Backcountry Volunteering

Alaska

Alaska State Parks Volunteer Coordinator
3601 C Street, Suite 1200
Anchorage, AK 99503-5921
Tel: 907-762-2612
FAX 907-762-2535

Write for current catalog published each December for the next year. Duration: Many positions require 8 weeks or more at a minimum; archaeology assistant is 2 weeks. Except for archaeology, applications must be received by 1 April. Some intern positions can be used for college credit. Positions as assistant to a ranger or data collection for administrative purposes generally require 2 years of undergraduate work in natural resources/environmental studies. Trail crew volunteers should have familiarity with chain saws and hand tools. Some trail crew positions require familiarity with shotgun use and fire arm safety.

Colorado

The Colorado Mountain Club
710 10th Street, #200
Golden, Colorado 80401
(303) 279-3080

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
1410 Grant Street, B-105
Denver, CO 80203
303-830-7792
FAX: 303-832-6056
Contact: Dos Chapp
ell, Executive Director

An organization dedicated to maintaining the outdoor facilities and resources of Colorado.

Colorado Trail Foundation
548 Pine Song Trail
Golden,CO 80401
303-526-0809
Contact Person: Gudy Gaskill

The Colorado Trail Foundation sponsors construction crews for one week trail maintenance during June, July and August on the Colorado Trail - a 500 mile non-motorized trail connecting Denver and Durango, built and maintained by volunteers. All food, leadership, base camps and tools are supplied. A registration fee of $25 and application are required. Minimum age without supervision is 16.

Nevada

The Tahoe Rim Trail
P.O. Box 4647
Stateline, Nevada 89449
(702) 588-0686
(702) 588-8737 Fax

Volunteer Hotline, (702) 588-8799 for the trailbuilder's schedule and special events. Back Country camps are multi-day campouts devoted to trail building in more remote areas.

New Mexico

New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors
P.O. Box 36246
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87176
505/884-1991.
atm-abq@rt66.com

The New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors is an all volunteer organization that organizes, manages, promotes and secures volunteers to work on outdoor recreation projects.

New York

Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK)
Bill Brosseau, Trails Director
PO Box 867
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-3441

Locations: Adirondack and Catskill mountains NY state. Some trips out of state. Usually former crew members or those with demonstrated skills are preferred for more intensive work sites. Trip duration: Wide variety from 2 day weekenders to 10 day intensive trips to remote areas. Mostly 3-5 days. Cost: Varies $15 to $50 administrative costs, may be higher for extended trips to the west. Comments: An excellent starting place to learn trail maintenance. This is where you find out if you can really tolerate wrestling with 900 lb basalt rocks in knee deep mud, 50 F temps, rain, and hoards of black flies. Most volunteers are not club members and they do not intensively recruit volunteers for membership.

Vermont

The Green Mountain Club
RR 1, Box 650 Route 100
Waterbury Center, VT 05677
802-244-7037
Volunteer Coordinators: Sandy Tarburton: gmcsandy@sover.net
Lars Botzojorns: gmcl
ars@sover.net

Volunteer season is from May to October. The coordinators will schedule work to match your available time on individual projects from 1 day to several weeks. Fixed length, scheduled group trips are organized by the Appalachian Trail Conference as the Long Trail Patrol.