Photo submitted to Times Observer/Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau A 1 1/2-mile hike is planned for 10 a.m. at Kinzua Bridge State Park (with Kinzua Skywalk above) on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

If you want to kick off 2020 by lacing up your hiking boots, just about an hour’s drive from Warren will take you to places where you can do just that — maybe even twice if you time it right.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) officials will be joining hikers throughout the state as DCNR again sponsors free, guided hikes in 39 state parks on New Year’s Day as part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative.

State park staff and volunteers lead the hikes, which are usually about one or two miles but can be longer depending on the park and its terrain.

Area residents could travel just a little over an hour to ring in the new year at Presque Isle State Park in Erie and have ample time to make their way to Kinzua Bridge State Park for a morning hike.

Presque Isle State Park is planning an easy-going New Year’s Eve or “Last Night” hike for those who wish to ring in the New Year while hiking. A mid-hike celebration is planned in an area offering a full view of Presque Isle Bay and the Erie skyline. Spanning not more than three miles, this hike will begin at 11 p.m. and end 12:30 a.m.

Another 1 1/2-mile hike is planned for 10 a.m. at Kinzua Bridge State Park on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Hikers should meet at the General Kane Trailhead. Since the hike takes place in an area open to hunting, participants are asked to wear orange hats and vests. The park is located at 296 Viaduct Road, Kane.

“This is DCNR’s largest offering of hikes to date: a total of 45 hikes designed to remind people that state parks and forests are open for healthy outdoor adventures in all four seasons, including winter,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “They are a great way to make a resolution to enjoy nature and get more exercise.”

“Last year, we hosted over 800 participants who hiked almost 1,900 miles throughout Pennsylvania,” Dunn said.

“America’s state parks are stunning year-round, but there’s nothing quite like a First Day Hike to really take in the great outdoors and kick off the New Year in a healthy way,” said National Association of State Park Directors President Linda Lanterman. “On Jan. 1, grab your family and friends, lace up those boots and seek out a new adventure at a state park. Friendly staff and spectacular views will surely be waiting for you.”

If you’re traveling or spending the day more than an hour away from Warren, there are lots of other state parks taking part in the first day hikes.

The following Pennsylvania state park facilities are participating during daylight hours January 1, 2020:

Bald Eagle, Beltzville, Black Moshannon, Blue Knob, Caledonia, Canoe Creek, Codorus, Colonel Denning, Cook Forest, Cowans Gap, Delaware Canal, Gifford Pinchot, Greenwood Furnace, Hills Creek, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, Jennings Environmental Education Center, Keystone, Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, Kinzua Bridge, Lackawanna, Laurel Hill, Lehigh Gorge, Little Buffalo, Lyman Run, Marsh Creek, Moraine, Nescopeck, Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, Ohiopyle, Parker Dam, Pine Grove Furnace, Prince Gallitzin, Pymatuning, Racoon Creek, R.B. Winter, Shawnee, Sinnemahoning, and Trough Creek. Hikers are invited to share their experience on social media using #FirstDayHikePA.