What to Know36th Great LA River CleanupOct. 3 and 10, 2026Presented by Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR)Sepulveda Basin and Compton Creek (Oct. 10), Willow St. Bridge (Oct. 3), and Steelhead Park (Oct. 3 and 10) are on the 2026 rosterVolunteers should register ahead of time at the FoLAR site
Coastal Cleanup Day, a massive up-and-down-the-shore spectacular presented by the California Coastal Commission, may have just wrapped in September, but there are other bird-filled banks to tend to, and other sandbars to spiffy-up, and a whole ribbon of water to care for.
The watery ribbon wending through Los Angeles is next up on the “let’s get this clean” calendar. It’s time again for the Great LA River Cleanup, a volunteer effort so sizable that it will unfold, with heart and can-do, over not one but two Saturdays.
Oct. 3 and 10 are the 2026 dates and there are four locations to consider: Sepulveda Basin and Compton Creek are the Oct. 10 spots, Willow St. Bridge in Long Beach is up on Oct. 3, and Steelhead Park is open to volunteers on both dates.
Steelhead Park, by the by, “sits alongside a rare soft-bottom stretch of the River,” a stretch that sits close to a verdant area full of “cottonwoods and sycamores” as well as other plants, FoLAR shared on its site.
FoLAR, or Friends of the LA River, is behind the big de-littering push, and has been for a good long while.
And do we ever mean “good long while”: This is the 36th go-around for the cleanup, which translates to a whole lot of trash being removed, piece by piece, from the river and its surrounding areas.
Trash bags are provided, and gloves, too, but there are a few suggestions as to what other helpful items volunteers can show with; check out the preparation tips and FAQ now, and be sure to register in advance.