'Walking with people helps me get motivated': Bringing in the New Year with an annual hiking tradition

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11)-- In some ways, it is like a New Year's parade.  

If it were, Mike Ruscigno would be the Grand Marshall. 

A birdwatcher and member of a nature club in Bayonne, he is one of dozens who spent the first morning of 2024 on a hike in Liberty State Park. 

"We have so much wildlife here to start the new year off, looking at nature itself and hoping that it continues to be a great year for nature and birdwatching," said Ruscigno. "It's healthy and it shows people what nature is right here in Jersey City." 

"Walking with people helps me get motivated," said Susan Lucarelli of Bayonne. "Helps me say, 'ok, I got into this, and I got to keep going.' It motivates me to start walking and get off on the right foot for New Year's." 

It is a New Year's tradition for many. Getting outside can help clear your cluttered mind - whether you are hiking, walking, or climbing. 

Julia and her mother, Laura, from Molmdel, are also stepping into 2024 in a State Park; this one, Twin Lights Historic Site in Highlands. 

"The lighthouses are really pretty and then the view to New York is probably one of the best in Monmouth County," Julia said.  

Rather than a hike on the ground, a small hike up the dueling towers overlooking New York and the Atlantic Ocean offers views you will not find in many other places.  

"Get outdoors and be more healthy, and even if it's grey, get outside," Laura said.