📅 Mark Your Calendars: Jan 1, 2026 — National First Day Hike!

New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation will host another First Day Hike at Taughannock Falls State Park (Ithaca area) to kick off 2026.

In 2018, we topped 1,000; a couple of years later, attendance passed 2,000. Since 2018, Taughannock’s First Day Hike has been the largest attended in the U.S. These hikes happen across New York State, across the country—and increasingly around the world.

Due to my current mobility, I’ll be an encourager-in-chief—left-side high-fives only for 2026, please 🙂

Yes, I’m the guy in shorts 😄—you should dress for the weather. (Photo from 2018.)

I’ve had inquiries from other states (and abroad) about hosting these. Stay tuned: Josh Teeter and I are launching a free Substack podcast with step-by-step tips. Subscribe to see when we schedule it.

🥾❄️👋 #FirstDayHike #Ithaca #NYStateParks #NatureRX #EncouragementDay