Skip to main content

Start the New Year with a Siouxland First Day Hike!


On January 1st, 2022, state parks across the nation will be hosting their annual "First Day Hikes" to encourage people to start their year off well! One special note for this year is that it is supposed to be extremely cold--dangerously so--in Siouxland on January 1st and it is essential if you plan to go out that you gear up appropriately.

Participating parks in or near Sioux City for #FirstDayHikes in Siouxland include:

First Day Hikes in Iowa

The Iowa DNR and Travel Iowa teamed up this year to offer a fun giveaway for participants in First Day Hikes at Iowa State Parks! To participate, go on a first day hike at one of the listed Iowa State Parks and check in with the Iowa State Park Passport program! One winner who checks in between December 31st and January 2nd will win a one night stay at an Iowa State Park cabin at Lake Darling State Park. The full list of parks participating in the Iowa State Park Program and the list of those offering guided First Day Hikes are available on the Iowa State Park Passport program website, but some of the parks in or close to Sioux City include: 
  • Stone Park
    • Sioux City, IA
    • Meet at the Park Office at 10am on January 1st, 2022 to join in the guided hike!
  • Lewis & Clark State Park
    • Onawa, IA
    • Meet at the Visitors Center at 10am on January 1st, 2022 to join in the guided hike!
  • Prairie Rose State Park
    • Harlan, IA
    • Meet at the East Trail gravel parking lot at 8am on January 1st, 2022 to join in the guided hike!

    First Day Hikes in South Dakota

    • Big Sioux Recreation Area
      • Brandon, SD
      • Stop by the park entrance booth between 2 and 3pm on January 1st, 2022 to join in a self-guided winter wonderland nature hike
    • Lewis & Clark Recreation Area
      • Yankton, SD
      • Hike and dog walk planned
      • Meet at 1pm on January 1st, 2022 at the Gavins Boat Ramp Parking Lot to participate
    • Good Earth State Park
      • Sioux Falls, SD
      • Meet at 2pm on January 1st, 2022 at the picnic shelter to join in a guided one mile hike

    First Day Hikes in Nebraska

    • Ponca State Park
      • Ponca, NE
      • Tons of fun scheduled all day to celebrate the New Year, starting with a guided hike at 9am and ending with lighted hayrides in the evening! 

     If you go hiking on 1/1/2022, whether on one of these guided hikes or on your own, you're encouraged to share on social media using



    For the full list of Iowa State Parks hosting First Day Hikes, visit the Iowa DNR website
    For the full list of participating Nebraska State Parks, check the Nebraska Game and Parks calendar
    For the full list of participating South Dakota State Parks, check the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks website

    Looking for New Year's Eve events in and around Sioux City? Check out my Siouxland Family Friendly New Year's Eve post.

    Happy Hiking and Happy New Year!!
    Labels:

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Thanks for joining in the conversation! We can't wait to hear what you have to say. Some comments are moderated, so it may take some time for your comment to appear on the site. We encourage lively discussion, but will delete comments that are hostile, hateful, spammy, or rude.

    Popular posts from this blog

    Guide to City Parks in Sioux City

    Consider this your ultimate guide to city parks in Sioux City! From disc golf to mini golf, laser tubing to rustic trails, from water slides to river views, new construction to historical monuments, Sioux City's city parks have it all. Below, you'll find addresses and a brief description for each of the city parks in Sioux City, Iowa. And as I write about them in more detail, I'll link to those posts from this page so you get the full view of the best city parks in Sioux City and our surrounding communities! My top picks for visitors have a * by them and include Bacon Creek Park , Riverside Park and Sertoma Park . City Parks in Sioux City *Bacon Creek Park 5015 Correctionville Road Includes two playgrounds, picnic shelters, a dog park, and a 3-mile walking path which surrounds a small lake with docks for fishing and kayaking, plus mountain biking trails near the dog park area.  Check out my full guide to Bacon Creek Park  for ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    Guide to Christmas in Sioux City & Siouxland

    Christmas is coming and the Sioux City area has so many fun and festive events and activities to celebrate. As we head into the Christmas season, I'm excited to share all of the local festive events and activities in Siouxland with you.  This post features the best Christmas   events   in Siouxland, the   best places in Siouxland to see Christmas lights , and some of the   best places in Siouxland to see Santa ! Now updated with 2025 events!  This post was originally written in 2018 and is updated each year with the newest Christmassy fun in Siouxland. I'll keep updating it with 2025 info throughout November and December 2025 as new details become available. Please email me at SiouxlandFamiliesBlog [at] gmail anytime if you have updates that I should add! Jump To: 🎄 Siouxland Christmas Events • November Events • December Week 1 • December Week 2 ...
    4 comments
    Read more

    The Ranch KC offers family-friendly KC BBQ in Belton, MO

    UPDATE: The Ranch KC closed in spring 2026. I am leaving my review up for now in case people are still curious about what it was like. You can check out more of my KC faves here. On a recent trip to Kansas City, I had the opportunity to visit a new restaurant, The Ranch KC, and I was so impressed I wanted to share about it with all of you! My former hometown of Kansas City is one of my favorite travel destinations, not just because I love seeing my family and friends there, but also because there are great places to play, shop, eat, and explore. And The Ranch KC is definitely going on my list of great little places to eat in the KC area for future trips too! The Ranch KC is at its heart a barbeque restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and lots of kid-friendly options, so I definitely recommend it as a great way to get some KC BBQ, especially if you're visiting the area with kids.  Where is The Ranch KC? The Ranch KC is located at 17207 S US Hwy 71 in Belton, ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more