Weekend Idea: Volunteer Outdoors in Sight of the Golden Gate Bridge

Looking for weekend plans? Consider getting your hands dirty this weekend to celebrate Saturday’s National Public Lands Day.

The annual event means all federally managed lands — including properties stewarded by the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — are free to enter on Saturday.

But it’s also an opportunity to give back by volunteering — and there is a wealth of National Park Service sites within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that are hosting their own volunteering events this weekend in celebration of National Public Lands Day.

Keep reading for how to get involved outdoors over the next few days, and remember that some events may require signing up in advance.

Volunteering opportunities in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Friday: Tend to young trees in the Presidio, where reforestation efforts are underway, alongside the Presidio Forest Stewards (9 a.m. to noon).

Friday: Head to Fort Mason to help cultivate Black Point Historic Gardens, which has been around since 1850 but is still in need of maintenance. (9 a.m. to noon).

Saturday: Spend the morning helping to restore the Presidio, San Francisco’s own National Park Service site, alongside the Presidio Habitat Stewards (9 a.m. to noon Saturday).

Saturday: Head to the East Beach of Crissy Field to work on the vegetation along the San Francisco Bay shoreline, with the Golden Gate Historic Landscaping and Maintenance group (9 a.m. to noon Saturday).

Other ways to volunteer in the Bay Area this weekend

Looking for volunteer opportunities a little further afield? Here are a few more ideas for how to spend your Saturday celebrating National Public Lands Day (and most events include a free lunch).

Long Ridge Open Space Preserve off Skyline Boulevard 

Join the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District for a half-day of maintenance work on the Achistaca Trail (9 a.m. -1 p.m.).

Quail Hollow Ranch County Park in Felton

Help expand the trail network while protecting native ecosystems near Santa Cruz (9 a.m. -1 p.m.)

Lake Sonoma in Sonoma County

Work with volunteers to clean up the park’s shorelines, day use areas and boat ramps. (8 a.m. -12 p.m.).

Consumes River Preserve in Sacramento County

Head inland to be part of the stewardship of one of the state’s only free-flowing rivers, and explore the preserve while you’re at it (9 a.m. -12 p.m.).

But if you’re keen to volunteer specifically within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, you’re in luck: this weekend isn’t the only time to volunteer, as GGNRA hosts events and volunteer opportunities all year long.