Initiatives Posted by Ellita Willis, U.S. Forest Service in Forestry

Forest Service employee, Michaela Hall, rafting on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River adjacent to Glacier National Park in Montana.

In an era of social media mania, forests around the country are opening their doors to reacquaint kids and parents with good old fashion family fun—without the aid of modern technology.

On Saturday, June 11, the U.S. Forest Service invites families to join thousands of forest explorers for a free, fun-packed day of outdoor adventures in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day.

The event also known as “GO Day” is celebrating its ninth anniversary of inspiring national and local organizations to come together to promote the social, economic and environmental benefits of outdoor recreation. Dozens of events on national forests and grasslands will feature opportunities including camping, rock wall climbing, kayaking, biking and archery.

Nationwide, more than 100 locations will provide free recreational and educational activities. Some events are specifically designed to better engage urban and multicultural youth in nature-based activities and attract first-time visitors to public lands.

In the spirit of GO Day, fees are waived generally for day-use areas, such as picnic grounds, developed trailheads and destination visitor centers. Concessionaire-operated sites may be included in the waiver if the permit holder wishes to participate. Contact your local national forest or grassland to learn if your destination requires a fee or if that fee is waived.

National forests provide tremendous settings for spending a day or two in the great outdoors. These public lands provide more than 158,000 miles of recreational trails, wild and scenic rivers, lakes and streams, thousands of campgrounds and day-use sites, and educational opportunities at Forest Service visitor centers. These lands also add more than $13 billion in benefits to local economies.

June is Great Outdoors Month, and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell of the Forest Service invites all Americans to join the Forest Service and its many partner organizations in getting out and exploring all types of recreational activities throughout the month.

GO Day is proud to support the First Lady’s Let's Move Outside campaign to eliminate childhood obesity within one generation. The goal is to get kids active so they see the physical activity they need not as a chore, but as a fun way to explore our country.

The remaining fee-free days for 2016 include National Public Lands Day (Sept. 24) and Veterans Day weekend (Nov. 11-13).

Kids playing in a favorite lake.