Spring is finally here, and Roan Mountain State Park is celebrating the occasion with the annual Spring Hike and Cleanup event.

On Saturday morning, the park invites outdoor enthusiasts and park visitors to join them for a day outdoors, hiking and cleaning trails in the park.

“The interpretive hike is going to be the Peg Leg Mine trail. It’s about a mile long,” Ranger J.R. Tinch said. “The cleanup is going to be that trail plus the Cloudland Trail, which is also about a mile long.”

Tinch, who is acting park manager at RMSP, will lead the event.

“We’ll do the interpretive hike first, then we will do the cleanup,” he said.

For the cleanup portion, participants will help to trim branches, remove leaves and clear fallen branches, limbs and other debris from the trails.

“Basically, we will be getting rid of all the elements that winter brought down on the trails,” Tinch said.

The event not only helps to improve the safety of the trails but also teaches participants about the work it takes to maintain the park. State parks hold three or four trail cleanup events at various parks throughout the state each year, Tinch said.

“This is one of the events all of the state parks do on the same day,” he said.

The Spring Hike and Cleanup is open to hikers of all experience and skill levels and is a kid-friendly event, Tinch said.

The event will begin Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. at park headquarters.

“We ask people to bring water and snacks,” Tinch said. “If they have a pair of work gloves they want to bring, that would be great. We will provide everything else.”

Participants are advised also to wear appropriate shoes and dress for the weather.

“It looks like the weather is going to be good, so it will be a great day to be outside,” Tinch said.

The event is free and open to everyone. For more information on the Spring Hike and Cleanup or other park events, call Roan Mountain State Park headquarters at 423-772-0190.