Events
The National Forests of Alabama proudly host numerous special events that include fishing derbies, outdoor classrooms, national trails, Public Lands Day and Get Outdoors Day. Youth have many challenges taking them away from outdoor recreational activities that motivate and encourage physical development. Our events are educational as well as recreational. We are teaching and encouraging conservation of our natural resources. The primary goals of the events are to reach currently under-served populations and first-time visitors to public lands, and reconnect our youth to the great outdoors.
Annual Events
Two man sit in a boat for National Get Outdoors Day.
The USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition lead an inclusive, nationwide effort focusing on a single day when people would be inspired and motivated to get outdoors.Alabama national forests partner with other federal, state and local agencies to celebrate Get Outdoors Day, a national effort to connect Americans with nature and active lifestyles. The Bankhead, Conecuh, Talladega, and Tuskegee National Forests encourage healthy, active outdoor fun through several events. For example, annual fishing derbies are sponsored for youth aged three to fifteen when supervised with a parent or guardian. Participants are asked to supply their own bait and tackle. Numerous community partners support the fishing outing contributing to the excitement and adventures for the entire family. Some recreation sites offer swimming, fishing, picnicking and camping.
National Public Lands Day is Saturday, September 26, 2026—the nation’s largest single‑day volunteer event celebrating our public lands. It’s also a fee‑free day, making it the perfect time to get outside and give back.
The Forest Service invites volunteers, businesses, schools, and community groups to join a one‑day effort to keep Alabama’s national forests clean, healthy, and beautiful. It’s a hands‑on way to practice environmental stewardship, learn responsible recreation, and enjoy the satisfaction of working together. After hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters, the need for public help on public lands has never been clearer. Pitch in, have fun, and make a difference in your forests!
Contest Rules
Contestants will complete, sign, and submit a photo release form to participate and submit an entry for the NFs in AL "From Lens to Land" photography contest. If under the age of eighteen (18), a parent or legal guardian must complete and sign the forms for submitting photos. Up to three photographs by the same photographer may be submitted. Images of adults taken on Forest Service land do not require a release form.
Permission is required to photograph children under 18. A photo release form is the best form of release. However, if you are out on a photo shoot and do not have access to a release form, ask for permission before taking any pictures. Inform the parent or guardian(s) of the potential uses of the photo and that the photo will be in the public domain. If verbal permission is granted, obtain the child and the guardian granting permission’s full name, to indicate the conversation took place and permission is granted.
Acceptable Formats
Submitted photos are recommended to be a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels or higher. Acceptable formats include JPGs and PNGs. Photographs may be horizontal or vertical and cannot contain borders, frames, dates, watermarks, signatures, or copyright images on the pictures. Digital enhancements for minor cropping, contrast, saturation, color correction, or red-eye removal are allowed. Significant enhancements or manipulations, including but not limited to adding or rearranging content, will disqualify the submitted photograph. All photos contestants submit must be taken within the National Forests in Alabama and submitted by email. Submissions by email will include the digital photographs and scanned required release form(s) listed above.
Photograph Submission
Submit entries to: SM.FS.pa_alabama@usda.gov in a format that does not exceed a total email size of five (5) MB. The U.S. Forest Service reserves the right to crop photographs as necessary. The photograph release form allows the Forest Service to use and publish the photograph on its website, in publications, calendars, brochures, or displays to promote our Forests.
Photograph Judging
All submissions are screened for acceptability. The National Forests in Alabama's Public Affairs personnel judge acceptable submissions. Employees are not allowed to submit photographs while serving as a judge. After photo review by judges, the winning photograph, along with the 2nd and 3rd place photographs, will be announced. The decisions of the judges are final.
Prizes
The 1st place winner will receive one Great Escapes hat, Forest Service Tumbler, and one free Day-Use Pass at any recreation site except concessionaire-run sites (Clear Creek and Corinth Recreation Areas). The 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive a hat and combination of Forest Service memorabilia.
Conditions
The FS reserves the right to change the rules of the "From Lens to Land" photo contest as necessary.
For More Information
Contact Dawn Suiter, public affairs specialist, dawn.suiter@usda.gov with subject title: “From Lens to Land” Photo Contest year
Fee-Free Days
The Forest Service waives recreation fees at most day-use sites on lands managed by the agency. Participation by concession-operated sites may vary.
2026 dates
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 19, 2026
- Presidents’ Day: February 16, 2026
- Memorial Day: May 25. 2026
- National Trails Day: June 6, 2026
- National Get Outdoors Day: June 13, 2026
- Independence Day: July 4. 2026
- Constitution Day: September 17, 2026
- National Public Lands Day: September 26, 2026
- Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday: October 27, 2026
- Veterans Day: November 11, 2026
Share your Story
If you have had a memorable experience in one of our forests, please contact us with your special story.