Champlain Area Trails Invites Everyone to Start 2024 with a Hike

Champlain Area Trails (CATS), an accredited land trust, is inviting everyone in the North Country to participate in the annual First Day Hikes on January 1, 2024. This event is a nationwide initiative to encourage people to exercise, connect with nature, and enjoy the outdoors on the first day of the year.

CATS will offer self-guided hikes on scenic trails in the Champlain Valley, including popular CATS trails like Cheney Mountain in Moriah, the Wildway Passage Nature Preserve in Westport, the Wildway Overlook Trail in Essex, the Long Pond Trail in Willsboro, Penfield Pond Trail in Crown Point, and other trails noted on CATS website’s events page.

Chris Maron, Executive Director of CATS, said, “First Day Hikes have become a wonderful tradition to start the New Year in an active, healthy way while enjoying the peace and beauty of nature. We invite people of all ages and abilities to pick a trail that suits them, gather friends and family, and make it an annual tradition to hike on January 1. We’re especially pleased that in our short history, we’ve made over 50 new trails here in the valley for people to enjoy.”

CATS is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 to make trails, save land, and connect people with nature in New York’s Champlain Valley, all promoting economic vitality in the Champlain Valley. It has made over 78 miles of trails, protected 983 acres of land, and hosted hundreds of educational and volunteer events.

The First Day Hikes are free, self-guided, and open to hikers of all ability levels. Participants are encouraged to share photos from their hikes on social media using the hashtag #ChamplainAreaTrails.

For more information, the list of 1st Day Hikes and trail maps, please visit the CATS website at www.champlainareatrails.com.

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a non-profit organization, begun in 2009, which creates and maintains hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley that link communities, connect people with nature, and promote economic vitality. In its short history, CATS has developed 35 miles of trails that when added to existing trails, gets it half-way toward the long-envisioned goal of a 30-mile trail loop between Westport and Essex. CATS will extend its trails to neighboring towns and eventually connect them to trails in the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, and Quebec. Learn more on the CATS website.