SFNF Waives Day-Use Fees for National Public Lands Day

In celebration of National Public Lands Day (NPLD), the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) will waive fees at many day-use recreation sites on Saturday, Sept. 24. As the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands, NPLD is an excellent opportunity for more Americans to get outdoors and connect with their public lands.

The theme for NPLD 2022 is “Giving Back Together,” allowing Americans to show their appreciation for the great outdoors by participating in trail restoration, trash clean-up and other projects at various in-person, virtual and hybrid events.

Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, this celebration brings out thousands of volunteers to help restore and improve public lands around the country. NPLD is one of five annual “fee-free days” waiving entrance fees at national forests, national parks and other federal land management agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Act. The final fee-free day in 2022 will be Friday, Nov. 11, in honor of Veterans Day.

This year, the New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors will celebrate National Public Lands Day with the Borrego and Bear Wallow trail restoration on the SFNF. The event from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will focus on trail construction and maintenance to maintain the Borrego Trail #150 on the SFNF near Hyde Park. If time allows, additional trail work will be done on Bear Wallow Trail #182 and Winsor Trail #254. For more information or to sign up to help, visit the New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors website.

Visitors who plan to visit the Santa Fe National Forest over the weekend are encouraged to recreate responsibly and follow “Leave No Trace” principles. It is advisable to check with the appropriate ranger district office to confirm which recreation sites are included in the National Public Lands Day fee waiver.

Fire closure areas remain in effect; for more information visit Alerts and Closures. Stay up to date on SFNF news by checking the SFNF websiteand following us on Facebook and Twitter.