The mountains give us so much joy and freedom while creating a space for us to unplug and savor the best things in life. Opportunities to give back to those very same mountains abound this summer with a number of stewardship and volunteer events.
Let's take care of the canyons we love and all commit to giving back this summer. The following events and organizations are offering community days to better the trails, plant some trees, pick up trash, and show our mountains a little love.
ALTA SUMMER STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMMING
Escape to the beauty of Alta's wildflower-covered meadows while participating in one of the ski area's many summer stewardship events hosted by the Alta Environmental Center. The ski area partners with a number of organizations and local non-profits to help repair the fragile ecosystem that was once decimated by mining activities in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Family friendly events focus around education, giving back, habitat restoration, tree planting, and responsible stewardship.
Registration is required for all events and can be found here.
Alta Community Volunteer Days
Alta hosts monthly volunteer days throughout the summer, allowing folks to contribute to various restoration activities around the resort that include planting native vegetation, weed pulling and tree harvesting to replant seedlings in favorable areas. All ages are welcome and free food is provided after the event on the following dates at the Albion Base Area.
First Wednesday of Each Month | 2–4PM
July 2
July 31
August 6
September 3
Alta Tree Planting Day
Change the face of Alta's slopes for the better in a massive effort to plant up to 1,000 tree saplings. Volunteers will hike to various locations throughout Alta and learn from experts where best to plant seedlings based on aspect, elevation, soil type and more. Lunch is provided. Details, registration, and times can be found here.
Saturday, September 20 | 8AM–1PM
A Memorial Tree Planting sponsored by Friends of Alta will take place Friday, September 12th from 9AM-12PM. Visit Friends of Alta for more info.
STEWARDSHIP WITH THE COTTONWOOD CANYONS FOUNDATION
The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation (CCF) is a local non-profit dedicated to the restoration, beautification and protection of our beloved Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons. Each summer, the foundation hires a professional Trail Crew that collaborates with the US Forest Service and a handful of other local organizations and volunteers. The Trail Crew dedicates its summer to building, improving and maintaining trails and pathways in forest and wilderness areas throughout Millcreek Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Little Cottonwood Canyon and along the Wasatch Front.
Why help out?
It may be shocking to learn, but more people visit our foothills and canyons than the total number of people who visit Yellowstone National Park each year! There is an imperative need to maintain resilient trails and promote sustainable, responsible use. CCF hosts frequent stewardship events and volunteer days from May through October. A number of our local ski resorts also partner with CCF to benefit from their expertise and volunteer network. Join a passionate volunteer network of over 700 like-minded nature fans to connect in the outdoors, meet new folks and keep our Canyons in tip-top shape. Register with CCF online and participate in one of the following projects:
Trail Maintenance
Invasive Weeds Pulling
Restoration Work
Public Snowshoe Tours
Fall Silver Lake Field Trips
Winter Snowshoe Field Trips
Ski with a Ranger Tours
Wildflower Guiding
Silver Lake Naturalists
PLANT STEWARDSHIP WITH THE COTTONWOOD CANYONS FOUNDATION
The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation (CCF) is hosting plant stewardship days in Millcreek and Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons throughout the summer. Volunteers will learn about and remove invasive plant species and assist with revegetation efforts by planting native wildflowers and plants. You must register with CCF to participate. Click here.
Join CCF at one of their Plant Stewardship events on the following dates this summer:
July 2025
Thursday, July 3
Thursday, July 17
Tuesday, July 22
Wednesday, July 23
Saturday, July 26
Thursday, July 31
August 2025
Thursday, August 11
Saturday, August 16
Wednesday, August 20
Saturday, August 23
Thursday, August 28
September 2025
Saturday, September 6
Thursday, September 13
Wednesday, September 17
Saturday, September 20
Thursday, September 25
Saturday, September 27
October 2025
Thursday, October 2
Big Cottonwood Canyon River Cleanup
Help restore the beautiful riparian corridor in Big Cottonwood Canyon by removing garbage from the creek with Fish For Garbage. Meet fellow outdoor enthusiasts, enjoy nature and win some prizes while collectively removing thousands of pounds of trash. Join the fun on Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 9AM to 1PM. The day will begin at the Big Cottonwood Canyon Park-n-Ride, where volunteers will be equipped with trash grabbers, gloves and trash bags. The crew will work together to remove trash from the entire watercourse of Big Cottonwood Creek. Meet up afterwards at Brighton Resort to ditch the trash and enjoy a complimentary BBQ meal and free activities like scenic lift rides, disc golf, mountain biking and live music.
For every bag of trash collected, you'll receive a free ticket to BBQ and an entry into a prize drawing. The more bags you collect, the better your shot at winning exciting prizes.
Schedule:
9AM-12PM Cleanup
12-1PM Lunch
12:30PM Prizes and activities
Tune-up Tuesdays & Stewardship Saturdays
The Summit Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving the open spaces of Park City and the Wasatch Back. Through land conservation, monitoring and investing in the community's open spaces the organization hopes to protect, nourish and beautify the landscapes that make Park City special.
Join the Summit Land Conservancy for Tune-Up Tuesdays & Stewardship Saturdays to meet fellow conservation enthusiasts and beautify the landscape. The organization's dedicated volunteer program enhances the ecological health of the local ecosystem while deepening the community's ties to that land. Volunteer activities include removing invasive species, trail maintenance, planting native vegetation, trash removal, habitat restoration and more. Click here to learn more and sign up.
2025 volunteer dates are:
Tuesday, July 8 @ 5:30 PM | Location: Rocky point Preserve
Tuesday, August 19 @ 5:30 PM | Marchant Meadows
Tuesday, September 2 @ 5:30 PM | location: TBD
Additional Ideas & Opportunities
There is something for just about anyone's interests if you'd like to give back this summer. Here are a few more local organizations that welcome volunteer participation.
Foothills Stewardship Program with SLC Government
Trail Maintenance with Trails Utah
Volunteer at Red Butte Garden & Arboretum
Volunteer at Wasatch Mountain State Park
After you're done helping to make our canyons a more beautiful place, here are few ideas for full on summer fun at Utah's ski resorts.
