Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day with Free Activities

National Get Outdoors Day is Saturday, June 8, 2024. Started in 2008, this annual event is intended to inspire and motivate Americans to get outside for a “healthy, fun day of outdoor adventure”. While the original website has since been taken down, the day itself has taken off. Parks across the nation continue to celebrate each year as a day to encourage active outdoor fun.

Check back often in the weeks leading up to June, many of the past programs that we have featured are run by volunteers and may get announced shortly before the weekend. We’ll keep adding as events are announced.

Fun Twin Cities Outdoor Events

Free Entrance to Washington County Parks

Washington County Parks has designated National Get Outdoors Day as a free day to visit county Parks without purchasing a vehicle permit. Read more here and explore this list of county parks with their beautiful beaches, hiking trails and playgrounds. Free entry during park hours June 10, 2023.

National Get Outdoors – Take a Kid Fishing

If you’re thinking fishing sounds great, check out one of the 10 Best Fishing Holes in the Twin Cities. Grown up participants will need a license (unless you are a Minnesota resident fishing in a Minnesota State Park).

National Get Outdoors Day Treasure Hunt

We are keeping an eye on the City of Maplewood’s website here. Last year, they offered a National Get Outdoors Day treasure hunt for a Golden Frisbee. We are hoping they offer this event again in 2024 (TBA), but a family treasure hunt is a fun way to celebrate DIY-style, too. We can help you with that. We keep a list of Twin Cities Quests, Scavenger & Treasure Hunts for Families here.

Twin Cities Quests and Treasure Hunts for Families — Find current and perpetual ideas for “treasure” hunts around the Twin Cities.

Get Outdoors at Neighborhood Parks

Minneapolis Parks continues to maintain a special page for Get Outdoors Day, but have not added to it yet in 202r. Past years have included special discovery stations, demonstrations, and fun outdoor activities for kids to sample.

You don’t need a special invitation, peruse our Park Directory and use the amenity search to pick a neighborhood park near you that offers picnic areas, miles of trails, watercraft rentals, a dog park, or your own favorite outdoor activities.

Get Outdoors Day Events Across the State

Minnesota State Parks

National Get Outdoors Day is traditionally a free admission day at Minnesota State Parks. Many parks offer free activities — including free Kid’s Discovery Kits and loaner fishing equipment, GPS units and birding kits to borrow for a day of exploration.

My daughter and her friend recently took advantage of the loaner fishing equipment. We recommend bringing your own live bait. The kids didn’t have any the first day, but brought some the second day. It made all the difference in their success.

Find activities at the State Park of your choice with this DNR State Park Event Finder tool. We are lucky to have 8 Twin Cities Metro-Area Minnesota State Parks that are close enough for a spontaneous day visit.

National Parks and National Forests

National Get Outdoors Day is sometimes one of the National Parks Free days, which are announced at the beginning of each year. However, as we mention in our article, Meet the 6 National Parks of Minnesota, we don’t really have to wait for special free days to visit Minnesota National Parks, Forests, Rivers, Recreation Areas, Riverways or Trails. Currently none of these public lands charge an entrance fee.

National Get Outdoors Day Round Up – 2024