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Recognizing the power of New Year's resolutions and the desire of people to emerge from an eggnog fog, North Carolina's state parks division will offer First Day Hikes at most of its parks on Jan. 1.

First Day Hikes have grown popular around the country, particularly in Massachusetts, said Charlie Peek, a spokesman for the N.C. Division of Parks.

"In some states, it's gotten to be almost a custom," Peek said. "It's an absolutely natural thing for us. And we're open anyway."

America's State Parks, a national advocacy group, has launched the First Day Hike movement, encouraging park systems in all 50 states to sponsor hikes.

The idea is to get people outside and active on the first day of the year, setting a tone for more fitness and interaction with nature. Rangers will lead the hikes, offering information on plant and animal life and geology.

This is the first year that North Carolina is participating system-wide. "Friends" groups, which support designated parks, have held First Day Hikes at individual parks for years.

The Eno River Association's annual hike at Eno River State Park is enormously popular, drawing hundreds of people, Peek said.

"It's just been embraced by people there," he said.

Area people intrigued by the idea of filling their lungs with fresh air and stretching their legs won't need to travel to Durham to take in a First Day Hike.

Twenty-eight parks in the state park system are offering hikes. Locally, they include Pilot Mountain State Park, Hanging Rock State Park and Stone Mountain State Park.

A ranger at Pilot Mountain will lead an easy hike on the Jomeokee Trail, which winds around the base of the knob, said Matt Windsor, the superintendent at Pilot Mountain.

"We have so many visitors who don't even get out of the car, so we want to encourage them to get out of the car and show them that there is plenty to do at the park in the wintertime, that we're not all hibernating," Windsor said.

At Stone Mountain, a ranger will lead a 2.5-mile hike that will go past Hutchinson Homestead and Stone Mountain Falls.

Dave Cook, the superintendent at Hanging Rock State Park, will lead a more strenuous hike, an 111/2-mile trek from the Dan River to Moore's Knob and back that will have an elevation change of 1,850 feet.

"We want people to come out and show their support for the park," Cook said. "This is a wholesome thing to be doing on New Year's Day."

Because of staffing issues, not all parks can participate in the program, Peek said.

Some of the hikes will require a reservation, so be sure to call ahead. The park division's website is http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/main.php.

Most of the hikes will be fairly easy, designed for families, though probably not toddlers, Peek said.

Take a hike

• If you're interested in a First Day Hike at Pilot Mountain State Park, meet at the summit area display board located on the upper side of the summit area parking lot on Jan 1. The hike will begin at 11 a.m. Call (336) 325-2355.

• If you're interested in a hike at Stone Mountain State Park, meet at the lower parking area. The hike will begin at 10:30 a.m. Call (336) 957-8185 for more information.

• If you're interested in a hike at Hanging Rock State Park, Superintendent Dave Cook will lead an 111/2-mile hike that will begin at 10 a.m. Arrive by 9:45 a.m. at the Dan River access off Flinchum Road. Call (336) 593-8480 for more information.

• Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and shoes.