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Public Lands Day Grew a Month Long, and Quietly Stopped Being Free
The volunteer window now runs September 12 to October 10 — but the Park Service took the date off its fee-free list this year.
National Public Lands Day falls on Saturday, September 26, the 33rd time it has been held and the largest single-day volunteer effort on American public land. Organisers have stretched the event window to run from September 12 through October 10, and this year's theme is tied to the country's 250th anniversary.
The part worth knowing before you plan a trip: the Park Service's 2026 fee-free calendar does not include it. Eight dates carry free entrance this year, and September 26 is not among them. Volunteers at participating parks may be handed a fee-waiver coupon, but supplies are limited and the policy varies park by park. Call ahead rather than assume.
If a free gate is what you were after, the next one is close. Constitution Day, September 17, is on the list. After that the fee-free dates are Theodore Roosevelt's birthday on October 27 and Veterans Day on November 11.
The scale of the volunteer side is real. Last year more than 55,000 people turned out across some 900 events, work valued at $9.4 million. This year's signature event is a cleanup along the Lower Salt River near Mesa, Arizona.
The date has also become a focal point for a petition campaign against the sale or transfer of federal land, which is asking lawmakers to rule out sell-offs and state transfers while leaving room for small, specific exchanges.
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