08/08/2026
Wave to Smokey Bear this Sunday, Aug. 9, as he takes to the skies to celebrate his 82nd birthday! Smokey will fly low along the Jersey Shore from Cape May to Asbury Park aboard a New Jersey Forest Fire Service helicopter, with special flyovers of Atsion Lake in Wharton State Forest and Lake Nummy in Belleplain State Forest.
Commemorative Smokey Bear beach badges will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for visitors of Atsion Recreation Area, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Belleplain State Forest, Corson’s Inlet State Park, Island Beach State Park and the Ocean City Music Pier.
The flight is scheduled to begin over Cape May at approximately 1 p.m. and travel north along the coast, ending in Asbury Park around 3:30 p.m. Earlier in the day, Smokey will fly over Atsion Lake in Wharton State Forest at approximately 11 a.m. and Lake Nummy in Belleplain State Forest at approximately 11:45 a.m.
A banner plane displaying a "Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear" message will lead the flight.
The birthday flight is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. In the event of inclement weather, the flight will be rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 16.
For nearly a century, Smokey Bear has inspired generations of Americans to help prevent wildfires with his timeless message: “Only you can prevent wildfires.”
