Again this year, Minnesota's 75 state parks and recreation areas have free admission Friday to encourage time outdoors on a day — Black Friday — many reserve as a post-Thanksgiving day of shopping madness.
The effort dovetails with the #OptOutside campaign by REI, which began closing its doors on Black Fridays in 2015 to push back against consumerism and allow its employees a day off with nature.
The outdoors retailer, in fact, has upped the initiative this year with another call — Opt to Act — encouraging the public to spend time being good stewards and cleaning up natural areas.
There are three related events planned in Minnesota, two in the metro and one in Center City:
• Fiwygin Outdoors ("Fit in Where You Get In") will host a cleanup at 11 a.m. Friday at Como Lake in St. Paul. Meet at the lake pavilion. (Details online at bit.ly/comoclean.)
• St. Croix River Association will host its Trot Off the Turkey Hike from 1-3 p.m. Friday through Wild River State Park in Center City. Meet at the park visitor center. Participants will hike and pick up trash as they go. (Details at bit.ly/croixclean.)
• Chapters of two groups, Native Women's Wilderness and Women Who Hike, will host a morning hike and cleanup at 10 a.m. Saturday at Minnehaha Creek. Meet on the south side of Sea Salt eatery next to the falls. (Details at bit.ly/minneclean.)
Share the day on social media with #FreeParkFriday, #OnlyinMN and/or #OptOutside.
Here are some other ways to get out at Minnesota state parks and natural areas:
