2026 Friends' First Day hike- Start the year off with us!

Help us start the New Year off with a family hike in Myles Standish on New Years Day. We are offering you :

• a relaxing easy 2.5 mile walk around the lovely East Head Reservoir trail. The walk generally takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half at a moderate pace. Fast walkers can do it it in less than an hour.
• If the weather allows, a smaller group will continue for another 4 miles on a trail that branches off at Webster Springs Road and continues over to the Larch Trail.

Both groups will start off together from the amphitheater behind the forest headquarters on Cranberry Road. Park in the main headquarters lot. There is a pavilion built last year where there are picnic tables.

Meet us at 10:45am for an 11:00 hike start. If the fire weather allows, we have enjoyed a campfire and hot chocolate. We have to wait to see conditions on the day to see if it will be safe to have a fire. If we can't have a campfire, we will still try to provide hot chocolate for returning hikers.

Dress warmly. When hiking, multiple thinner breathable clothing layers that can be added or subtracted as necessary are very helpful on cold days (compared to massive overcoats) because people generally warm up quickly when hiking and then have to start shedding layers. Rapid cooling can occur whenever the hike pauses. The ability to adjust to conditions is essential to having a good time and a safe trip.

Good warm boots are certainly helpful. Several years ago, someone joined us wearing flip flops. We hope that her blisters have healed by now.

Deer hunting season ends on December 31st so hunters should not be an issue.

The restrooms at the headquarters will be open.

This will be our 13th First Day hike.

The Friends are not operated by the Mass Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). We are just people like you who love Myles Standish, the biggest park in eastern Massachusetts. The Friends of Myles Standish celebrated our 18h year in 2025.

Join us. Help us make this a fun event. We've been going out for a New Year's Hike almost every year since 2012. (COVID stopped us five years ago.)

The Friends website (http://www.friendsmssf.com) tells all about our many activities over the last year.