Come Help: Broken Glass Clean-Up Day on Billings’ Rimrocks 8/28

The Rimrocks that surround the southern edge of Billings are an extremely popular spot for hikers, walkers, dog owners, photographers and more. The towering sandstone cliffs are a great spot to decompress, find your Zen or just to get some fresh air. The views are fantastic and even on busy days, there is so much room to spread out that it's rarely very crowded.

There's also a ton of broken glass on the Rims.

Some readers may remember when cars could actually park pretty much wherever you wanted to on the Rims, right up to the edge. In the summer, it was known as Billings Beach. The Billings Gazette has a nice collection of vintage pics that show hundreds of people parked and partying on hot summer days on the cliffs. That photo gallery is paywalled, but a Google images search for Billings Beach will give you an idea of how awesome it was.

The Rims have been closed to vehicles (except within assigned parking areas) for decades, but people still party on the Rims. For some reason, it appears that many of those people enjoy breaking their glass bottles. Everywhere.

The broken glass is problematic for pets and people.

The unsightly, broken glass litters hundreds of feet of unimproved trails along the Rims and it presents a safety concern for dogs and people. Pets can easily injure their paws and humans in flip-flops could also get a nasty cut if they're not paying attention. Sharp glass can also puncture bicycle tires.

Glass Clean-Up Day is Saturday 8/28 from 8 am to 11 am.

Billings Trailnet, in partnership with Billings Parks and Recreation, is hosting the clean-up on Saturday morning. You must pre-register (for liability reasons) and you can do so HERE. Volunteer slots are limited, for safety concerns. Kristi Drake, Executive Director of Billings Trailnet, said participants will meet in the parking lot near the airport water tower and work on a section of parkland near the big pumps.

Volunteers should bring:

• Appropriate clothing for the weather
• Sunscreen
• Enough water for 3 hours
• Gloves
• Sturdy, closed-toe shoes (sandals/flip-flops not permitted)

Don't bring:

• Pets
• Kids
• Bad attitudes