To start the new year, Sutter’s Fort Historic Park staff will lead a hike on the park grounds of Sutter’s Fort and the California State Indian Museum on Wednesday.

The hike will explore the role urban parks play in maintaining local ecosystems and communities, according to staff.

Participants can meet at Sutter’s Fort, located at 2701 L St. in Midtown, at the bridge between the ponds for one of two hikes at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Wednesday to explore the history of the area and influence on the culture and ecological landscape of the city.

Wednesday’s tours will be Sutter’s Fort Historic Park’s inaugural First Day Hike. State parks across California participate in a First Day Hike, where park guides lead tours discussing the history and importance of the parks.

The hike’s route will be around the park surrounding the museum, which can be accessed by the public year round.

The park’s staff recommends hikers bring a water bottle and wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the light walk. Participants will be led by Sutter’s Fort tour guide Marco Reyes.

While the California State Indian Museum and Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park will be closed for the holiday, the surrounding grounds will be open to the public.

Sutter’s Fort was the center of European colonial settlement in California’s Central Valley in the 1830s and 1840s. In June, Sutter’s Fort Historic Park announced that they will integrate Native American history into its tours.

Other First Day Hike events in Sacramento County include Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in the Sierra-Nevada foothills on 7755 Folsom-Auburn Rd. This hike will be 4 miles long and begin at 10:30 a.m.