A record number of Tennesseans this year worked off their Thanksgiving feasts at Tennessee State Parks on the day after Thanksgiving. Nearly 1,500 hikers – a 15 percent increase over the same event in 2017 – attended a hike at one of Tennessee’s 56 state parks.
“This hike is growing in popularity because it showcases our public lands and offers a fun activity that everyone can enjoy,” said Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill.
The hike is one of five annual hiking events the state park system hosts and proved to be the most popular hike in 2017.
In total, more than 5,600 hikers attended a statewide hike in 2017 – nearly 15 percent more than in 2016.
The parks that saw the most hikers on Nov. 24, included Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville and Tims Ford State Park in Winchester.
The next statewide hike will be First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2018. To view a list of all planned events, visit www.tnstateparks.com.