AHRA, GARNA celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day with annual Clean Up Green Up & Gear Up for Summer event
Bridget O'Rourke
Salida, Colo. - The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) and the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) is hosting the 34th annual Clean Up Green Up in conjunction with Colorado Public Lands Day on Saturday, May 17.Volunteers can preselect online or register in person on the day of for a location in the Arkansas River drainage between Granite and Parkdale to clean trash and debris to prepare for a busy summer season. The cleanup coincides with the start of spring snowmelt and runoff. Volunteers are encouraged to pre-sign up for a location at
https://bit.ly/CUGU2025.
Trash drop off is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the F-Street parking lot in Salida and the Buena Vista Community Center, or behind the entrance sign at any AHRA-managed site throughout the day. Trash dumpsters are provided by Apex Waste, and B1 Energy provides recycling sorting.
A volunteer picnic will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at Riverside Park in Salida. The first 20 Buena Vista participants will receive a lunch voucher to a local restaurant.
Clean Up Green Up is sponsored by High Country Bank in partnership with AHRA, GARNA, City of Salida, Town of Buena Vista, Salida-area Parks Open Space & Trails (SPOT), Trout Unlimited and Salida Mountain Trails.
In conjunction with Clean Up Green Up, AHRA will be hosting the 3rd annual Gear Up for Summer event, bringing the community together to gear up for a safe and fun summer, at Riverside Park. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., local non-profits and land agencies will host family-friendly activities and information on summer programs. Plus, the first 50 youth will receive a free PFD.
For more information, visit cpw.state.co.us/event/2025/05/clean-green-gear-summer.
Find more events and outdoor learning opportunities hosted at Colorado state parks on the CPW Events Calendar.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.
DISCLAIMER: The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) website maintains press releases containing historical information that may no longer be accurate. Press releases are dated, which should be noted to determine whether the information provided is current. Please review our current regulations and brochures for up-to-date information.