2026 Great Arkansas Cleanup
September 12 – October 31
The Great Arkansas Cleanup takes place each fall from September (the first Saturday after Labor Day) through October. Thousands of Arkansans remove tons of trash from our state’s roadways, shorelines, parks and public areas during this statewide community improvement campaign.
History of the Great Arkansas Cleanup
The Great Arkansas Cleanup began in 1969 as the Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Cleanup. In 1985, then-U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers guided legislation requiring an annual pickup event during the weekend after Labor Day on all federal lands. This law, the Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Act, honors the founder of the event. Garner continued his advocacy for a clean and litter-free environment until his death in 2014. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with other hosts and partners, have continued the Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Cleanup efforts for more than 50 years.
Coordinator Materials
Once a community signs on to host a cleanup event, Keep Arkansas Beautiful will provide volunteers with trash bags, gloves, safety vests and t-shirts (while supplies last).
Download our Social Media Toolkit to access branded posts, stickers, and other graphics that you can use to share information and photos about your event. Be sure to tag @KeepArkansasBeautiful and use #KeepARBeautiful in all your posts.