Are you ready to start a new tradition for the new year?
We’ve got the secret to starting 2026 on the right foot.
Take a hike!
A First Day Hike is a fun and healthy way to kick off the New Year. The concept is simple: on January 1, visit a provincial park near you for a hike!
Hiking for health
A First Day Hike promotes a year-long embrace of health and happiness in the outdoors. Plus, hiking offers head-to-toe health benefits.
Hiking is good for cardiovascular health and can help reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
It’s also great at toning muscles, especially in quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Add some hills or uneven terrain for an even better cardio workout and to burn more calories.
Hiking is good for your mind, too. Research shows that spending time outdoors may increase your attention span and creative problem-solving skills by as much as 50%.
As you travel along the trail, you’ll hear the sounds of nature all around you. Nature sounds – like birds and rushing water – have been shown to lower stress levels.
Ring in the new year with a First Day Hike at one of our park events!
Each year, Ontario Parks hosts First Day Hike events where we encourage Ontarians to join us for a hike at one of our 30+ operating parks to kick off the new year in a happy, healthy way.
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Visit Sibbald Point Provincial Park for an evening journey lit only by fire and the stars.
Hike between the hours of 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm on your own or join a guided hike led by Sibbald Point’s Discovery team that will meet at the trailhead. Guided hikes will start at 7:00 pm on each event day.
This journey takes approximately 1-1.5 hours to complete dependent on your hiking pace.
Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
Start your year at Wasaga Beach! Explore the trails on foot or by snowshoe. A self-guided scavenger hunt will be available.
After your hike, enjoy hot chocolate by the fire (cups provided).
Presqu’ile Provincial Park
Join Presqu’ile’s park naturalist on a walk to search for the birds that are spending the winter at the park.
Binoculars will be available to borrow for the program. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Camp Office parking lot.
This walk usually lasts about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how many birds we encounter. We will travel 1.5km on fairly flat gravel roadways with the possibility of ice or snow depending on the day.
Killarney Provincial Park
The cold and snow can’t keep us inside, and the same is true of many of our feathered friends. Join Park Naturalist Kate for some winter birding on the La Cloche Trail. Spot some of the park’s year-round residents and snowy season visitors.
Meet at the Park Office at 10:00 a.m. The hike will be about an hour in length. We’ll be walking 2 km over fairly even terrain with a few hills. Participants may wish to bring snowshoes or ice cleats depending on the weather, but neither is required for the hike.
Silent Lake Provincial Park
Explore Silent Lake’s Bonnie’s Pond Trail! Stop by the gatehouse between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to pick up a special First Day Hike pamphlet for the journey.
This 3 km trail is perfect for the nature lover or explorer. It winds through mature beech trees, and passes a large beaver pond, pine and hemlock forests to a breathtaking lookout.
Prefer a self-guided option?
Here are a few great options for your First Day Hike:
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Explore one of 13 km of multi-use trails to walk, jog, ski or cycle along.
Plan to start your hike either in Parking Lot A in the Day-Use Area or the campground main lot.
Awenda Provincial Park
Explore Awenda’s winter trail network!
The 3.7 km Beach Trail takes you down the Nipissing Bluff to the beautiful Georgian Bay shoreline, while the Wendat Trail is an 8 km loop trail that offers serene forest views around Kettle’s Lake.
Ready to pick your park?
Check our operating dates to find out which parks are open near you. Wondering if that park has snow? Check the Snow Report.
Don’t forget to book your day-use permit up to five days in advance.
Wishing you an amazing start to the new year!
