Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. This year, National Public Lands Day falls on September 25, 2021.
Volunteer
Help care for your national parks by volunteering during a one-time event or on a reoccurring basis.
Join the #RecreateResponsibly Movement
Learn how to model best practices to protect America's treasures while looking out for each other's health and safety.
NPS / Matt Turner
About National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day is organized annually by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in cooperation with Department of the Interior, Department of the Army, and Department of Agriculture. The National Park Service is one of the event’s largest providers of sites and volunteers. Other participating federal agencies include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
Get Involved
There are many ways to participate in National Public Lands Day. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to #RecreateResponsibly!
- Visit a national park for free.
- Take part in a volunteer work project. Certain in-park projects may provide a fee-free day coupon to be used on a future date. See the list of National Public Lands Day events below or check out all volunteer events at national parks.
- Have fun and enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors!
- Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media channels with the hashtag #NPLD, #NPSVolunteer, and #FindYourPark!
NPS / Juliana Luna
Events in National Parks
Volunteer your time at one of the event listed below. To see what's available, select the month of September on the calendar.Jump to date
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In the News
Text Alternative for the National Public Lands Day Infographic
Title : “How will you celebrate national public lands day?”
Top of chart begins with: “Start” to “Are you outdoorsy?”
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If “Yes”, then “Adventurous?”
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If “Yes”, then “Which is more rewarding to you?”
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If “Spending time outdoors”, then “Visit a national park for free.”
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If “Giving back”, then “Volunteer on NPLD service project & recieve a free national park one day pass.”
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If “Both”, then “How often do you go on social media sites?”
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If “Everyday”, then “Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media #NPLD."
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If “Not very often”, then ““Volunteer on NPLD service project & recieve a free national park one day pass.”
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If “No”, then “Do you like hands-on projects?”
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If “Love them”, then ‘Any plans for the weekend?”
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If “Nope”, then “Volunteer on NPLD service project & recieve a free national park one day pass.”
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If “Yup”, then “Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media #NPLD.”
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If “Not really”, then “When's the last time you went outside?”
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If “I can't remember”, then “Time to visit a national park for free.”
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If “Earlier today”, then “Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media #NPLD.”
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If “Sort of”, then “Do you like hands on projects?”
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If “No”, then “Do you like hands on projects?”
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If “Love them”, then ‘Any plans for the weekend?”
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If “Nope”, then “Volunteer on NPLD service project & recieve a free national park one day pass.”
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If “Yup”, then “Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media #NPLD.”
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If “Not really”, then “When's the last time you went outside?”
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If “I can't remember”, then “Time to visit a national park for free.”
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If “Earlier today”, then “Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media #NPLD.”
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If “No”, then “When's the last time you went outside??”
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If “I can't remember”, then “Time to visit a national park for free.”
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If “Earlier today”, then “Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media #NPLD.”
Return to place on the webpage to continue to the next section.