New Year, New Beginnings: Arizona’s annual 45-mile cleanup of SR 286

ADOT and Adopt a Highway volunteer leader Melissa Owen invites you to kick off the new year in beautiful Southern Arizona for the 11th Annual “All the Way to the Border” State Route 286 cleanup from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.

We’d love to see you there! If you’d like to join, please register at azdot.gov/adoptahighway. 

The day begins with a check-in near Three Points junction located about 25 miles southwest of Tucson. After the safety briefing, volunteers will head out to clean adopted or assigned segments along 45 miles of SR 286 between State Route 86 and Sasabe at the Arizona/Mexico border. 

Melissa donates hours of planning and coordinated efforts with neighbors, businesses and ADOT to welcome friends and neighbors back for Adopt a Highway’s most attended one-day cleanup. Volunteers come from around Arizona and the United States return each year to pitch in and join the fun. 

We invite you to support Melissa’s efforts to keep a beautiful part of Arizona clean and safe for animals along SR 286 in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. See photos from the 2025 cleanup here.

If you can’t make this event but want to learn more about adopting a highway, please visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.