For the last 21 years, the Yosemite Climbing Association has led an annual cleanup effort in the beloved national park, known as the Yosemite Facelift.
But the iconic park site isn’t the only one in for some TLC.
Rush Creek Lodge & Spa, a nearby resort, has been running its “Trade Trash for Spa Treatments” campaign for four years now, offering free spa treatments to volunteers who collect trash in the park.
The lodge, which is a certified founding B-Corp establishment, is passionate about sustainability and social responsibility, “making it the perfect base for those who want to give back to the communities and the environment in which they visit,” Rush Creek said in a statement.
Until the end of this month, Yosemite volunteers are invited to unwind in the lodge’s spa, enjoying amenities like a granite waterfall mineral hot tub and aromatherapy steam room. Volunteers will also receive their complimentary magnesium foot soak after turning in their collected cleanup items.
“This unique program allows volunteers to exchange the trash they collect for complimentary spa services, creating a self-indulgent twist on voluntourism and environmental stewardship,” the company told Good Good Good.
“[We are] committed to elevating this year’s event and continuing to build greater awareness in the hopes of cleaning up more trash from this beloved national park.”
Last year, Rush Creek’s luxurious spa saw 55 volunteers who collected 899 pounds of trash in Groveland, a town close to the northwest entrance of Yosemite. This is only a small fraction of the 1,000+ participants who gathered 10,432 pounds of trash within the park itself in 2023.
The cleanup event runs alongside National Public Lands Day, which is on September 28 this year. Organizers, however, dedicate the whole week to caring for Yosemite.
Volunteers are required to sign up to participate ahead of time (and book a room at Rush Creek), meaning it might be a bit too late to snag that foot soak this year, but it’s worth following along with the Facelift event calendar, as the cleanup efforts have expanded to other locales.
Plus, you can certainly find plenty of other do-good events near you just in time for National Public Lands Day.
“Over the years, tens of thousands of volunteers have removed over 1,200,000 pounds of trash and debris from Yosemite and other public land areas, as well as undertaken hundreds of special resource and high angle cleanup projects,” the YCA website said.
Along with Rush Creek Lodge, the event is sponsored by a myriad of sustainable and outdoor brands, like Patagonia, Clif Bar, The North Face, and Rivian.
YCA also partners with the National Park Service and its climbing rangers to ensure a safe and seamless event.
For those who care for the park year-round, the Facelift — no matter what volunteer perks come with it — makes a world of difference.
“We certainly don’t have the staff. You know, we don’t have people that can go out and pick up the litter,” Yosemite Park Ranger Scott Gediman told Your Central Valley.
“We’re just really grateful and thankful for people taking time out of their lives to come up and help clean up Yosemite National Park.”
Header images courtesy of Rush Creek Lodge & Spa