Namekagon River Cleanup 2025

Help your wild and scenic river neighbor, the Namekagon!

Join Riverway Volunteers on Saturday, September 6th for the 2025 Namekagon River Cleanup!

The Namekagon River is a popular place for paddling, fishing, or simply taking in the beauty of the riverway. Bring your family and friends and help care for this special place, all while enjoying a fall day outdoors. Volunteers have the option to participate on land or on water and may use their own canoes and or kayaks. The event will be followed by an afterparty with fun prizes, delicious food, and live music!

Free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required.

REGISTER NOW

Free and open to the public.

Schedule:

• 8:30 AM – Participant sign-in at Hayward Lake Boat Landing. Navigate to the Hayward City Beach, (address provided) and you will see the group gathering marked with flags. Coffee and refreshments will be provided thanks to Backroads Coffee.
• 8 :45 AM – Welcome and overview of the day
• 9 AM – Groups head out to cleanup sites!
• 3-6 PM – Afterparty at the Angry Minnow in downtown Hayward (optional)

Registration:

Advance registration is required. Please indicate your group size and names of all participants when registering.

NEW THIS YEAR:

Shuttle service and rental kayak support from our partners at Log Cabin Resort and Campground, and Camp Namekagon

If you select shuttle service or rental kayak option, you will recieve communication from Wild Rivers Conservancy.

What to Expect:

We will be picking up trash in and along the Namekagon River. Volunteers should meet at the registration table at the Hayward Lake Boat Landing at 8:30 am to check in and enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries. At 8:45 am, we will go over the plan for the day, conduct a safety briefing, distribute supplies, and begin the cleanup! Gloves, trash grabbers, and bags will be provided.

Volunteers participating by boat will then travel to an assigned boat landing. Please indicate if you need shuttle service for travel between the launch site and the take out location when registering. Volunteers participating on land will start the cleanup at the Hayward City Beach and then travel to different cleanup destinations in the area. The cleanup typically runs until 2:30pm or 3pm.

To celebrate your hard work, join the afterparty at the Angry Minnow in Downtown Hayward at 3pm! There will be food, music by Son of Mel, and a prize drawing!

Restrooms: Restrooms available at Hayward City Beach and at boat landings.

Recommended items to bring/wear:

• Full water bottle
• Snacks and a lunch
• Sunscreen
• Hat with visor
• Polarized sunglasses

Registration closes 09/01/2025 at 5:00 PM CT

Cancelation Information:

For the safety of participants and staff, this program may be canceled due to inclement weather. Participants will be notified via email and the event page will be updated if the program is canceled.