Fourth Annual Groveland Facelift volunteer clean-up day receives support from community businesses and organizations
Visit Tuolumne County and others join forces with Yosemite Climbing Association
In the mountain town of Groveland, Visit Tuolumne County and several local organizations are again joining forces with the Yosemite Climbing Association to host the Fourth Annual Groveland Facelift on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
Groveland Facelift is under the umbrella of the well-established Yosemite Facelift event in Yosemite National Park, which is in its 22nd year. The event in Groveland begins at Mary Laveroni Park in town, and from there volunteers will disperse to trails, roads, and public space in the surrounding area to clean up trash and items for recycling.
One of the most popular work sites is Old Priest Grade, which will be temporarily closed from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
The clean-up begins at 8 a.m. at Mary Laveroni Park in Groveland and will be followed by an after party at 2 p.m. at the same location with food, refreshments, prizes, and the sorting and weighing of trash and recycling items collected. There will also be presentations by Yosemite Climbing Association Founder and President Ken Yager, Deborah Phillips of the Greater Valley Conservation Corps, and others.
Pre-registration for Groveland Facelift is open now at www.yosemiteclimbing.org/facelift-events/2025/grovelandfacelift2025. Those wishing to volunteer can also sign up the day of the event. It is free to participate, and equipment is provided.
Several Yosemite gateway partners are offering valuable incentives to those who volunteer and help with the clean-up:
- Rush Creek’s award-winning “Trade Trash for Spa Treatments” is back by popular demand. Overnight guests of Rush Creek Lodge & Spa, Evergreen Lodge, or Firefall Ranch who volunteer at either the Groveland Facelift or Yosemite Facelift will receive complimentary Spa Day Use at Rush Creek Spa and a complimentary magnesium foot soak that day.
- Echo Adventure Cooperative is offering 40% off all guided tours booked on September 13 by Groveland Facelift volunteers.
- Yosemite Basecamp is offering Groveland Facelift participants a discount of 40% off purchases storewide on September 13.
- Groveland Trail Heads Mountain Bike Club offers Groveland Facelift volunteers a 50% discount off registration for the 2026 Groveland Grind mountain bike race.The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride on historic Forest Service roads. Three routes of different lengths include challenging climbs, amazing views and the best of the majestic Stanislaus National Forest.
Local participating partners also include:
Event sponsors include the Groveland Community Services District.
“Visit Tuolumne County is proud to again be part of this event, supporting sustainability and stewardship in our county,” said Visit Tuolumne County President & CEO Lisa Mayo. “It's exciting to build on the success of such a large, established volunteer clean-up event and bring attention to our Yosemite gateway community, Groveland.”
ABOUT YOSEMITE FACELIFT:
Yosemite National Park’s annual park-wide cleanup event, Yosemite Facelift, is proudly celebrating its 22nd year this September, with significantly expanded programming and partnerships. Founded in 2003 by Ken Yager, President of the Yosemite Climbing Association, Yosemite Facelift has grown into a transformative week-long event, bringing together volunteers from around the world to contribute to the preservation of this cherished national treasure. Yosemite Facelift was conceived as a way for climbers to give back to Yosemite after each bustling summer tourist and climbing season, instilling a sense of stewardship and environmental responsibility among participants.
This year’s Yosemite Facelift takes place in Yosemite, September 24-28, 2025, with volunteer opportunities from as little as an hour to larger multi-day projects. There are daily giveaways, guest speakers, and music. This initiative has inspired similar cleanups in over 20 additional locations across America, including the fourth annual Groveland Facelift September 13, 2025. To participate in any Facelift event, interested individuals must pre-register at yosemiteclimbing.org.
Yosemite Facelift remains committed to preserving the natural splendor of Yosemite National Park and encourages everyone to join this noble cause; and Visit Tuolumne County is honored and eager to support the local Groveland Facelift event. By fostering a spirit of camaraderie and fun while cleaning up the environment, Yosemite Facelift continues to inspire a worldwide community of volunteers dedicated to preserving our precious natural heritage. For more information and to participate in Yosemite Facelift, please visit yosemiteclimbing.org.
ABOUT VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY
Visit Tuolumne (“to-all-o-me”) County (VTC) is the official destination marketing organization for Tuolumne County in Northern California. Tuolumne County is just a 2.5 hour drive east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The destination is known for its pristine, scenic expanse reaching into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gold was discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848, setting off the major gold rush of 1849. The main highways leading to the picturesque drive from the Bay Area are Highways 108 and 120 from the west and Highway 49 from the north. The State Highway 120 entrance to Yosemite National Park is considered the “front door” of the park for the Bay Area. The Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park and other surrounding areas provide natural vistas and settings for hiking, water skiing, horseback riding, rafting, camping, snowmobiling, boating, snow skiing, fishing, and other outdoor activities. Seven restored historic hotels, four golf courses, numerous and varied dining establishments, historic saloons, four wineries, a hard cider distillery, train rides, casinos, seven museums, two State Historic Parks, two live theaters, many bed-and-breakfast inns and a variety of Airbnb accommodations are among the many other attributes that make the county a year-round vacation destination. For more information, go to www.visittuolumne.com.
# # #
