This coming Saturday is National Trails Day and there are many events around New Jersey where you can celebrate your love of the outdoors via guided hikes, joining a trail work crew, or attending a film festival.

National Trails Day was started in 1993 by the American Hiking Society and has been held the first Saturday in June ever since as a celebration of our natural surroundings. Here’s a sampling of the events around NJ. Follow @HikeNJ on twitter for updates and other event announcements.

Official AHS Events List

The motherload of this weekend’s events can be found on the American Hiking Society’s New Jersey Events page. The 20+ events listed across NJ span from volunteer cleanup crews at Bass River State Forest or Black Run Preserve, to cycling in Freehold, to outdoor classes at the EMS store in Paramus. Check the event descriptions for details, directions, and registration information.

Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival

The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival again returns to the Schiff Nature Preserve in Mendham, NJ this Friday and Saturday. The festival acts as a benefit for the Schiff Natural Lands Trust and tickets each night are only $20. The event also includes a hike or hay ride through the park to the theatre, actions, and activities for children. Film schedule, tickets, and directions can be found on the Film Festival site. Here’s a two of the films, a trailer forThe Best Country: People Restoring Rivers, and a short mocumentary The Majestic Plastic Bag:

NY NJ Trail Conference at Bear Mountain, NY

The NYNJTC will be celebrating National Trails Day with a dedication of a wheelchair accessble portion of the Appalachian Trail at the summit of Bear Mountain with hikes for all experience groups, live music, and more. The Summer Meeting 2011 page has all the details.

And if you’re attending or organizing and event not mentioned here, please leave the details in a comment or contact me via twitter.