Every June, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable coordinates Great Outdoors Month®, a month-long celebration of outdoor recreation and America’s parks, wildlife refuges, forests, monuments, marine sanctuaries, waters, national conservation lands, and other natural treasures. Great Outdoors Month® first started as a Great Outdoors Week under President Bill Clinton in 1998. Since then, every president, Congress, and states across the county have issued proclamations designating June as Great Outdoors Month®.

While we will take time to celebrate the outdoors and all the benefits that come from it this month, the outdoor recreation industry is also focused on ensuring all Americans have access to the outdoors and feel welcomed. There is no better time than Great Outdoors Month® to make meaningful progress on these issues and more. Join us in getting outside and helping others do the same.

ORR’s GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH® ENCOURAGES ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUTDOORS

Great Outdoors Month® is coordinated by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and includes events held throughout the month including:

Kids to Parks Day – coordinated by the National Park Trust (May 18)

American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day® (June 1)

National Fishing and Boating Week – coordinated by the National Boating and Fishing Foundation (June 1-9)

National Get Outdoors Day (June 8) – U.S. Forest Service fee free day

National Go RVing Day (June 11) – coordinated by Go RVing

Great Outdoors Day of Service – coordinated by The Corps Network (June 14)

Great American Campout – coordinated by the National Wildlife Federation

National Marina Days – coordinated by the Association of Marina Industries

Great Outdoors Month® Events

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is proud to share what our partners are doing to celebrate our public lands and waters, and recreation economy during Great Outdoors Month®. Please fill out this form to have your event listed here. It will be wonderful to see our collective efforts displayed together!

Kids to Parks Day: May 18, 2024

Kids to Parks Day is a national day of outdoor play celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May. The day connects kids and families with their local, state, and national parks and public lands through hundreds of park events that promote discovery and exploration in the great outdoors. Join us in celebrating Kids to Parks Day by hosting an event in a local park or encouraging your town to proclaim the day!

American Hiking Society's National Trails Day: June 1, 2024

Taking place on the first Saturday in June, National Trails Day® is a day of public events aimed at advocacy and trail service. Tens of thousands of hikers, bikers, paddlers, horseback riders, trail clubs, federal and local agencies, land trusts, and businesses come together in partnership to advocate for, maintain, and clean up public lands and trails.

National Fishing & Boating Week: June 1-9, 2024

National Fishing and Boating Week, an annual celebration of the benefits of fishing and boating, take place the first week of June every year. Most states offer free fishing days during the entire week, where you can go fishing without needing a fishing license.

National Get Outdoors Day: June 8, 2024

GO Day is an annual event that encourages healthy, active outdoor fun by introducing kids and first-time participants to outdoor recreation opportunities close to home.

National Go RVing Day: June 11, 2024

Taking place during National Camping Month and Great Outdoors Month®, National Go RVing Day is an opportunity for the RV industry to share the many benefits of RVing and living an active outdoor lifestyle.

Great American Campout: June 22, 2024

The National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Campout™ is a summer-long celebration of exploring the wild outdoors through camping.

National Marina Days: Summer 2024

National Marina Days is a nationwide boating event dedicated to grow boating participation across North America. Marinas collaborate to hold events to introduce the public to boating through on-water and land-side activities at marinas in every corner of the country.

Great Outdoors Day of Service 2024

Since 2014, The Corps Network has celebrated Great Outdoors Month with our Great Outdoors Day of Service. Young adults from Corps throughout the East Coast, as well as many friends and partners of the Corps movement, come to the DC region to participate in service projects at iconic parks in and around the Nation’s Capital.