First Day Hikers at Harrington Beach brave frigid temps!
January 3, 2026 | Topics: Places, Stories
By Eddee Daniel
The thermometer never rose above the low teens and the wind chill was in single digits. But, nevertheless, a stalwart band of nature lovers—and Friends of Harrington Beach State Park—came out to celebrate the New Year with a hike. I arrived early but the wait was warmed by an already blazing bonfire. By the time we headed out onto the trail I counted thirty-eight hardy souls, bundled up and cheerful.
It didn’t take long for the walking to warm us up. Me at least. I found that I’d overdressed and had to unzip my parka to keep from sweating! The one-and-a-half-mile hike took us around the large quarry lake and out onto the eponymous beach. It was over in about half an hour. Afterwards there were refreshments around the bonfire: hot chocolate, coffee, cookies and, of course, s’mores!
I had driven an hour to get to Harrington Beach for the hike, so I stayed for a while and went back out for a few more photos. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, there were plenty of other people in the park beyond those who went on the guided hike. It seems these First Day events, which are held in State Parks, along the Ice Age Trail, and other places throughout the state, have become quite popular. This was my fifth First Day Hike and the third year in a row. I guess that makes it officially a tradition for The Natural Realm as well (see the related stories at the end).
So, without further ado, let’s go for a hike:
For more information about Harrington Beach State Park go to our Find-a-Park page.
Related stories:
Photo essay: Two First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day 2025!
A First Day Hike is a Popular New Year’s Tradition (2025)
The first day of 2024 brings multitudes out to the parks!
New Year’s Day at Lapham Peak (2020)
Eddee Daniel, writer/photographer, is a board member of Preserve Our Parks, the Project Director of A Wealth of Nature, and editor of The Natural Realm blog. Read more or subscribe at awealthofnature.org. Also available by arrangement for group presentations and guided tours.
The Natural Realm blog is part of A Wealth of Nature, which is a project of Preserve Our Parks.
About Preserve Our Parks
Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces. Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine.
For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces. More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.