Tennessee State Parks, friends of parks groups and Tennessee State Natural Areas will host volunteer work projects, hikes and interpretive programs for all ages as part of National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 28. Many of the activities at the parks will be in conjunction with First Lady Maria Lee’s Tennessee Serves initiative.

“National Public Lands Day is an excellent opportunity for Tennesseans to enjoy and help maintain our state parks,” Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), said. “Our public lands are a significant part of what makes Tennessee such a great state.”

A variety of events and service projects are planned, including clean-ups, trail maintenance, removing invasive species, and hikes of various levels. Some parks are having multiple events. More than 600 people participated in the Public Lands Day activities at the state parks last year. National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer effort for the nation’s public lands. Each year on the fourth Saturday in September, thousands of volunteers come together for various projects that restore and enhance public parks, forests, waterways and more.

State parks across Tennessee will have a wide variety of activities, including trail construction at Cumberland Trail State Park; measuring water quality at Warriors’ Path State Park; a downtown hike beginning at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville; a groundbreaking for a bike trail at Edgar Evins State Park; spreading mulch at a playground at Mousetail Landing State Park; trail clean-up at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park; and more.

Participants are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes and bring work gloves for maintenance projects, and plenty of water and snacks. Some activities can help students qualify for the community service requirements in the Tennessee Promise program.

Locally, a work day is planned at Roan Mountain State Park for participants ages 12 and up. Those participating are asked to dress for the weather and for wet and muddy conditions by wearing sturdy shoes/boots and packing a lunch/snacks, and drinking water.

Specific project details to be determined could include light trail maintenance, river clean-up, or invasive species removal. Please meet at Park Headquarters and be prepared to caravan to work sites throughout the park.

The workday will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m.

Sycamore Shoals State Park will celebrate the day with a hike along the banks of the historic and beautiful Watauga River. Learn how the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga was a key fording and meeting place through time and see its lasting impact up to this day.

The hike will be held from 9 to 10 a.m.