Marmot Day
These playful critters with their bushy tails and chubby cheeks are nature's little comedians. Get ready for a giggle-filled encounter with these adorable mountain entertainers!
Leverage Marmot Day as a quirky, family-friendly hook to drive regional tourism to Alaska and Michigan festivals, and promote wildlife education and outdoor experiences.
- Plan your February family trip to Alaska's Marmot Day Festival—bundle travel packages with local lodging and dining
- Share marmot facts and fun jokes on social media to build awareness of this underrated Alaska wildlife icon
- Partner with national parks (Mt. Rainier, Yosemite) to promote spring/summer marmot-watching eco-tourism experiences
- Create behind-the-scenes content from Owosso, Michigan's July Marmot Day event to drive attendance and local community engagement
Marmot Day can trace its beginnings back to the 1990s when it was proposed as a bill in the Alaska State Senate. Because marmots are creatures that are particularly prolific in the state of Alaska, the idea was to draw attention to this animal as it represents some of Alaska’s folk values. Sponsored by state legislator Curtis Menard, the bill took some time to be passed, but was eventually signed into law by Governor Sarah Palin.
Since its passing by legislature, Marmot Day is an official holiday in the state of Alaska. Festivities tend to take many different forms, typically involving a family dinner or gathering of some sort where marmot jokes and anecdotes are shared!
A related day, but celebrated in the summer instead, is the annual event of Marmot Day that has taken place in Owosso, Michigan since 2002. In this case, the day acts as a community festival and invites participants to celebrate with many fun family activities and even a marmot video contest!
Visit a Marmot Day Festival
Perhaps it would be fun to take Marmot Day as an inspiration to visit the northernmost of the United States – Alaska! Of course, February may not be the warmest of times to visit, but getting some first hand experience with the marmot might just be worth it. Or, for those who are a bit more inclined to stay in the lower 48, make plans to head on over to the Marmot Day festival that takes place in Michigan on July 25. The day’s activities include a variety of fun-making events for the whole family, with a nod to this furry little creature in most everything they do!
Go Marmot Watching
Want to celebrate Marmot Day, but can’t make it to Alaska or Michigan? No problem. Those who live near marmot habitats, can make a special trip to go marmot watching, but be sure to plan it at the right time. Since around 80% of a marmot’s life is spent underground, they can be a little hard to spot – especially during the winter months. It seems one of the best places in the US where marmots tend to be easiest to find are in Washington State, near Mt. Rainier National Park or Hurricane Ridge of Olympic National Park. Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park in California are also places to look for marmots, although here they tend to act as pests! Learn More About MarmotsWhile those who live in areas inhabited by marmots might know all about them, folks from other parts of the country might just be learning about this unique creature. Spend some time in honor of Marmot Day getting more educated about these interesting little guys.Check out and share some of these fun facts in honor of the day:Marmots make high-pitched whistling sounds when they are feeling threatened. In fact, in Quebec, they are known as the “siffleux” which means “whistlers”.Marmots are technically large ground squirrels with 15 different species living in Asia, Europe and North America.Marmots are herbivores who prefer a diet of plants, grass, seeds and small shrubs.Marmots tend to be active from March to September and then hibernate the rest of the year, which means approximately 60% of their life is spent hibernating!