• Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the national park.

    Great Smoky Mountains

    National Park NC,TN

Volunteer

Volunteers assist the park in a variety of ways.

The Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program allows people from all walks of life to step in and lend a hand to help the park.

Photo by Don McGowan.

 

Volunteer in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

Help us protect this special place by joining Park Rangers in our efforts to maintain trails, staff information desks, serve as campground hosts, and more! The work you do makes a difference! Our Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) accomplish an amazing amount of work each year while they learn, explore, and share their time and talents in the Smokies. More…

We have a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups, including many that do not require training. The VIP program allows people from all walks of life to assist the park by doing jobs that otherwise could not be done.

How to get started:

• Download a listing of Volunteer Opportunities or call (865) 436-1265 to receive an information packet and application. Check back in January for the 2013 list of Volunteer Opportunities!

• Search our Schedule of Events during June - September for Special Volunteer Work Days if you are interested in a one-day work event.


How to apply for a Volunteer-in-Park Position:

After reviewing our Volunteer Opportunities, download a VIP Application. Make sure to note where you would most like to volunteer. Send the application to the Volunteer Coordinator by email or by mail at:

VIP Coordinator
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Drive
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738

• Would you like to spend more time in the backcountry? Check out our Backcountry Trail Volunteer Opportunities!

• Find out how you can be a Student Intern at Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

• Learn more about our Scout Ranger program for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts!

 
Student Conservation Association
We also utilize Resource Assistants and high school work crews from the Student Conservation Association, Inc. (SCA), which accepts applications for various agencies like the Smokies. They recruit applicants for high school volunteer programs and college-age and older volunteers as Resource Assistants and Conservation Career Development Program fellows. Each year the park utilizes a number of individuals and high school crews, recruited by SCA, in Resource Management activities such as:
  • Wildlife and fisheries management
  • Vegetation management
  • Air quality monitoring
  • Backcountry management
  • Long-term inventory and monitoring activities of the resources
  • Support of the Park's Visitor Services and Parks-as-Classrooms programs
  • Support of backcountry management and trails maintenance activities.


Applications are accepted for winter/spring and summer/fall periods. For more information contact:

The Student Conservation Association, Inc.
PO Box 550
Charlestown, NH 03603-0550
(603) 543-1700
www.sca-inc.org

  • Dispatches from the Field Dispatches from the Field

    Go behind the scenes with scientists in the Great Smoky Mountains. Read More

  • Become a Junior Ranger Become a Junior Ranger

    Kids ages 5-12 can earn a Junior Ranger badge by exploring the park. Read More

  • All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory

    Join other citizen scientists and volunteers in discovering new species in the park. Read More

Did You Know?

Marbled salamanders are one of 30 salamander species native to the park.

There are at least 30 different species of salamanders in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This gives the Smokies the distinction of having the most diverse salamander population anywhere in the world and has earned the park the nickname “Salamander Capital of the World.”