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Take a hike this New Year's Day

| 16 Dec 2015 | 01:11
    Photo courtesy of NJBG Bundle up and enjoy a convivial start to the New Year at a First Day Hike on Friday, Jan. 1, at the New Jersey State Botanical Garden.
    Photo courtesy of NJBG Bundle up and enjoy a convivial start to the New Year at a First Day Hike on Friday, Jan. 1, at the New Jersey State Botanical Garden.

RINGWOOD — The NJBG/Skylands Association and Ringwood State Park invite all to start off the new year right and enjoy a free First Day Hike on Friday, Jan. 1, at the New Jersey State Botanical Garden, located on Morris Road in Ringwood.

Join us on a self-guided, family-friendly hike in the park woodlands surrounding the Botanical Garden. Weather permitting, you can easily climb to the Mt. Defiance overlook on the Halifax trail and return, or choose our alternate hike without a climb.

This annual event is a joint project of Ringwood State Park staff and volunteers from the NJBG/Skylands Association and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Wear sturdy shoes and weather appropriate clothes, small children may need to be carried. This event is free.

Begin your hike at Skylands between 1 and 2 p.m. at the Carriage House Visitor Center of the New Jersey State Botanical Garden. Map and hike directions will be provided at the start. Allow 90 minutes for the hike. Staff will be on the trail for assistance if required. Snow cancels; call the State Park office at 973-962-7031 for more information.

First Day Hikes are held annually on New Year's Day at state parks all across the United States. They are designed to encourage visitors to enjoy their state parks year-round, and to promote good health and exercise by working off some of the pounds gained during the holidays.

In the winter, the Botanical Garden’s primary roads and parking lots are cleared after snowfalls and all are invited to stroll through the serene surroundings to enjoy the season’s special beauty. Or, bring your cross-country skis and snowshoes to explore the Garden’s many meadows and woodland trails in a totally different way.

The New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Admission to the garden is always free. Parking is also free in the fall, winter and spring.

NJBG/Skylands is located on Morris Road in Ringwood. For an event schedule, membership brochure, directions or more information, call 973-962-9534 or visit www.njbg.org.