First Day Hikes will be offered statewide this New Year’s as a continuation of the initiative begun by America's State Parks. In keeping with the tradition, we at Sky Meadows State Park are proud to offer both self-guided and ranger-led options this New Year’s Day.

You can view the first sunrise of 2023 from the Piedmont Overlook at Sky Meadows State Park.

Sunrise hikes: a Sky Meadows New Year’s tradition

While many Americans think of ringing in the new year at midnight, other cultures around the world celebrate the sunrise of New Year’s Day. We at Sky Meadows State Park take part in this multicultural tradition by opening our main gates (on Edmonds Lane) at 5:30 a.m. each New Year’s Day. Since the park usually opens at 8 a.m., only on the special occasion of New Year’s Day can you witness the breathtaking sight of sunrise from one of our scenic overlooks. On Sunday, Jan. 1, you can access one of the backcountry trails leading to a sunrise view. The early opening allows you time to hike from the Backcountry Trailhead to one of the overlooks on the Piedmont Overlook Trail, South Ridge Trail or the Ambassador Whitehouse Trail. Other Blue Ridge backcountry trails with east-facing vantage points to view the sunrise include North Ridge Trail and Hadow Trail. The sunrise hike options are “choose your own adventure” hikes where you will be your own guide.

Waiting for the sun to rise on South Ridge Trail

Once a year, we invite you to experience the beauty of a Sky Meadows State Park sunrise. New Year’s Day also happens to be a fee-free day at Virginia State Parks, so enjoy your day at the park as a gift from us and start off 2023 on the right foot.

Read on for information on our ranger-led first-day hikes that will take place later in the day.

Both 2023 guided First Day Hikes begin at the historic log cabin.

Hike for Monarch Habitat: an easy-going family-friendly hike

The first of our ranger-guided first-day hikes will start at 10 a.m. and depart from the log cabin in the park’s historic area. Come prepared for an approximate 1.8-mile hike along meadows and pollinator plots. Here you’ll have the opportunity to plant milkweed seeds in designated areas to help increase the habitat for monarch butterflies in the year ahead. You can be proud of doing an activity on New Year’s Day that is both good for you and for an imperiled butterfly species. If you are interested in further reading on park initiatives to protect important pollinators like the monarchs, here is a previous blog on the subject.

The milkweed seeds you plant on New Year’s Day will overwinter and become an important habitat for monarch butterflies this summer.

"Auld Lang Syne" Hike: a moderate hike with a view and a story

The second ranger-led New Year’s Day hike will begin at 1 p.m., starting from the log cabin. This will be an uphill walk to a highland view, where you will gain not only elevation but an appreciation of how the past continues to shape your experience of the present. Learn a bit of park history as you view the surrounding pastoral landscape. A similar view would have inspired the previous landowner Sir Robert Hadow to name the property “Skye Farm” for its resemblance to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Think of how the sight may have changed or remained unchanged over the decades and how you are now a part of the ongoing story of the land that is now Sky Meadows State Park.

As you gaze over the Piedmont Overlook, contemplate how this view might have inspired the name “Skye Farm,” from which Sky Meadows State Park derives its name.

After your hike, stop by the park’s historic area for a hearth-cooking demonstration and a taste of warm “Hoppin’ John soup,” a symbol of good luck, in the log cabin. If you are inspired to delve deeper into the stories of the park’s past, stop by the visitor center and purchase the pamphlet “Sky Meadows State Park: A Timeline History of Its Resources and the People Who Shaped the Landscape.” You can also grab a free “Historic Grounds Walking Tour” brochure to lead your self-guided exploration of the structures of a mid-19th-century farm.

Hearth cooking in the log cabin is another New Year’s Tradition at Sky Meadows.

The celebration of a new year provides the chance to look ahead to the future while also taking stock of the history that precedes us. We at Sky Meadows State Park are looking ahead to celebrating 40 years as a Virginia State Park in 2023. You can be a part of that legacy too, and joining us for a First Day Hike is the perfect way to kick off the New Year. So, rise early for a sunrise hike, join us for one of our guided hikes or make a day of it and do all three! Make us part of your resolution and Buy an annual pass. We wish you a happy new year, a happy visit to the park and many happy visits to come in 2023 and beyond.

Virginia State Parks First Day Hike 2019 photo contest winner taken at Sky Meadows State Park