News Release

Special Events for National Public Lands Day Weekend

Date: September 6, 2023
Contact: Allysah Fox, [phone] x3487

LURAY, VA – Shenandoah National Park will celebrate the 30^th annual National Public Lands Day September 23, 2023. The park will host several special events to commemorate the day over a three-day period in the Big Meadows area (mile 51), September 22-24. Entrance fees to the park will be waived Saturday, September 23.

National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Volunteers in the park will demonstrate this year’s nationwide theme of 30 Years of Care and Community through a service project near Big Meadows. Registration is required. Visit the park’s 2023 National Public Lands Day webpage for more information: https://www.nps.gov/shen/2023-national-public-lands-day.htm.

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. Visit www.patc.net for more information.

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. Visit www.snptrust.org/art-in-the-park/ for a schedule of events.

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 special guest Colette Silvestri, daughter of a former CCC member, to learn the ABCs of the CCC boys on a one-hour walking tour from Byrd Visitor Center to the original CCC Camp in Big Meadows. 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.

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. Visit www.inaturalist.org/projects/spotted-lanternfly-population-monitoring-in-shenandoah-national-park for more information.  

Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day celebrates the connection between people and their parks, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education and recreation. To learn more about National Public Lands Day, please visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm.