Take a hike on New Year’s Day

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is offering free guided hikes in 25 Iowa state parks on New Year's Day as part of America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative.

'These hikes are a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family,” Todd Coffelt, chief of the DNR's State Parks Bureau, said in a prepared statement.

More than 600 people spent New Year's Day 2016 in an Iowa state park, hiking more than 1,100 total miles, the DNR reported. Nationally, more than 55,000 people covered more than 133,000 miles on guided hikes across the country.

Staff and volunteers are to lead First Day Hikes in Iowa's 25 participating state parks, including eight in northeast Iowa (full list below). Hikes average one to two miles or longer, depending on the location. Details about the hikes can be found at iowadnr.gov/firstdayhikes.

To see a comprehensive map of First Day Hikes across the country, visit stateparks.org.

Participants are encouraged to share their adventures on social media with #FirstDayHikes.

Iowa First Day Hikes take place at the following times at these parks in northeast Iowa:

l 1 p.m. - Cedar Rock State Park, 2611 Quasqueton Diagonal Blvd., Independence.

l 1 p.m. - Lake Macbride State Park, 3525 Highway 382 NE, Solon.

l 1 p.m. - Maquoketa Caves State Park, 10970 98th St., Maquoketa.

l 1 p.m. - Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, 8991 Bellevue Heights Road, Dubuque.

l 1 p.m. - Pikes Peak State Park, 32264 Pikes Peak Road, McGregor.

l 9 a.m. - Pine Lake State Park, 22620 County Highway S56, Eldora.

l 10 a.m. - Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area, 4530 McClintock Road, Palo.

l 10 a.m. - Yellow River State Forest, 729 State Forest Road, Harpers Ferry.

l Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com