The state Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging New Jersey residents to get into the great outdoors on New Year’s Day. It’s prescribing forays into the fresh air “to take in the beauty of New Jersey’s diverse landscapes and learn more about nature and history by starting the new year with a free, guided First Day Hike in one of New Jersey’s state parks, forests and historic sites on Jan. 1.”

Thirty-plus guided hikes for walkers of all skill levels, from slow strollers to hard chargers, are part of the First Day Hikes program, which became a New Jersey thing in 2012, having begun in Massachusetts more than 20 years ago.

All events are free, but some require pre-registration and are weather-dependent. Many of the hikes requiring pre-registration were booked up by the end of last week. People are still welcome to go along on the other hikes. As well as more traditional hikes, the State Park Service offered a lighthouse climb at the north tower of Twin Lights Historic Site in Highlands, Monmouth County. It’s only 64 steps, so that surely qualifies as a hike-light.

For a complete list of the hikes and related details, including trail descriptions and registration information, visit njparksandforests.org/firstdayhikes/.