SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico officials are urging residents and visitors to spend some time outside on the first day of the year.
The State Parks Division is hosting a series of hikes at nine state parks on New Year’s Day as part of the annual First Day Hikes initiative.
In addition to the hikes, visitors can also participate in Polar Bear Plunges at Storrie Lake State Park in Las Vegas and Eagle Nest Lake State Park in Eagle Nest.
The participating parks range from Navajo Lake State Park in the northwest corner to Cerrillos Hills near Santa Fe and Pancho Villa and Leasburg Dam parks in southern New Mexico. At Elephant Butte, the dam is only open to pedestrian traffic one day a year for First Day Hikes.
The New Year’s Day tradition happens nationwide. Last year, the National Association of State Park Directors reported that nearly 55,000 people rang in the New Year, collectively hiking over 133,000 miles (214,043 kilometers) throughout the country on the guided hikes.
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