09/27/25
10th annual National Public Lands Day
lower salt river Land & Hawes Trail System cleanup
On Saturday, September 27th, 2025, we teamed up with the US Forest Service Tonto National Forest & NEEF for our 10th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD) Lower Salt River Cleanup.
239 volunteers, including 38 youth volunteer, helped us remove 7,520 pounds (3.76 tons) of trash & 2 tires from the Lower Salt River, Hawes Trail System, & the main road into Butcher Jones. Thank you to everyone who helped us make a positive impact on the river for the 32nd anniversary of NPLD!
Volunteers spread out to hike & explored multiple recreation sites along the Lower Salt River while picking up trash. With heavy storms the night before, trash was pushed downriver & trash that had been buried in the vegetation & mud was now visible for volunteers to grab. Volunteers with kayaks & paddle boards floated the river & picked up trash volunteers on foot could not reach.
Justin from Natural Restorations took our Dedicated Restoration Team & volunteers, including S.W.A.T.T, River Rangers, & SRP, to meet up with Hawes Trail Alliance & Hawesaholics to remove several abandoned camps from the Hawes Trail System on the Tonto National Forest.
Thank you to the US Forest Service Tonto National Forest for their support! Thank you to NEEF for providing free one-day Public Lands passes for volunteers to use another time.
Thank you, Wells Fargo, for awarding us a grant that helped fund this event! This event is also possible due to support from our Sponsors & Event Sponsors: AC Infinity, Arizona Wholesale Growers, AZ 4Runner Outsiders, Arizona Toy Pros, Arizona Plasma, Arizona Rock Products Association, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., Beer Barn, Desert Monsters Tours, Icon Vehicle Dynamics, Illuminated Funds Group, Native Resources, NEEF, No Snow Standup Paddleboards, OdySea Aquarium, Resolution Copper, Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch, Salty Scuba Squad, Salt River Project, State 48 Overland, Stellar Adventures, Victory 4x4, Visit Mesa, Wild West Off-Road Recovery, & Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative.
click picture for full-size image gallery
additional Lower Salt river cleanup photos below Photos of
Hawes Trail system cleanup with Hawes Trail Alliance & Hawesaholics
BEFORE & AFTERS
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7,520 pounds (3.76 tons) of trash the Lower Salt River, Hawes Trail System, & the main road into Butcher Jones! Thank you to everyone who came out to help!
After a restorative day spent in nature, volunteers enjoyed ice cold NA Brews & Sparkling Water thanks to Athletic Brewing.
We loved sharing Athletic Brewing with volunteers because we have been the recipient of Athletic Brewing’s Two for the Trails grant several times. You can view our latest Two for the Trails grant project on the Tonto National Forest HERE.
Through their Two for the Trails program, Athletic Brewing contributes up to $2 million annually to help protect, preserve, and maintain local trails. With this grant, we’re continued working on our Lower Salt River & Chain Lakes Restoration Project including trash removal, graffiti removal, and invasive species removal of apple snail eggs. We are grateful for their support of our mission & our restoration projects on the Tonto National Forest.
