TULSA, Okla. — Hundreds of Tulsans kicked off 2026 by hitting the trails at Turkey Mountain for First Day Hikes on New Year's Day.
It was part of a nationwide effort to get people moving at the start of the year, said Ryan Howell with River Parks Authority.
"It's a great way if you want to kick off the new year right to come out and go for a hike, or if you've never been to Turkey Mountain before, like a lot of people this morning, and you just want to explore the space and get to know it so you can come back and visit, it's a great way to do that too," said Howell.
From 8:30 to noon, groups of up to 50 Tulsans poured onto the trails every thirty minutes. Turkey Mountain Trail Team volunteers led groups of up to 50 people through the trails.
The event is part of a national initiative by the American Hiking Society. According to the organization, nearly 55,000 people participated last year, hiking more than 133,000 miles across the country.
Ryan Howell with River Parks said the impact of these hikes extends far beyond New Year's Day.
"There was a guy out here, he just left, but he did the first day hike last year with us and since then has lost 80 pounds, and he’s started a walking tradition where he’s walked enough miles to cross the Sahara Desert," said Howell. "It inspired him last year and he was coming back this year as a celebration of his own personal health journey."
2 News caught up with Phyllis and Jeff Taylor as they wrapped up their morning hike.
"We've never hiked Turkey Mountain before and we've lived in Tulsa our whole lives," said Phyllis.
They were in the 10 AM crew, and said it was harder than they thought. But Jeff said having the guides with them to make sure they were going the right way and staying with the group gave them peace of mind.
“Our motto is do what you can when you can, and when you can’t, don’t," said Phyllis. "So at the top, we got to the look out and looked over and said okay this is probably a good time for us to break off and go back so we were happy and pleased with what we accomplished… We did it.”
This marked the fifth year River Parks has hosted First Day Hikes, said Howell.
With strong turnout and enthusiastic participation, organizers expect to continue the tradition in 2027.
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