First Day Hike at Piney Run Park kicks off Carroll’s A Walk in the Park series

Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun
·2 min read

Among the first events of 2024 in Carroll County will be two free New Year’s Day walks held Monday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 10 to 11 a.m., at Piney Run Park in Sykesville.

New Year’s Day marks the first installment in the county’s A Walk in the Park series, which features one walk each month of the year. The walks on Monday coincide with First Day Hikes held across Maryland on Jan. 1, according to Carroll County’s Bureau Chief of Recreation Lisa Carroll.

“Walkers enjoy camaraderie with friends, meet new people, and can enjoy nature,” Carroll said in an email.

The walking program is a partnership between the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks and the Walk Carroll program by The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County. According to Carroll, county walking programs are a good way to help residents reach two and a half hours of physical activity per week, which is the amount recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other walks in the series:

  • Feb. 2 and March 8: 10 a.m., Charles Carroll Community Center, 3719 Littlestown Pike, Westminster

  • April 24: 5 p.m., Watkins Park, 615 Center St., Mount Airy

  • May 17: noon, Landon C. Burns Park, 700 Gist Road, Westminster

  • June 18: 6 p.m., Westminster Community Pool, 30 College View Boulevard, Westminster

  • July 17: 10 a.m., Krimgold Park, 5355 Woodbine Road, Woodbine

  • Aug. 13: 6 p.m., Sandymount Park, 2250 Old Westminster Pike, Finksburg

  • Sept. 18: 2 p.m., Deer Park, 637 Deer Park Road, Westminster

  • Oct. 12: 11 a.m., Leister Park, 4134 Black Rock Road, Hampstead

  • Nov. 6: 5 p.m., Veterans Memorial Park, Crest Lane, Westminster

  • Dec. 4: 11 a.m., Bear Branch Nature Center, 300 John Owings Road, Westminster