Connecticut Says “Take A Healthy Hike” To Kick Off 2022

There's a good portion of us who are going to spend New Year's Day, Saturday January 1, 2022 getting sober, coming off nicotine addiction, and trying to lose some weight. It's easy to pick your New Year's resolutions, but it isn't as easy to follow up.

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The State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) wants to help you on your path to better health. They've joined in on a national initiative called America's State Parks First Day Hikes, organized by the National Association of State Parks Directors, which offers everyone a chance to begin the New Year by taking a hike at a State park close to home.

On New Year's Day, free First Day Hikes will be offered at over a dozen State Park and Forest locations. Some of the offerings are going to be guided, and some are self-guided. First Day Hikes will be offered at these Connecticut locations:

• Auerfarm State Park Scenic Reserve - Bloomfield
• Bluff Point State Park - Groton
• Chatfield Hollow State Park - Killingworth
• Gillette Castle State Park - East Haddam/Lyme
• Goodwin State Forest - Chaplin/Hampton
• Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park - Groton
• Kettletown State Park - Oxford/Southbury
• Mansfield Hollow State Park - Mansfield
• Machimoodus/Sunrise State Park - Moodus/East Haddam
• Pachaug State Forest - Voluntown/Griswold/Plainfield/Sterling/N. Stonington/Preston
• Peoples State Forest - Barkhamsted
• Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area - Burlington
• Sherwood Island State Park - Westport

Distance and rigor of the hike will vary from park to park, according to the CT DEEP, but all hikes are aimed to create a fun experience for the whole family. According to CT DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes -

"Thanks to the Passport to the Parks Program, Connecticut is the only state in the Northeast that does not charge day-use parking fees for state residents who are driving Connecticut-registered vehicles, making our small state one of the most outdoor friendly states in the Northeast and an attractive option for those who are relocating from large metropolitan areas. We hope you get out and enjoy many of the 142 State Parks and forests that make our state a great place to live, in 2022."

For a complete list of First Day Hikes and activities, visit the CT DEEP events calendar by clicking HERE