Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico State Parks will sponsor free, guided hikes in 19 state parks on New Year's Day as part of America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states. First Day Hikes offer individuals and families the opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on January 1, 2015 at a state park close to home.

"We are excited to host First Day Hikes as part of this national effort to get people outdoors and into our parks," said Tommy Mutz, State Parks Director. "First Day Hikes are a great way to cure cabin fever and burn off those extra holiday calories by starting the New Year with an invigorating hike in one of our beautiful state parks. Getting out into nature can recharge your mind, body and spirit after the hectic holiday season."

New Mexico's State Parks boast a wide variety of beautiful settings for year-round outdoor recreation, and each First Day Hike will offer an opportunity to explore unique natural and cultural treasures close to home. From Sugarite Canyon in the north to Rockhound in the south, hikers can climb hills and mountain tops, walk along ponds, beaches and dams, and traverse trails through forests, fields and deserts.

The historic First Day Hike at Elephant Butte Lake State Park will be the one and only opportunity during the year for visitors to walk across the dam. Hikers can expect to be surrounded by the quiet beauty of nature in winter, experience spectacular views and vistas and benefit from the company of a knowledgeable state park guide.

The following are the First Day Hikes scheduled in State Parks for 2015:

STATE PARK                             HIKE TIME                              HIKE LEVEL
Bluewater Lake                        10 a.m. & 12 p.m.                  Moderate
Bottomless Lakes                     9 a.m.                                    Moderate
Caballo Lake                             9 a.m.                                   Moderate
Cerrillos Hills                            1 p.m.                                    Moderate
City of Rocks                            9 a.m.                                    Moderate to strenuous
Eagle Nest Lake                       11 a.m.                                  Easy to strenuous
Elephant Butte Lake                10 a.m. & 2 p.m.                    Moderate
Hyde Memorial                         10 a.m.                                  Moderate
Leasburg Dam                          10 a.m. & 1 p.m.                    Moderate
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens     9 a.m.                                    Easy
Navajo Lake                             9:30 a.m.                               Easy to moderate
Oasis                                        1 p.m.                                    Moderate to strenuous
Oliver Lee Memorial                  11 a.m.                                  Easy
Rockhound                               8:30 a.m.                               Moderate
Santa Rosa Lake                       1 p.m.                                    Easy to moderate
Sugarite Canyon                       10 a.m.                                  Easy
Sumner Lake                            1 p.m.                                    Moderate
Ute Lake                                   10 a.m. & 2 p.m.                    Easy to moderate
Villanueva                                 10 a.m.                                  Moderate to strenuous

Park staff and volunteers will lead the hikes, which average one to two miles or longer depending on the state park. Details about hike locations, difficulty and length, terrain and tips regarding proper clothing are listed on the Event Calendar on the New Mexico State Parks website.

Visit www.nmparks.org  to find a First Day Hike nearest you.

Conditions are Right for Adventure at Your New Mexico State Parks!

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.