The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will host a guided nature tour of Rocky Point State Park in Warwick on New Year's Day from 12 to 2 p.m.

The two-mile tour is part of the sixth annual First Day Hikes event organized by the National Association of State Park Directors and will explore Rhode Island's newest coastal state park. Guided tours will be held in all 50 U.S. states as part of this one-day event.

Participants in the Rocky Point tour should meet in the parking lot across from 415 Palmer Avenue.

Rhode Island is home to a wide array of historic parks, beaches, bikeways and other recreational facilities. Rocky Point, once a popular amusement park, is now a sprawling green space that looks out over Narragansett Bay. As part of the tour, participants will take in the sights along the park's coastal trail and learn about the history of the park.

According to the National Association of State Park Directors, more than 55,000 people participated nationally in the First Day Hikes event on January 1, 2016. The local event, held at Blackstone Valley State Park, drew over 350 people. This year's national tour schedule is available online at www.naspd.org. Tours are free and open to the public.

Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and wear hiking boots. Parking is available across the street from 415 Palmer Avenue. All vehicles must be removed from the parking lot by 3 p.m. Registration is encouraged but not required. For more information or to register, contact Felicia Celeberto at Felicia.celeberto@dem.ri.gov.

For more information about DEM divisions and programs, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (

@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates. Hashtag your hike (#FirstDayHikes) to join the national conversation on New Year's Day.