Celebrate National Public Lands Day Across Montana
September 26, 2026, is National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event dedicated to caring for public lands. Since 1994, volunteers have come together to improve trails, restore habitats, remove litter, participate in educational programs, and help ensure public lands remain accessible and welcoming for future generations. This year’s theme, Caring for Our Shared America, recognizes the collective responsibility we all share in stewarding the parks, forests, rivers, grasslands, and open spaces that connect our communities.
Montana offers numerous opportunities to celebrate National Public Lands Day, from trail maintenance projects and recreation-area cleanups to guided hikes, citizen science activities, and family-friendly educational events. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, learn something new, or simply spend time outdoors, there’s an event for nearly every interest.
We’ve compiled all the Montana events we could find in the interactive map and list below. Don’t see an event near you? National Public Lands Day can be celebrated anywhere. Consider picking up litter at a local trailhead, recording seasonal observations through a community science project, visiting a public land site, or participating in stewardship activities in your own community.
2026 Montana Events
Friday, September 25
Public Lands Day Hike to Emerald Lake with Girl Get After It
Location: Emerald Lake Trailhead near Bozeman
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Join Wild Montana and Girl Get After It for a strenuous backcountry hike to Emerald Lake in Hyalite Canyon, followed by a community tailgate featuring food, refreshments, and conversation.
Saturday, September 26
Pipestone OHV Area Cleanup & Safety Education
Location: Pipestone OHV Area near Whitehall
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Assist with cleanup efforts while enjoying OHV safety education, recovery demonstrations, and trail riding opportunities.
Four Dances Clean-Up
Location: Four Dances Recreation Area, Billings
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Improve the recreation area by removing old interpretive signs and supporting stewardship efforts.
National Public Lands Day Trail Ambassador at Lava Lake
Location: Lava Lake Trailhead near Bozeman
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Educate visitors about Leave No Trace practices, collect visitor-use information, and support stewardship in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.
Jewel Basin Trail Maintenance Day
Location: Camp Misery Trailhead near Bigfork
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Maintain trails in the Jewel Basin Recommended Wilderness.
Livingston Public Lands Day
Location: Suce Creek Trailhead, Livingston
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Install erosion-control check steps and complete trail stewardship work.
Red Lodge Public Lands Day
Location: Ingles Creek Trails #35 and #64 near Red Lodge
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Improve trail conditions through tread work and switchback construction.
Scratchgravel Hills Trash Cleanup
Location: Helena
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Remove litter from popular trailhead locations throughout the recreation area.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Guided Hike & BioBlitz
Location: Crow Agency
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Take part in a guided hike while documenting plants and wildlife as part of a National Public Lands Day BioBlitz.
Dean S. Reservoir Trail Work
Location: Miles City
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Improve trails at Dean S. Reservoir Recreation Site. Lunch will be provided.
VolunteerUM Ecological Restoration Project
Location: Missoula
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Hands-on ecological restoration work including removing an old section of barbed wire fence and planting native wildflower seeds in the area to increase biodiversity and healthy habitat.
National Public Lands Day Celebration Hike to Fish Lake
Location: Near Hamilton
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Enjoy a wilderness hike into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness while celebrating public lands and conservation.
Hike to Blue Lake: A Crazies Adventure
Location: Big Timber Canyon Trailhead
Time: 9:30 a.m.
A strenuous hike to Blue Lake in the Crazy Mountains featuring alpine scenery and spectacular views.
Trout Creek Canyon Trail Work Day
Location: Near York
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Clear and repair sections of trail in the Big Belt Mountains.
Woodbine Falls Hike
Location: Woodbine Falls Trailhead near Nye
Time: 10:00 a.m.
A family-friendly hike to one of the Absaroka-Beartooth region’s most scenic waterfalls.
Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance National Public Lands Day Event
Location: REI Missoula
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Learn about the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail through educational activities and community engagement.
Kootenai Forest Fair
Location: Libby
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Meet forestry, wildlife, and recreation professionals, enjoy family-friendly activities, and learn about the Kootenai National Forest.
Rock Creek Confluence Grand Re-Opening
Location: Rock Creek Confluence near Missoula
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Celebrate conservation, public access, and the success of the Confluence Gateway Initiative with Five Valleys Land Trust.
Harvest Full Moon Hike
Location: Makoshika State Park, Glendive
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Enjoy a guided evening hike through Montana’s largest state park under the full moon, followed by s’mores.
Why Public Lands Matter
Public lands provide places to hike, hunt, fish, camp, study wildlife, conduct research, and connect with nature. For SMART FIRES researchers and partners, public lands also serve as living laboratories where scientists study wildfire, forests, watersheds, air quality, and ecosystem change. Stewardship activities such as trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and citizen science help ensure these landscapes remain healthy and resilient for both people and wildlife.
Whether you’re volunteering at an organized project or simply spending time caring for a favorite outdoor place, every action helps support the public lands that belong to all of us.