ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. – A fun and healthy way to start the New Year off on the right foot.
Natural Bridge State Park is hosting its annual First Day Hike on Jan 1.
Rangers will lead guided tours every hour from 9 a.m. to noon, but you can also go on a self-guided tour throughout the day, rain or shine.
Admission is free for most of the trails.
Leaders expect several hundred hikers, continuing a trend they’re seeing from the pandemic.
“This has been our biggest year by far for the park just because it’s a good place for people to come, get into nature, get away from being cooped up at home. It’s someplace that you can go and feel safe,” said Dylan Harper, an interpreter at Natural Bridge State Park.
This has been a tradition at Natural Bridge since 2016, but First Day Hikes will be offered at all 41 state parks across Virginia.