Contract: IA Park: 610109

As the world rings in another new year, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources encourages residents to take part in the 2024 First Day Hike Challenge.

Participants can visit any of Iowa’s state parks or forests and enjoy the outdoors, or join one of more than two-dozen guided hikes. Lake Darling is one such park offering a guided hike on Monday at 10 a.m. Park Ranger Zach Haworth tells KCII that this hike is a perfect opportunity to get active and still have enough time to catch the Hawkeyes’ bowl game. “We encourage folks to get out here at 10 o’clock. We’ll meet at the lodge and get a good hike in and then they can depart and go enjoy that game. We look forward to welcoming a lot of people to the park on that day to participate. It’s always a great event and we look forward to it.”

From the Lake Darling Lodge, the hiking trail includes the ADA-paved Fishing Trail across the pedestrian bridge and over to the newest section of paved trail that connects to the East Loop. With questions about the Lake Darling hike, call 319-694-2323. For more information about the 2024 First Day Hike Challenge, including additional guided hike opportunities, click here.