The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to celebrate the first day of 2016 with First Day Hikes taking place at more than two dozen state parks on Jan. 1, including Dash Point State Park in Federal Way.

In the spirit of the new year, Washingtonians are encouraged to start 2016 with a healthy hike and connect with the diverse natural resources and recreation opportunities found at state parks across Washington on New Year’s Day. Many parks will have guided hikes, with expertise provided by rangers and volunteers. Some of the hikes will be fat-tire bike rides, snowshoe treks, as well as a 5K run. Events will take place in a diverse and dramatic range of landscapes including coastal beaches, islands, waterfalls, lowland forests, historic military batteries, geological points of interest and more.

Jan. 1 is a state parks free day. Participants will not need to display the Discover Pass on vehicles to access state parks for the New Year’s Day activities.

The First Day Hikes program is part of the America’s State Parks First Day Hikes national initiative organized by the National Association of State Park Directors.

The nationwide event first started at Blue Hills Reservation, a state park in Milton, Mass., more than 25 years ago. Since 2013, all 50 state park systems have participated in the First Day Hikes program.