Volunteer with the National Park Service on MLK Day of Service

Volunteers at Hot Springs National Park clean graffiti for MLK Day

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (MLK Day) falls on January 16. On this day, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as preserved through many National Park Service sites and programs by waiving entrance fees as the first fee free day of the year. MLK Day is also the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off” – where Americans are encouraged to provide meaningful change in their communities. 2023 will mark the 28th celebration of the annual service event since Congress designated the MLK holiday the first ever National Day of Service.

Volunteer in honor of MLK Day:

Volunteering your time and talent on MLK Day helps make Dr. King's vision of a beloved community a reality. You can celebrate Dr. King's legacy by volunteering, knowing your service helps empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, and create solutions.

The National Park Service has utilized volunteers throughout its history, and hundreds of volunteers will participate in dozens of projects across the country on MLK Day.

The Stone of Hope at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Get involved:

Use the NPS.gov MLK page or Volunteer.gov to find parks that are participating in MLK Day of Service. Searches can be filtered to specific parks on days on and around January 16.

Examples of volunteer events happening this MLK Day include:

• Planting native plants at Big Thicket National Preserve

• Cleaning a trail at Natchez Trace Parkway

• Removing graffiti from historic overlooks at Hot Springs National Park

• Picking up litter at Capitol Reef National Park

Follow in Dr. King’s Footsteps:

You can also get involved by following in Dr. King’s footsteps with a visit to one of the National Park Service sites that preserve his story:

• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. (Atlanta, GA)

• Georgia: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

• Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail (Alabama)

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (District of Columbia)

Learn more:

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

• Martin Luther King, Jr. - Civil Rights (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

• Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. - NPS Commemorations and Celebrations (U.S. National Park Service)