Read on if you like First Day Hikes Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Mountains, hiking, mountain biking, New Year's Day activities, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Wilder Ranch State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Dec. 30, 2013—Arise, ye New Year's Eve crapulents! (Yes, that is a real word!) Shake off those headaches and waves of nausea and get into the great outdoors for a First Day Hike or bike ride or parachute jump or whatever turns you on and a fresh perspective on the next 365 days of your life. And bring a camera. Hilltromper wants to see your First Day Fun pics, and we're prepared to bribe you with the promise of a prize for the winning shot—a one-day bike rental for two from Epicenter Cycling. See? Rewarding fun with more fun.
Find First Day Hikes in Santa Cruz County
Read Top 5 Scenic Mountain Bike Rides
Read Elkhorn Slough Safari
Uploading a photo to Hilltromper is super easy—just click the tan "Upload A Photo" button above, on this page, and follow the few simple steps in our non-invasive, non-creepy registration process. You'll be able to upload pics and comment on articles with the greatest of ease. We'll announce winners on Jan. 7.
Not sure where to go, what to do? Try one of the trails at Wilder Ranch State Park for hiking or biking, or take your steed up to the Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip or to Rancho del Oso's Waddell Beach to Berry Creek Falls trail for a nice ride to a waterfall. Our Ten Perfect Winter Hikes slideshow hosted by the Sentinel points you to short excursions that will allow for precious morning recovery time but have you out of the woods by 3 or 4.
Or go on a First Day Hike. This is the third year California has been part of the whole First Day Hikes movement, and 31 California parks are offering 38 First Day Hikes on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Santa Cruz County's First Day Hikes, not surprisingly, make up a disproportionate percentage of the state's offerings; we have five guided hikes in Henry Cowell, Big Basin and Wilder Ranch.
Just so you can feel extra celebratory out there on the trail, this First Day is something special. In 1864—150 years ago—President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove over to the state of California for the purposes of "public use, resort, and recreation." Sounds like a park, right? California Parks and Recreation thinks so too, so it's designated 2014 to be the sesquicentennial of the first state park in California.
California Parks and Recreation is offering a 150th Commemorative parks pass that will get you into most parks all year long for $150. That's pretty cool—almost as cool as our First Day hiking and biking adventures and your photos of you and your friends having fun on them.
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