It’s time to appreciate the beauty that’s kept in the public trust in our country. Get to know your National Public Lands on Saturday, September 28, by participating in National Public Lands Day.
It’s a hands-on event, encouraging you to enjoy your public lands while learning about stewardship.
Organized National Public Lands Day events in Florida combine hiking or paddling with volunteer activities such as trail building, trash cleanup, removing invasive plants, and trail maintenance.
At Camp Bayou Preserve in Ruskin, you can learn how to thatch a chickee hut before joining in. At Grace Brown Nature Trail at Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, you can help repair a boardwalk.
At Dudley Farm State Park near Gainesville, help pull out invasive plants so the pioneer farm has an authentic forest around it. In all, there are more than 60 different formal activities you can join in on statewide.
Coastal cleanup is a big aspect of this event in Florida, with crews paddling and walking the beaches to pick up trash in our National Seashores, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and state parks.
Or, you can just get out there and enjoy the parks. On National Public Lands Day, admission is free at National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and non-concession-operated National Forest sites throughout Florida and the rest of the country.
National Public Lands Day at National Parks
At Florida State Parks, entrance fees will be waived for anyone coming in to participate in a scheduled volunteer event on National Public Lands Day, and participants will receive a pass for a future visit.
If you spend the day volunteering at a National Park, you will receive a pass for a future free visit.
National Public Lands Day is the largest nationwide event on public lands. It highlights not just the importance of these lands but the importance of volunteer efforts that help you enjoy outdoor recreation on our public lands nationwide.
This annual event is coordinated each year by the National Environmental Education Foundation, focused on education, conservation, and volunteerism. Use the link below to find an activity near you.
Smyrna Dunes Park