2023 National Public Lands Day

Tuilp trees backlit by the sun in early fall

NPS Staff

 

30 Years of Care and Community

National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Entrance fees will be waived September 23, 2023. This year, Shenandoah National Park will host several special events September 22-24, to not only commemorate the day but also to celebrate the Park's partnerships.

Art in the Park: Scenes from Shenandoah

Shenandoah National Park will co-host Art in the Park: Scenes from Shenandoah in partnership with the Shenandoah National Park Trust September 22-24, 2023. During this inaugural three-day event at Big Meadows, professional artists will interpret the park’s landscape through traditional and contemporary art with workshops, performances, and hands-on engagement for park visitors.

Workshops will be available for all ages in various mediums. All programming will be interactive, free, and open to the public, with the goal of engaging park visitors in joyful artistic expression reflecting the majesty of Shenandoah National Park.

More information: Art in the Park: Scenes from Shenandoah - Shenandoah National Park Trust (snptrust.org)

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with Shenandoah National Park’s partner Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), a volunteer organization dedicated to maintaining the Appalachian Trail. Meet at Big Meadows Lodge Saturday, September 23 at 10:00 a.m. Join PATC hike leaders as they guide you on trails ranging from easy to moderate. Hikes are open to all and are free. No sign-up is required.

More information: National Public Lands Day Hike (patc.net)

Origins of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Visitors wishing to learn more about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) can attend presentations Saturday, September 23, at Byrd Visitor Center (mile 51). The CCC was established in 1933 as a work relief program, putting young men to work in Federal and State lands during the Great Depression. At 10:00 a.m. join a Ranger to learn the ABCs of the CCC boys at a one-hour talk at Byrd Visitor Center. At 1:30 p.m., meet at Byrd Visitor Center for a Ranger Program about the origins of the CCC and National Public Lands Day.

Citizen Science Project

Shenandoah National Park is calling on citizen scientists September 17-30 to collect data about the spotted lanternfly using the iNaturalist app. Help our park rangers learn more about their population and where you’re seeing this invasive species in the park.

More information: Spotted Lanternfly Population Monitoring in Shenandoah National Park · iNaturalist

Service Project

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a service project at Shenandoah National Park! Volunteers will support maintenance projects in the park by painting posts demarcating a high-use administrative road in the Big Meadows area Saturday, September 23. Volunteers will work in small groups to apply multiple coats of paint on posts along a gravel road surrounded by trees. Registration is now closed.