Event · Family Traditions
National Get Outdoors Day
National Get Outdoors Day falls on the second Saturday of June every year and opens a door for families who have never quite made it to a trailhead, a paddle, or a campfire before. Free events happen at national forests, parks, and public lands across the country, guided by rangers and volunteers who make a first trip feel easy and genuinely fun.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, covers National Get Outdoors Day, an annual celebration held on the second Saturday of June. The event is organized through a partnership of federal land agencies and outdoor recreation groups and offers free, ranger-led activities at hundreds of sites across the United States, with a particular focus on welcoming families who are new to outdoor recreation. The page explains when and where events happen, how families can find local opportunities, and how to build a full weekend of outdoor adventure around the day. Key details include how to use the official event finder, what to bring, and age-appropriate ways kids from preschool through early teens can participate.
| Cost | Free events; travel and gear costs vary |
|---|---|
| Region | Nationwide, all US regions |
| Season | Early summer, second Saturday of June |
| Best ages | 4 to 14, with activities for all levels |
| Planning window | Check event finder in April or May |
What National Get Outdoors Day is
National Get Outdoors Day happens every year on the second Saturday of June, landing squarely in that sweet early-summer window when school is just out and the trails are wide open. The event is a nationwide collaboration among federal land agencies, including the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Army Corps of Engineers, along with dozens of outdoor recreation partners.
The whole point is to lower the threshold for families who have been curious about public lands but unsure where to start. Activities are free, led by people who know the land, and designed for participants who may own exactly zero camping gear. Think guided nature walks, fishing clinics, kayak demos, junior ranger badge opportunities, and family-friendly hikes with a ranger explaining what you are actually looking at.
Where events happen and how to find one near you
Events are spread across national forests, grasslands, reservoirs, recreation areas, and other public lands in every region of the country. The official National Get Outdoors Day website maintains an event finder that is updated each spring, and it lets you search by state or zip code.
The range of sites is broader than most families expect. You do not need to live near a famous national park to find something worth driving to. A Corps of Engineers lake two hours from a mid-sized city might host a full morning of kayaking instruction and a fishing derby for kids. A national forest district office might run a tracking and wildlife sign walk that holds a ten-year-old's attention better than any museum exhibit. Check the finder in April and May, because popular events sometimes fill limited spots.
How to make the most of the day itself
Show up with water, snacks, sunscreen, and shoes you are willing to get dirty. Most free events run for a few hours in the morning, so plan to arrive at the listed start time rather than drifting in late. Rangers and volunteers are there to talk, so let your kids ask questions. The guides at these events have a gift for turning a muddy creek bank into a forty-five-minute lesson on everything from macroinvertebrates to beaver behavior.
If your kids are on the younger end, four to seven years old, look for events that list nature play, scavenger hunts, or short family walks. Older kids, eight and up, tend to light up for anything involving a paddle, a fishing rod, or a map they get to navigate themselves. Many events offer all of the above.
Building a full weekend around it
National Get Outdoors Day is the anchor, but it works even better as the centerpiece of a longer weekend rather than a single-morning outing. Drive out Friday evening, sleep at a nearby campground or a cabin rental, and let Saturday's free event be the guided heart of the trip. Reserve Sunday morning for something you pick on your own, a quieter hike, a return to the fishing spot, or a slow walk down a trail your family found on Saturday.
Many families use this weekend as their first camping trip of the year. The timing is good: June days are long, nights are warm enough in most of the country, and the sense of possibility that comes with the end of the school year turns even a modest two-night trip into something the kids will talk about through August.
Starting a family tradition
A one-time outing is a nice day. The same weekend on the calendar, returned to year after year, becomes something larger. Families who treat the second Saturday of June as a standing date start to notice things: how a child who needed to hold a parent's hand on a trail at age five is leading the group at nine, how the gear improves, how the complaints get shorter and the miles get longer.
Keep a simple record of each year's event, the location, a photo, a sentence about the best moment. A few years of that and you have a family field journal that tells a story about what your family chose to do with its summers. That kind of evidence is quietly powerful for kids who are still figuring out who they are.
Write down the name of the place you visited, one thing each person in your family noticed that surprised them, and what you want to do differently or further next June.
Frequently asked questions
When exactly is National Get Outdoors Day?
National Get Outdoors Day is held on the second Saturday of June every year. The date shifts slightly from year to year, so check a current calendar in the spring to confirm the exact date for the upcoming edition.
Do we need gear or experience to participate?
No experience or gear is required. Events are specifically designed for families who are new to outdoor recreation. Instructors and rangers provide equipment for demos and activities, and the programming is built around teaching rather than assuming you already know what you are doing.
How do we find National Get Outdoors Day events in our area?
The official National Get Outdoors Day website publishes a searchable event finder each spring. You can search by state or zip code to find events at national forests, recreation areas, and public lands near you. The finder is typically updated and active by April.
Are the events actually free, or are there hidden costs?
The organized activities on National Get Outdoors Day are free. Some locations that normally charge an entrance or day-use fee waive it for the event, though that varies by site. Your main costs are getting there, feeding your family, and any camping or lodging if you turn it into a weekend trip.