Living & Working in Great Places

Volunteering with National Park Service

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on working in Glacier NP over the summer and was thinking of volunteering with National Park Service. How difficult is it to get a place with them? Is it necessary to apply long before the beginning of the season?

Which areas of the park are best for volunteering and learning more about the park (visitor centers, ranger programs, guided hikes, wildlife concentration, good hiking trails etc.)? I'll be doing my dissertation work about the park so will need as much information and research as possible.

Thanks for all your tips/suggestions/ideas! :)

Tags: glacier, national, park, volunteering

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Lewis on October 22, 2009 at 9:13am: The only thing I know about these guys is that if you are working (volunteering) in a unit of the National Park system (not just national parks, but also national monumants, wildlife refuges, national seashores, etc. etc.), you almost always need to be a US citizen. The above only refers to their internship positions, though.

Be sure to check out the Yellowstone Association as well.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Eva Busova on October 22, 2009 at 9:46am: Apparently, you're right. Their conservation corps only take US citizens. It might be interesting to apply for an internship, though. I mean, not for the summer since they are all full-time placements, but maybe next year after I'm done with my college. I'll definitely keep that in mind!

Yellowstone Association is a good idea, but I doubt it'll work for me since I'll be in Glacier and not Yellowstone ;) When I worked in YNP last year, I went on a few guided hikes with them, they were really good and I thought it might be interesting to work/volunteer with them sometime. So if I ever come back, I'll definitely get in touch with them. Thanks for the tip.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kevin Lewis on November 9, 2009 at 9:51pm: It seems from what you've said in previous posts, you want to be on the "interpretive" end of things--you would like to use your knowledge and education to help people learn about the parks. The SCA is more about pick-and-shovel work: trail maintenance, upkeep of park buildings, infrastructure repair, etc. Valuable work, certainly, but possibly not what you're looking for.

Here's a link to the Grand Teton NP volunteer intern page. http://home.nps.gov/grte/supportyourpark/upload/intern2005.pdf

This might be a great fit for you, as the position is basically volunteer park ranger, which means you staff the visitor center, lead hikes, put on campfire programs, etc. And it doesn't say that you have to be a US citizen---your actual employer is the Grand Teton Association, not the NPS, so any federal restrictions wouldn't necessarily apply. You get a stipend and housing, so it might be a pretty sweet deal.

I also know that Yosemite is always looking for volunteer Visitor Use Assistants, but the catch is that you don't get housing--you have to camp at a designated campground in Yosemite Valley. Of course, if you don't mind "roughing it", camping in Yosemite Valley all summer is no hardship! There's showers and laundry and all that good stuff. I don't know about any requirements for US citizens.

Also check out North Cascades NP for volunteer opportunities. North Cascades is the most spectacular national park that no one's ever heard of.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jim on November 9, 2009 at 10:07pm: ...Of course, if you don't mind "roughing it", camping in Yosemite Valley all summer is no hardship!.....

Bring your earplugs: barking dogs, screaming kids, party animals around the evening campfire.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kevin Lewis on November 10, 2009 at 11:21am: From what I understand, you don't camp in the regular public campgrounds, but rather, ones set aside for the volunteers and seasonal workers. So I would expect them to be quieter.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jim on November 10, 2009 at 11:27am: Yes, the campground for volunteers is sorta separate in Yosemite, but it's still right in with the rest of the masses. Lol!!! It's still a zoo.; ▶ Reply to This