.0 miles
- Brendan T. Byrne State Forest – 1st Day Hike: 250 Years of History in the Pines ~ 6.0 miles
- Parvin Sampler Plate ~ 2.5 miles
- Tall Pines State Preserve – 6th Annual First Day Hike at Tall Pines ~ 1.5 miles
2026 First Day Hikes in New Jersey (other than State Parks)
Charles Addams Heritage Trail – Westfield, NJ
11:00am – 1:00 pm
The Charles Addams Heritage Trail is a 1.5 mile recreational route that recognizes local points of interest as part of Charles Addams’ legacy in Westfield. The stops include Addams’ child hood home, as well as sites that inspired his work. Free, advance registration is required.
First Day Hike at South Branch Preserve South – Long Valley, NJ
11:00 AM
Start the new year right! Get outside, get some exercise, and enjoy nature as we hike through the less-traveled southern section of our South Branch Preserve.
2026 First Day Hikes near New Jersey (PA/NY)…
Delaware Canal State Park – First Day Almost Full Moon Towpath Trek
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Join the state park naturalists for a ~2.5 mile roundtrip stroll along the towpath to downtown Yardley under the light of the almost full Wolf Moon! Celebrate the start of the new year through movement, social connection and an appreciation for nature.
More… First Day Hikes in Pennsylvania
See Also: Snowshoe Guide | Snowshoeing in New Jersey
Bear Mountain State Park (New York – Palisades)
10:00 AM
Trailside Museums and Zoo’s First Day Hike this year will have us climbing up the back of Bear Mountain to the summit and Perkins Tower. This will be a challenging hike, sturdy boots are a must and a hiking stick or trekking poles are recommended. The loop is only ~4 miles but we will still allot 3.5 hours for the trek. We will be gaining around 1,040 ft over the course of the hike. Some of the trail is built from stone steps and some sections are short rock scrambles. We will ascend the Major Welch Trail and then descend along the Appalachian Trail.
More… First Day Hikes in New York.