Welcome to 2022.
In other posts, @AmyB and @hikermor have applauded the benefits of our state parks. I want to add my support to these often unheralded state parks. Here in Maryland, we have a lot of history, but not a lot of the grandeur of National Parks like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, or Yosemite, so I tend to rely primarily on the state parks and local conservation areas in Maryland and Pennsylvania for most of my outdoor activities.
Every year on January 1, the State of Maryland hosts "First Day Hikes", promoting the State Parks. I only just realized that this isn't just a Maryland event, but a coordinated annual event sponsored by America's State Parks.
This year, it was designated as "First Weekend Hikes", so we had 3 days dedicated to the event; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weather was warm, but very wet all weekend. Below are a few pics from my hikes at 2 of our state parks. Gunpowder Falls State Park and Rocks State Park.
