It happened on January 3, 2025. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation achieved something never done before – two graduations in less than one calendar year and the first summertime academy session. The agency continues the rebuild of one of the oldest police forces in the state, and are proud to welcome four new officers whose career paths began in other roles in the agency.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, where screens often dominate our daily lives, many are seeking refuge in nature to rejuvenate their mind, body, and spirit. To inspire those looking to focus on their wellness, or just looking for fun activities to partake in, we’ve created the New York State Parks Wellness Challenge.
This program supports Governor Kathy Hochul’s “Get Offline, Get Outside” initiative and calls for individuals and families to step away from their devices and immerse themselves in New York State’s natural beauty and expansive opportunities. The Wellness Challenge is more than just a call to explore. It’s an invitation to embrace a holistic approach to wellness in a setting that promotes mental clarity, physical vitality, and social connectivity.
2025 is the year of wellness in New York State, and our First Day Hikes event series was the perfect way to start the year! For the fourteenth time, state parks, historic sites, and public lands rang in the new year by hosting group hikes. More than 90 sites statewide participated, and thousands of New Yorkers joined us to begin 2025 on a high note.
There was little snow on the ground across most of New York this year, but lots of joy, optimism and community in the air. Here are a few highlights of the day. Browse our First Day Hikes 2025 Flickr album to see all the photos.
Continue reading First Day Hikes Kick Off Year of WellnessWhat a year we’ve had! From kicking off our Centennial in the outdoors with First Day Hikes, to lighting up New York on the official anniversary in April, to birthday bashes hosted at state parks and historic sites all summer long, it’s certainly been a year to remember. Visitors from near and far joined in on the festivities and participated in the different activities to help us celebrate.
Take a look at our year-in-review video that recaps all the fun we’ve had this year.
Still want to celebrate with us? Here’s a more in-depth look back at all the excitement we’ve had with you by our sides.
Continue reading Centennial Reflections and Future PromisesIn honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of New York’s park and historic site system, we knew we wanted to do something special. Telling our full story in-house in a documentary style — and ensuring that the agency’s 100-year legacy was shared accurately and completely — seemed like a daunting task for our small (but mighty!) Public Affairs team.
Above all else, it required bringing the right voices to the table:
Thankfully, from discussions early on, Capital region PBS affiliate WMHT demonstrated enthusiasm for working on a documentary that would share our state park and historic site system’s Centennial story with New Yorkers. And it was this author’s honor to play a small role in seeing the enormous undertaking come to life.
Continue reading Behind the Scenes of ‘From Land to Legacy: 100 Years of NY State Parks and Preservation’
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 