January First is First Day Hike every year. It’s a chance to get outside, get some needed light and to start the year right off! And a great way to spend time with your family.
Last year, in 2023, we visited the Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship land. In 2022 we were snowed in. Little was open in 2021 in our state (state parks had been shuttered). In 2020, right before Covid shut down everything in Washington State, we visited the Dune Trail at Deception Pass State Park. In 2019 we visited Waterman Rock. When the boys were really little we’d take them to a local park, close in, and do a mile or so.
So most years for over a decade, we have tried to get out ever New Years Day. And to take our boys with us. I usually keep the hike a little shorter, because we are at the height of darkness on January 1st. By the time you are hiking, the sun is dipping behind the trees at 2 pm.
For First Day Hike this year I was doing research of where an easy hike was that the whole family, plus Kirk’s family could go to with us. A side benefit is we were on the Florida Keys, which have 2 more hours of daylight in winter at this time point.
I picked Long Key State Park as it wasn’t a long drive away from Marathon Key, where we were staying, and it had a loop that appeared to be flat. It was a nice day to hike. The Keys were having a “cold spell” so it was in the high 60’s but warming up. I think it hit 70* that day. Not too hot, and humidity was gone that day.
We parked in the main lot and found the trailhead for the Golden Orb Nature Trail. You can go both ways. We decided to go opposite of the ranger led hike that was starting, so went clockwise, starting in the Mangrove forest first.
It is divided into 4 sections of land types:
Hardwood Hammock, Salt Pan, Coastal Berm, and Mangrove Swamp.
The forest is cool, and the ground was damp. Lots of leaves decomposing. This was the Hardwood Hammock area.
Though it did touch into the Salt Pan area. Where it opened up to no bushes or trees. And many tiny fish dead on the sand. Lots of little Fiddler crabs were here, and you could see their holes in the sand.
And cacti popping up.
The hike had sections of wood pathways, and wove thru the forest.
A Mangrove area that was being restored. If you looked up there were many birds floating over.
Elevated pathway, which I have to think gets very wet in summer months.
As we walked on, we headed into the Salt Pan area, which had lots of vegetation, though the sand felt drier here in the open.
Very large leaves with lots of morning dew.
As we curved around, we entered the Coastal Berm area, and found many garbage cans for garbage that washes up. Alistaire found some and put it in.
The coastal strip is very pleasant, though the sand is very sticky, and you will sink it it deeply.
You could see where storms had washed up junk.
But still, a nice place to just stand and dream.
One could see how plants had been hosed by the water, from last year’s storms along the water.
Dead trees.
As the hike winds down, you enter raised boardwalk in the Mangrove Swap area. Walking back to the start (the bathrooms are in the distance), the trail goes above water.
Slow moving (if at all) water, full of tannins.
We finished the hike and drove to the other area in the park, which is along the water. A very pretty area to have a picnic, with many tables, some even with covers.
Loved the big shady trees.
The day use area is very nice to use.
There is an entrance fee, but compared to many areas on the surrounding keys, this was an affordable park to visit. Very welcoming rangers.
~Sarah