If you hike, bike or ride a horse, head on out to one of our Virginia State Parks on Jan. 1 for a First Day Hike. All 36 of our Virginia State Parks are offering hiking opportunities but whether you participate in one of those or just come out to do your own thing, you can still participate in our two contests. The first 100 visitors to each park will receive a special First Day Hike Bumper Sticker.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES

Team Challenge

Here's all you have to do:

Find at least one other person

come up with a cool team name

sign up HERE 

visit a Virginia State Park with your team on January 1, 2015

log back in and certify you participated no later than 9 p.m. EST Jan. 2, 2015

You'll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of these prizes: team shares $500 in gift certificates, each team member gets an annual pass or each team member gets a First Day Hikes ball cap. Teams can be friends, family, church or civic groups. 

First Day Hikes Photo Contest

To enter, upload no more than 3 pictures no later than midnight January 1, 2015 to:

our Facebook page and include the name of the park 

OR 

tweet a picture and include @vastateparks and the name of the park 

OR 

upload a picture to Instagram and add #vastateparks and the park name 

OR 

if you aren't on social media, simply email me the picture with the name of the park you visited

As with all our photo contests, by entering the contest you give us license to use your photo in our marketing efforts. 

This year, the winners of the photo contest will be selected based on the best portrayal of a First Day Hike. We are looking for great winter hiking photos or photos posed with enthusiastic hikers or at iconic views of our parks. Just an FYI, we prefer pictures of folks hiking where we see faces not backs. Prizes: week cabin stay, two night cabin stay, three night camping stay, annual pass, First Day Hike ball caps. Photos will be judged based on how they best show the theme of First Day Hikes.

Even if you don't participate in either contest, you will be participating in a national event coordinated by America's State Parks, and on your way to making (or continuing) a healthy lifestyle.

See you on January 1!

Check out the compilation for the 2014 photo contest entries.