Hikers Start off the New Year at Tishomingo State Park

Posted 1/13/25

Tishomingo State Park along with Friends of Tishomingo State Park held its 10th annual First Day Hike on New Year’s Day with over 100 attendees.

It has become a tradition for some families to …

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Hikers Start off the New Year at Tishomingo State Park

Posted

Tishomingo State Park along with Friends of Tishomingo State Park held its 10th annual First Day Hike on New Year’s Day with over 100 attendees.

It has become a tradition for some families to take to the trails and spend the first day of the new year enjoying the outdoors. The inaugural first day hike was started in Massachusetts in 1992; then went Nationwide in 2012.

“If I recall correctly, most visitors traveled from within a two-hour radius of the park,” Friends to Tishomingo State Park President Cody Lard said, “but we were excited to welcome some from as far away as Maine! While the turnout was impressive, it still wasn’t our largest—previous years have seen attendance exceed 250 participants.”

Friends of the Tishomingo State Park was established in September of 2015. The volunteer group meets the first Monday of each month at 6:00 pm at the park. They volunteer their time to complete projects around the park. Their efforts have contributed to Tishomingo State Park being named the 2024 Mississippi Magazine “Best State Park.”

According to Lard, the group has completed large-scale landscaping and clean-up efforts, donating benches throughout the park, providing tools and equipment for park maintenance, installing ceiling fans in the family cabins, and raising funds to match a grant for the CCC Worker statue near the pool. They have also spent countless hours maintaining the trails and grounds of the park.

They are ready to get 2025 started with a list of initiatives already on the books and plans to bring back some of their pre-Covid events.

This year the group is making plans to refurbish and reopen the Pioneer Cabin to the public which includes rebuilding the top of the adjacent well structure; rebuild the overlook platform behind the lodge and conduct a major cleanup in the area; enhance the three disc golf course to attract tournaments, new baskets for one course are to be installed soon; assist with the grand reopening of the lodge following renovations by MDWFP.

They have a busy work schedule along with the annual Easter Egg Hunt in the Spring and their Earth Day Program. This year they are hoping to bring back music festivals, Picnic in the Park, and the Native American Customs & Traditions event, according to Lard.

Friends of Tishomingo State Park wants to invite anyone who is interested in joining the group to attend a meeting. Membership dues are $10 per year along with 24 hours of volunteer work annually. Membership forms can be picked up at the park office or a digital copy can be found on their Facebook page.

Donations are greatly appreciated to aid in their efforts. Make sure to follow their Facebook page for updates on events and other news.