TVA volunteers cleaning up trash on trail

National Public Lands Day

Each September, TVA is proud to celebrate National Public Lands Day. Join us in volunteering to give back to the lands we love.

TVA manages 293,000 acres of public land—some of it in a natural state, some of it cultivated with campgrounds, swim beaches, fishing piers, playgrounds, hiking trails, picnic pavilions and other features. Nearly all of it is available to you year-round for your enjoyment. It is, in a very real sense, your land.

“TVA has the responsibility to maintain some of the most treasured public lands in the United States and we’re excited to expand the opportunities for employees to participate in National Public Lands Day this year all across the TVA service area,” said TVA Vice President of Environment and Stewardship Michael McCall.
“There’s no better way to put our Environmental Stewardship mission into action than to volunteer with fellow TVA employees to care for these public lands with some roll-up-your-sleeves hard work.”

Across the Tennessee Valley region, TVA partners with local organizations to host work or volunteer events on public lands and waterways. Volunteer for one, and enjoy the natural high that comes with caring for nature.

Public Lands Day Volunteer Events

There are many opportunities to show a little love for the places you call home. Find a roundup of events scheduled in September and October where you can invest time in the outdoors.

Click here to volunteer

National Public Lands Day Events in the Valley Region

September 12, 2026

Location: 364 South Holston Dam Rd., Bristol, TN 37620

County: Sullivan, TN

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET

Description: Join TVA for trail maintenance at the South Holston Bike Trail. Bring water, snacks, and wear closed-toe shoes and gloves.

Contact: Randy Short at [email protected]

September 15, 2026 (rain date September 29, 2026)

Location: TBD near Watts Bar Dam

Time: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

Description: What birds live near TVA’s dams and power production facilities? Join TVA biologists and Dr. Aborn of UT-Chattanooga to learn how biologists safely catch and release birds from mist nets and how they record data on birds’ weight, plumage, and overall health. We’ll see birds in grassland, edge, and/or young forest habitats. In September we’ll see the usual resident birds and fall migrants, too – potentially 20-30 bird species. Each bird will receive a uniquely numbered, lightweight leg band and participants will have a chance to hold and release species back into the wild!

Participants should wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and bug repellent as desired, and bring water, snacks and/or lunch. Participants do not need to stay the whole time but are welcome to!

Contact: Susan Ehrenclou at [email protected]

September 19, 2026

Description: Norris Lake Project team will lead a group paddle (bring your own or reserve one) on Norris Reservoir. Participants will learn to recognize naturalized pollinator plants along the shoreline; learn about the impact of erosion on fish habitats; be made aware of eagle nesting areas on Norris; and each paddler will be encouraged to bag “end-of-season litter.”

Location: Three locations to launch from:

Norris Dam State Park Marina – 1604 Norris Fwy, Norris, TN 37828
Helms Ferry – 448 Old Leadmine Bend Rd, Sharps Chapel, TN 37866
Flat Hollow Marina – 185 Flat Hollow Rd Dock Circle, Speedwell, TN 37870

Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

County: Union, Claiborne, and Campbell, TN

Contact: For more information, email [email protected] or call 865-659-2829.

September 23, 2026

Location: Pebble Isle Marina, 2120 Old Johnsonville Road, New Johnsonville, TN 37134

Time: 9:30 am – 2:00 pm CT

Description: Volunteers are invited to join our Partners in Conservation to clean up Trace Creek in support of National Public Lands Day. The shoreline cleanup event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23rd. Please check in by 9:30 am. The event will run until 2 pm. Join us to board boats at Pebble Isle Marina to clear trash from the shores of Trace Creek. This area was severely impacted by debris from the 2021 Humphreys County Flood and is still recovering. Without cleanup efforts, this flood debris will remain and present an environmental threat to wildlife, degrade into microplastics, and negatively impact the viewshed adjacent Pebble Isle Marina.

Contact: For more information, contact Bob Holliday at [email protected].

Registration: Please register for the event at 2026 Humphreys County River Rescue | Tennessee State Parks

September 24, 2026

Location: 715 TVA Rd, Jasper, TN 37347

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm CT

Description: Join us at the Little Cedar Mountain Trail to learn about the trail's history and unique birds and plants. We will have a short overview of the trail and then spend the rest of the morning cleaning up the trailhead, trimming vegetation, and doing light trailwork. Bring water, snacks, and wear closed-toe shoes and gloves. Lunch will be provided. Meet at the main trailhead parking lot.

Contact: Andrew Lyles at [email protected]

September 24, 2026

Location: TVA Muscle Shoals Trails Complex, 73 Thunder Rd, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661 (GPS Coordinates: 34.78034, -87.665116)

Time: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm CT

Description: Join us at the Whitey Hall Memorial Garden on the Muscle Shoals Reservation for a trail work and removing invasive weeds from the native plant garden. Please bring sturdy work boots, long pants/sleeves, work gloves, eye protection, and easy-to-carry hydration.

Contact: Damien Simbeck at [email protected]

September 24, 2026

Location: Park behind the John E. Mayfield Library at Nashville State Community College. Google Maps link

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am CT

Description: Save the date for an invasive plant cleanup with the Harpeth River Conservancy on Richland Creek Greenway.

Contact: [email protected] or (615) 378-0485.

Registration: Richland Creek Clean Up.

September 25–26, 2026

Location: Elza Gate Park, 101 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Time: September 25: 7:00 – 10:00 pm ET | September 26: 8:00 – 11:00 am ET

Description: Celebrate National Public Lands Day with TVA and friends! Join Tennessee Valley Authority, Discover Life in America, and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning for a free, family-friendly BioBlitz in Oak Ridge's cedar barrens. A BioBlitz is an opportunity for people of all ages and skill levels to learn about local animals and plants while contributing to science! We will explore what lives along the Worthington Cemetery Trail at Melton Hill Reservoir and in the Oak Ridge Barrens Natural Area.

Two chances to ‘blitz '!

Friday, September 25 from 7–10 pm Eastern: Throughout the evening, we will survey for plants, insects, and more! At dusk, we will set up black lights to monitor insect populations, and we may hear bats with our echolocation detector!

Saturday, September 26 from 8–11 am Eastern: We will start by looking and listening for birds, then continue to look for other flora and fauna throughout the morning.

About Worthington Cemetery Trail (from TVA): This TVA area is special because of the unusual cedar barren habitat, which is more common in middle Tennessee. A cedar barren is an open area surrounded by plants that prefer thin, shallow soils around limestone outcroppings like Eastern red cedar, blazing star, prairie dock and big bluestem. Other features of this trail include an old cemetery (1800s), a pond and a recently built pier that extends out into a wetland, offering an excellent opportunity to see some of the 125 bird species that have been observed here. An easy trail for young ones to navigate—but be prepared to get muddy as the trail holds water. This trail is east of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Hwy. 95 at Elza Gate Park.

Registration: Worthington Cemetery Trail & Oak Ridge Barrens BioBlitz | DISCOVER LIFE IN AMERICA INC

September 26, 2026

Location: WindRiver’s Antioch Parking & Trailhead, 14590 Antioch Church Rd W, Lenoir City, TN 37772, USA

Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Description: Come join us for our Youth Scavenger Hunt Hike in celebration of National Public Lands Day! We're excited to have your family out on the East Lakeshore Trail for a morning of exploring nature, identifying plants and trees, and competing for prizes.

Registration: National Public Lands Day | WATeR

September 26, 2026

Location: 188 Campground Rd., Grant, AL 35747 (GPS Coordinates: 34.452, -86.335)

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Description: Join TVA at the Honeycomb Trail on Lake Guntersville for a mountain bike trail workday. We will work on general clearing of sections of the 9-mile trail. Tools and lunch will be provided. Please bring sturdy work boots, long pants/sleeves, work gloves, eye protection, and easy-to-carry hydration.

Contact: Josh Burnette at [email protected]

September 26, 2026

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT

Location: TVA Loyston Point, 146–160 Lakeshore Dr, Andersonville, TN 37705 (GPS Coordinates: 36.27004, -83.9677)

County: Union, TN

Description: Join the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club and TVA for trail maintenance. Bring water, snacks, and wear closed-toe shoes and gloves. Lunch will be provided. Meet at the main trailhead parking lot. Events for September 2026 – Appalachian Mountain Bike Club

Contact: Clay Guerry at [email protected]

October 3, 2026

Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm EDT

Location: There are over 45 locations where the river cleanup stations will be occurring. Please visit Tennessee River Rescue for more information.

County: Multiple, near Chattanooga, TN

Description: Join WaterWays and multiple local non-profit organizations as they clean up the Tennessee River and tributaries around the Chattanooga area. This is the 37th year of the event and there will be many sites to help clean up! TVA staff will be hosting a station at Chester Frost Park.

Contact: For more information, go to tennesseeriverrescue.org or email Brooke Fleeman at [email protected]

Beyond September

We don’t need our volunteers just one day a year—we need you all year round. Check out our Adopt a Spot or Adopt a TVA Trail opportunities for ways to get involved any time.