By Christina Lengyel | The Center Square
Republished by Travels With The Post
(The Center Square) – Local residents looking for a healthy start to 2025 can join the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at area state parks during daylight hours on Jan. 1 (2025; Wednesday) for any one of dozens of free first-day hikes. Three are located within 20 miles or less of Pottstown.
The department is organizing more than 70 guided hikes at 46 state parks and one forest district. The hikes are part of an initiative across all 50 states by the National Association of State Park Directors.
Regional state parks participating in the event are:
- French Creek State Park, the popular 7,977-acre park in North Coventry and Warwick townships (Chester County), and Robeson and Union townships (Berks County), located at 843 Park Rd., Elverson PA (12 miles southwest of Pottstown);
- Marsh Creek State Park, a 1,705-acre park and home to Marsh Creek Lake, in Upper Uwchlan and Wallace townships (Chester County), at 675 Park Rd., Downingtown PA (14 miles south of Pottstown); and
- Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, established during 1966 in Berks County as Pennsylvania’s first environmental education center, at 3025 New Holland Rd., Reading PA (20 miles northwest of Pottstown).
Most of the hikes are between one and two miles long, with dog-, child-, and elderly-friendly options. “First Day Hikes are the perfect way to start the year by immersing yourself in Pennsylvania’s natural spaces,” department Secretary Cindy Dunn says.
“This year, we’re encouraging everyone to connect with our public lands,” she adds. Dunn suggests that could mean “discovering programs at our state parks, exploring new outdoor activities, or uncovering the rich history preserved within our landscapes. Let’s make 2025 a year of connection and exploration.”
Coming: PA’s 5-year Recreation Program
The agency is required to create a “statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation program” every five years, informed by several public surveys. A draft of the 2025-2029 program is expected be available for public comment from Feb. 3 to March 3 (2025).
Among about 8,000 responses to this year’s surveys, the connection between mental health and the outdoors was a primary focus. There was bipartisan support for increasing permanent funding for the parks. Under the state’s 2023 budget, $112 million went to support state park and forest infrastructure.
The department recently noted $10 million in grants supported trail projects. At an event in Williamsport PA, Dunn reported the state investment in trails is “really investing in communities.” That includes, she says, “the health of the people who live nearby, in their connections to neighboring towns, and in the businesses who provide services to the people who use and visit them.”
Another major concern was equity. It has inspired Mosaic, an initiative to make the state’s outdoor spaces more inclusive. Outreach by the department is aimed at drawing more diverse participation at events like the first day hikes.
The commonwealth’s 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest land represent “free opportunities to take a break from the daily grind and enjoy natural spaces,” according to the department, which emphasizes the benefits cited throughout the survey.
Photo provided to Travels With The Post
by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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