Plan Like a Park Ranger: Top Ten Tips Around Youth and Young Adult Programs

Youth Corps at Lowell National Historical Park

NPS Photo

The National Park Service App

NPS Photo

1. There’s an App for that!

Download the new NPS App to stay up-to-date with tools to explore more than 400+ national parks nationwide. Find interactive maps, tours of park places, on-the-ground accessibility information, and much more to plan your national park adventures before and during your trip.

2. Check out the monthly calendar of events

Parks host tons of events and activities each month, including fishing, boating, camping, stargazing, photography, birding, guided walk, and so much more. Take a look at the monthly calendar and see what activities peak your interest! You can also view events for each park with the NPS app.

NPS-YMCA Summer Camp

NPS Photo

3. Go out and explore nature

From backyard camping to front-country camping and backcountry camping, many parks have campgrounds open for you, your family, or a group of friends. You can also be a junior ranger, scout ranger, join a NPS-YMCA summer camp, participate in a Boys and Girls Clubs of America Ultimate Journey, or visit parks for free through the Every Kid Outdoors Program for 4^th graders (and 5^th graders through August 31, 2021). Learn more here.

Various Native American supplies on a mat, including a bowl, flutes, bag, doll, brush, and tools at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

NPS Photo/Victoria Stauffenberg

4. How can you preserve cultural resources?

Just like parks have natural resources they preserve, they also preserve the cultural resources and history of them as well! When looking at archeological sites, don’t be afraid to ask questions, like: Why were people here? What did people do? What was the weather like? What did they eat or drink? Bring any questions you have back to the visitor center. The National Park Service is committed to Telling All Americans’ Stories!

Youth Conservation Corps crew members at Yellowstone National Park posing for a group photo

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5. Did you say Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)?

So many NPS employees got their start on a Youth Conservation Corps crew! YCC gives individuals 15-18 years old the opportunity to work in national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and fish hatcheries, so consider applying. Applications generally open in early March and close towards the end of April to early-May. Most crews typically run 8-10 weeks from June to August. The majority of the programs are non-residential. Click here to view a list of parks participating in the 2021 season.

Youth working at George Washington Memorial Parkway as part of The Corps Network's Annual Great Outdoors Day of Service

Photo Courtesy of The Corps Network

6. Join a non-federal service corps, internship, or fellowship, and be a leader in the conservation movement

Have you heard of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps? Check out a list of them here. Our partner, The Corps Network, is one organization we work closely with that provides opportunities to work as a non-federal intern on a crew, or as an individual placement for young adults to gain experience working on public lands. Take a look at the numerous partners we work with that offer internship and fellowship opportunities throughout the year.

Kayla Fermin conducting dragonfly nymph sampling for the nationwide Dragonfly Mercury Project in Kwis Kwis pond at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Photo Courtesy of Kayla Fermin

7. Federal internships and job opportunities can open your eyes to many new experiences and future careers

With so many partners, there is bound to be one that excites you. Find out more about the Pathways Program for current students and recent graduates. Look at all federal employment opportunities open across the federal government on usajobs.gov.

Junior Ranger Logo

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8. It’s never too late to become a Junior Ranger

Nearly all parks have Junior Ranger programs with some offering online versions to adapt to the changing times. Also find national junior ranger programs here. You can be a junior ranger at any age, but there are some “Not-So-Junior” Ranger programs like those at Biscayne National Park in Florida and Saguaro National Park in Arizona.

A kid exploring nature

NPS Photo

9. Participate in citizen science and volunteer programs

Have you discovered an interesting plant or animal lately? Check out the iNaturalist app. Periodical cicadas only come out every 13 or 17 years depending on broods, and there is the Cicada Safari app for that! Discover how you can be a citizen scientist in our parks and in your community. Volunteering can be such a rewarding experience. Participate in annual national days of service like National Trails Day and National Public Lands Day. Check out the Volunteer With Us page and apply to be a Community Volunteer Ambassador, participate in a Park Bioblitz, become an Artist-in-Residence, visit a park as an International Volunteer and others, as well as the potential to be awarded the George and Helen Hartzog Award for exemplary volunteer service. There is an activity for you to learn, play, and serve! Check out the Volunteers-In-Parks program.

A student checking water quality with a Teacher Ranger Teacher at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

NPS Photo

10. For teachers and educators, we also have resources for you

National parks are America’s largest classroom. On the Educators Portal, find a wealth of educational material, including science, social studies, math, and the language arts for students in pre-K all the way through the PhD level and adult education! You can learn more about distance learning, field experiences, professional development (like the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program), other educational resources, and more. Also check out NPS’ Teaching with Historic Places site (TwHP), which provides educational resources using historic places in National Parks and in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects!

Get in touch! Please e-mail us and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @npsyouth and use #npsyouth to share your experience with us! Visit our page to find the many opportunities for youth and young adults to get involved with our parks.