First Day Hike! Pocahontas State Park, Easy-ish 4 miles on wooded trails

## 📸🥾 First Annual First Day Hike

Pocahontas State Park — New Year’s Day 2026
Kick off 2026 outdoors with our FIRST ANNUAL First Day Hike!
Every New Year’s Day, Virginia State Parks offer free parking and free commemorative “First Day Hike” stickers to encourage people to start the year active, outdoors, and connected to local parks. We’re joining in with a relaxed, social group hike at Pocahontas State Park.
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🗺️ Hike Details

• Location: Pocahontas State Park
• Route: ~4-mile loop
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Pace: Relaxed / conversational
• Terrain: Well-maintained park trails
• Focus: Primarily hiking, with brief pauses for photography (we do have a reputation to maintain)

This is a mostly hiking-focused outing, not a full photo walk. We’ll build in short stops for photos when something catches our eye, but the emphasis is on starting the year moving and outdoors.
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### ⏰ Meetup Time & Logistics

• Meet: 10:00 AM
• Start walking: 10:05 AM sharp

📍 Meeting point:
Nature & Heritage Center at Pocahontas State Park
(Google Maps link)
Please allow plenty of time to:

• Find the park entrance
• Park
• Gather your gear
• Walk over to the Nature & Heritage Center
• Use restrooms (if needed)
• Get your sticker inside the Nature Center

🚻 Restrooms are available at the Nature & Heritage Center.
Please plan to use them before we start.
Important: We will begin on time and cannot wait for late arrivals.
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### 🌦️ Weather Forecast (as of now)

• High: 47°F
• Conditions: Partly cloudy
• Precipitation: 1% chance
• Wind: 7–8 mph
• Humidity: ~57%

Plan for cool winter conditions and dress in layers.
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### 🎒 What to Wear/Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots
• Weather-appropriate layers
• Water
• Camera or phone (optional but encouraged)
• Small daypack if needed

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### 🅿️ Parking & Fees

• FREE PARKING on New Year’s Day (Virginia State Parks First Day Hike program)
• Free commemorative First Day Hike stickers available while supplies last

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### ⚠️ Safety & Participation Disclaimer

By attending this event, you acknowledge that outdoor activities like hiking involve inherent risks, including uneven terrain and changing weather conditions. You are responsible for your own safety, equipment, and personal well-being during the event. Participation is voluntary, and attendees assume all risks associated with the hike.
This event is informal and social in nature and is not guided, supervised, or insured.