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National Park volunteers...

AllenTC2
Explorer
Explorer
Last summer I took the scenic route to Denver and stopped at the Gila Cliff dwellings near Silver City, NM. Working the site were three older people. I spoke with one of them, and he said he was a volunteer along with his wife. They apparently worked there for free for several months in exchange for free room and board (I'm unsure if they were there in an RV or used park facilities). The guy said they'd done this at a couple of different parks.

A quick Googling showed me a volunteer.gov site, but that seemed rather sporadic. Is this the right place to be looking, or is there some other specific program that sounds like this?
13 REPLIES 13

ORbiker
Explorer
Explorer
Good info bwodom .

My wife and I will be hosting and volunteering when we retire in 3 years or so.

We were Crater Lake Ski Patrollers. It is a volunteer position. I did 12 years. My wife did just a few. If it wasn't for the Ski Patrol, winter would not be a very safe time at Crater Lake. We had to have written instruction on our job description so that we did no get railroaded into doing the Rangers odd jobs.

It was fun, interesting, necessary, sometimes dangerous and sometimes real work. I saved a few lives and also did some major first aid.

The budget is zero most of the time unless it can be documented as necessary. Going through the loops can make things happen. Asking the right question can help too.
Backpacker and tent camper all my life. Motorcycle trips with a tent too 1978 to Present. 2016 Grand Design 380TH as of 10-29-2015. Now a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude as of 3-16-19. 10-19-18-traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Long Box.

Islandman
Explorer
Explorer
bwodom - That's an excellent writeup, thanks for sharing with all of us the important things to know and preparations on should make if they're wanting to volunteer in our federal locations. Be you were excellent hosts and you certainly provided excellent help to the public and the government!

bwodom
Explorer
Explorer
We recently experienced our first national parks-related volunteer experience via Volunter.gov. While it was an experience we will not soon forget, I feel the need to provide a few observations about our experience in the hope that others may find the information helpful.

1. We were unaware of how vital volunteers are to our national parks system: Park Service, Forest Service, Wildlife, et al. We realized quickly how dependent these organizations are on volunteers. I suspect many parks would have to close or dramatically curtail activities without volunteers, so please consider spending at least some of your workcamping time at these locations.

2. There are many, many opportunities out there to make a difference -- literally, something for everyone! It is a great way to save money on sites, meet new folks, be able to see local sites, while at the same time providing a much needed service. However, don't volunteer just for the free site...as they say, nothing is free. You will earn your keep.

3. Those who need income should realize that only parks run by contractor concessionaires will likely provide any hourly compensation (and not all of those will). We did, however, receive reimbursements for lunch, mileage, laundry and propane in addition to a FHU free site.

4. Ask LOTS of questions! We thought we knew what to ask, having RV'd for many years and even managed a private campground at one time. However, there were a number of surprises when we actually got to our assignment. For example...

- For what expenses will we be reimbursed?
- How far is it from our home base to our assignment?
- How many days off and which ones?
- How strict is the dress code and for what will I be responsible (i.e. will you need black pants when all you have are khaki?)
- Will there be other volunteers staying at the same park? (Do you want company or prefer solitude?)
- How close are medical facilities?
- What communication is available (in some remote places there is no cell service nor internet and the local emergency care is miles away. Make sure you will have 24/7 access to a land line or some other reliable source for emergencies).

Our biggest mistake was thinking that all of our volunteer needs would have been thought out ahead of time by the agencies; after all, they've been doing this longer than we have. Do not make this assumption. Everyone's needs are different and many expect you to tell them what you need.

5. Understand that these agencies, like many government agencies, are budget strapped. As a result, many public campgrounds are older and may not have the upgrades needed to support a modern rig. Many were built when most folks tented or pulled travel trailers and simply do not have amenities comparable to the standard of private campgrounds. Given how low the fees are at some parks it's a wonder they can operate at all!

Ask the size of your site (older campground were not built for 45' motor homes) and the access (we watched two rigs end up in the ditch when trying to get into a too-small site). What are the amenities and how close is your location to them (some can be noisy, others may be a convenient necessity). We were right next to the bathhouse but did not realize until we arrived that they had no showers which didn't seem a problem...at first...since we did have showers in the RV. When we had issues with our hookups, the situation left us with only a single tiny sink in the bathhouse in which to bathe! Not all campgrounds allow outdoor showers either, due to rules against gray water on the ground.

We had issues with electrical service (definitely have a surge protector) and that is common with older parks. Well water can be a catch-22. Our inhouse filter was clogged after our first two weeks from all of the sediment in the well water. When we had problems with our toilet -- thinking it was a valve that needed replacing -- our RV technician told us he took the toilet a part and found all kind of stuff in the lines!

Campgrounds are required to have their water tested, but depending on the water source, consider bottled. We were sick several times in the first months before switching to bottled water. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. Just saying.

Be honest with what you can and cannot live with. If you enjoy solitaire and reading, you are not likely to enjoy meeting hundreds of customers a day in a gift shop! Ask as many questions about the assignment you will be working as you do about your RV site. We worked some distance from our home base at a remote historical site which, as we discovered too late, had only an outdoor vault toilet and no running water! While that is fine for a day or two visit, it gets really old after several months!

Finally, don't let the precautions scare you away. We saw beautiful sites, met extraordinary people, and had experiences we may have missed had we traveled in our usual way: see some sights, drive a few hundred miles, stay a day or two, and do it all over again; repeat frequently.

Approach the experience with an open mind and a sense of adventure. After all, that's what this RVing thing is all about, isn't it?

stickdog
Explorer
Explorer
doxiemom11 wrote:
Many states use volunteers and have links on their state pages. Also counties and city parks. We volunteered for the US Forestry Service a few times (different ones) a couple of county parks and are now at a nature park. volunteer.gov is a good site.



Does a nature park mean you'll in your birthday suits?
9-11 WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
FULLTIME SINCE 2010
17 DRV MS 36rssb3
17 F350 King Ranch CC DRW 4x4 6.7 4:10 B&W hitch
John
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” Lao Tzu

doxiemom11
Explorer II
Explorer II
Many states use volunteers and have links on their state pages. Also counties and city parks. We volunteered for the US Forestry Service a few times (different ones) a couple of county parks and are now at a nature park. volunteer.gov is a good site.

welove2drive
Explorer
Explorer
I just came across coolworks.com National Park Job site. These are paying jobs and some have rv sites
Dave and Marcia
2019 Ford F350 Dually
2013 Lifestyle LS34SB

NMDriver
Explorer
Explorer
New Mexico state parks has a volunteer link on their web page at the top right. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/FindaPark.html
5er/2500Duramax/18ftBoat

AllenTC2
Explorer
Explorer
Lwiddis, I'm information-gathering. LOL I am a planner and I'm slowly shaping one potential post-retirement idea. I get an idea in my head and if it sticks, I start a sort of 'feasibility study'.

Down, I just found that site to be more handy for looking for ONE opportunity, not where there was a list. Maybe since I don't really know how the program works. I'll shoot you a PM here in a bit. Thanks!

stickdog
Explorer
Explorer
I've used vol.gov for the last seven years nine different locations multipal tours at four refuges. Presently at the ninth and have the tenth locked in for JFM 2018.
I always search nine months to a year out. We don't do NP's they want to many hours. We don't do camp hosting been there done that. The same with OHV areas the riders don't believe in following the rules and law enforcement was lax.
9-11 WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
FULLTIME SINCE 2010
17 DRV MS 36rssb3
17 F350 King Ranch CC DRW 4x4 6.7 4:10 B&W hitch
John
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” Lao Tzu

2gypsies1
Explorer
Explorer
If you have a specific park in mind get in contact with the Volunteer Coordinator and just ask if there are any openings in the near future. A couple times we were just visiting the park and inquired. We were hired on the spot. That's how we got our gigs. We loved it!
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

DownTheAvenue
Explorer
Explorer
www.volunteer.gov

Nothing sporadic about this site. It is broken down by state and agency. You can filter states, agencies, and dates.

Some parks actually have housing but most have RV sites.

I have over 6,000 volunteer hours with the National Park Service. Please PM me with any questions.

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
Are you interested in volunteering in National Parks, Allen?
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

kerrlakeRoo
Explorer
Explorer
Go to
www.nps.gov/getinvolved/index.htm