How one can Volunteer at Nationwide Parks in 2025

The climate is lastly warming up throughout the nation, which implies it is time to get outside. There’s actually no higher method to do this than exploring one of many 63 nationwide parks within the U.S. This yr, you may pair your recreation time with giving again—and work towards getting free entry to the parks sooner or later. 

For 2025, the Nationwide Parks Service has a calendar of volunteer alternatives throughout the nation that anybody can join. This consists of annual service days, like Nationwide Trails Day on the primary Saturday in June, 9/11 Day of Remembrance and Service on Sept. 11, and the Nationwide Public Lands Day on the fourth Saturday in September.

Right here’s every part you might want to find out about volunteering at a nationwide park this yr for those who’re trying to become involved for the primary time. 

How one can discover nationwide park volunteer days

You possibly can head to the park service web site to entry the volunteer calendar, which features a searchable calendar that you could type via by state and date. For those who preserve scrolling down, you can even see all upcoming alternatives, which aren’t sorted by location. By scrolling via these listings, you can see volunteer alternatives practically day-after-day. As an example, on the Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space, there are volunteer alternatives each week on Wednesday and Thursday till Dec. 31, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. 

How one can begin volunteering at a nationwide park

Every entry into the calendar will embody particulars about what’s required for volunteering. Some recurring occasions, just like the Indiana Dunes Nationwide Park’s Trash Trekker’s program, solely require that you simply present up and verify in on the guests heart, no prior sign-up wanted. Different occasions would require you to make a reservation on-line or over the telephone to register for the occasion. Many parks could have a combination of occasions that require signing up upfront or that may be joined the identical day. You will need to view the small print within the occasion to be sure to have the entire essential data forward of time. 

Why volunteer at a nationwide park?

Along with being a good way to be part of the conservation efforts of the Nationwide Park Service, there’s additionally a few extra egocentric causes to think about volunteering at nationwide parks.

The primary? It could possibly provide help to get free entry into nationwide parks. Your time volunteering could be allotted towards a Volunteer Move, which requires 250 volunteer hours on federally managed land. This move will grant free entry to nationwide parks and different recreation websites for 12 months after being issued.

The second cause? Loads of these volunteer alternatives will mean you can have entry to data and components of the parks you won’t get to see in any other case—and what’s a extra distinctive journey expertise than seeing a part of the parks most individuals don’t get to?