Volunteer

 

Youth from Seattle prepare campsites in the Newhalem Creek Campground as part of an EarthCorps volunteer group.

David Snyder for the NPS

 

THE NORTH CASCADES ARE CALLING!
You are invited to become a steward of the North Cascades National Park.

North Cascades National Park has an active volunteer program with as many as 500 volunteers participating in a variety of positions. Most positions are available from May through October. However, some are open all year. The types of positions vary greatly and may include clerical; skilled and unskilled maintenance; trail trimming; highway clean-up; biology and hydrology data collection; exotic plant removal; visitor contact in campgrounds, on trails or at visitor centers; or backcountry patrols. Campground host positions are very competitive.

Choose to help on the west side or the more remote east side or both!

Contact the Volunteer Coordinator if one of these opportunities seems right for you or if you have questions about other potential opportunities. Many of our volunteer projects will have group size limits.

Volunteer Coordinator
810 State Route 20
Sedro Woolley, WA 98284

We also train and work with many volunteers through the Student Conservation Association (SCA). You do not necessarily have to be a student to apply to this program. SCA offers a small subsistence stipend as well as the possibility to earn tuition assistance through the AmeriCorps program. To learn more about SCA, please visit their website: http://www.thesca.org.

Housing or trailer sites are extremely limited and are not available for most volunteer positions. Sites can sometimes be arranged within the park from May through November.

 

Current Volunteer Opportunities

 

Citizen Science

Citizen science engages volunteers of all ages, some with little or no prior scientific training, in collecting scientific data related to important issues faced by the parks.

Learn more!

 

An International volunteer from Japan prepares for a hike to Cascade Pass to do some work in the backcountry.

Photo courtesy of David Snyder.

 

Important Notice for International Applicants
These positions are very rare due to the scarcity of volunteer positions, clearance through NPS International Affairs and lack of park housing. Non-citizens who wish to work as volunteers for North Cascades National Park require a J-1 visa, also known as the Educational and Cultural Exchange Form IAP-66. This visa needs to be obtained from the U.S. Consulate in your native country before you travel to the U.S.

If you are selected for a position, you will be sent information on how to apply for the visa and what additional documentation needs to accompany it. You may not work, even as a volunteer, with a tourist visa. The National Park Service is now requiring certain insurance coverage for all international volunteers. A photocopy or other proof of coverage MUST accompany the visa application. It may be wise to investigate sources of insurance, but DO NOT purchase it unless you have been offered a position by the park. The minimum level of coverage is: 1. Medical benefits of $50,000 per accident or illness; 2. Repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500; 3. Expenses associated with medical evacuation to the home country in the amount of $10,000. The insurance policy must be underwritten by a United States state chartered company having an A.M. Best policyholder rating of "A" or above.