Volunteer to clean up public lands
Reporting a dumpsite is the first step — hauling it out is the next. Here are vetted cleanup and stewardship opportunities on BLM and other US public lands, from the national day of service to year-round local crews. Every listing links straight to the organizer's own sign-up page.
Opportunities last checked June 6, 2026.
Dates, times, and meeting spots are set by each organizer and can change. Always confirm the details on the organizer's page before you go. TrashMap is an independent registry and is not affiliated with these organizations or any government agency.
Events with a set date
Mark your calendar. September is the busiest stretch — the International Coastal Cleanup on the 19th, then National Public Lands Day on the 26th, the biggest single-day push of the year.
International Coastal Cleanup
NationwideSaturday, September 19, 2026
Hosted by Ocean Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy's worldwide day of action draws volunteers to beaches, lakeshores, and inland riverbanks — not just the coast. Everything collected is logged in the Clean Swell app to feed a global trash database. Find a cleanup near you or start your own.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
CaliforniaSaturday, September 19, 2026
Hosted by California Coastal Commission
California's largest volunteer day, now in its 42nd year. From 9 a.m. to noon, tens of thousands of people clean not just beaches but the creeks, rivers, lakes, and inland shorelines that carry trash toward the sea. The Coastal Commission runs it statewide with local partners across California — use the site finder to join a cleanup near you.
National Public Lands Day
NationwideSaturday, September 26, 2026
Hosted by NEEF + land agencies (BLM, NPS, Forest Service)
The country's largest single-day volunteer event for public lands — litter and trash hauls, invasive-plant pulls, and trail work at hundreds of sites. It's also a fee-free day at federal lands. Search by ZIP to find and register for an event near you.
KTMB Truckee River Cleanup
Reno–Sparks, NVSaturday, September 26, 2026
Hosted by Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful
KTMB's signature fall cleanup of the Truckee River corridor and its tributaries, held on National Public Lands Day. Groups and individuals welcome — register on KTMB's event page or contact the cleanups team.
KTMB Christmas Tree Recycling
Reno–Sparks, NVReturns the week of December 26, 2026
Hosted by Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful
KTMB's annual program turns live holiday trees into mulch instead of landfill. Volunteers help run the drop-off and chipping sites across the Truckee Meadows. Confirm this year's dates and locations on KTMB's site.
Ongoing programs & sign-up portals
These run year-round. Open a calendar to see what's coming up near you, then sign up directly with the organizer.
Volunteer.gov
All federal public lands
The federal government's volunteer portal. Search cleanups, trail work, and stewardship across BLM, the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife, and more — then apply online.
BLM — Get Involved: Volunteers
BLM-managed lands
The Bureau of Land Management's volunteer hub: cleanup events, weed pulls, trail crews, and campground hosting, with links to your local BLM field office and its current projects.
Keep America Beautiful — Greatest American Cleanup
Local affiliates nationwide
The Great American Cleanup, rebranded the “Greatest American Cleanup” for 2026 to mark the nation's 250th birthday. Take the pledge or use the affiliate network to find litter cleanups and stewardship events run by a Keep America Beautiful group near you.
American Rivers — National River Cleanup
Rivers & watersheds nationwide
Since 1991, National River Cleanup has powered thousands of volunteer cleanups along rivers, creeks, and shorelines. Use the cleanup finder to join an event near you, or register your own and get free trash bags shipped to your volunteers.
Living Lands & Waters
Major US rivers
The barge-based crew that has pulled millions of pounds of trash from the Mississippi, Ohio, and other big rivers. Join a community cleanup day, or adopt a river mile and they'll mail you gloves, bags, and a sign to mark it.
Access Fund — Adopt a Crag
Climbing areas on public land
Adopt a Crag rallies climbers to clear out litter, repair eroded trails, and pull invasive plants at crags on BLM, Forest Service, and other public land. Access Fund's events calendar lists the stewardship and cleanup days coming up around the country — find one near you, or register your own.
Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
Colorado public lands
Colorado's statewide outdoor-stewardship nonprofit runs roughly 70 hands-on projects a year — trail building, restoration, and noxious-weed removal on public lands across the state. The season runs April through October, with summer and fall projects open for registration. Browse the project calendar and sign up.
KTMB — Cleanups & Events Calendar
Truckee Meadows, NV
Year-round community cleanups, Adopt-a-Spot, and Weed Warrior days from Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. The live calendar lists every upcoming public cleanup and workshop in the Reno–Sparks area.
Get Outdoors Nevada
Southern Nevada / Las Vegas
Organized public-lands cleanups and stewardship events across Southern Nevada, including sites in the BLM-managed Red Rock area. Pick an event and register online.
Friends of Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon NCA (BLM), NV
Volunteer cleanups, restoration, and trail work on the BLM-managed Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Some roles need a short BLM orientation; one-time cleanup days often don't.
Keep Tahoe Blue
Lake Tahoe Basin
Keep Tahoe Blue (formerly the League to Save Lake Tahoe) runs community beach and path cleanups all season and lets you adopt a stretch of shoreline as a Tahoe Blue Crew. Browse the calendar and sign up.
Organizing your own cleanup?
Use the live map to scout where dumping is concentrated before you pick a site, and log the haul afterward so others can confirm it. Cleaning up BLM land? Check in with the local field office first — some sites need a permit or a safety briefing, especially where hazardous waste may be involved.
Know a cleanup we should list?
We keep this page focused on real, verifiable opportunities with public sign-ups. Send us the organizer and link and we'll review it.
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