Campground Host

Did you know that the third largest desert park in the country is the Mojave National Preserve? This 1.6 million acre preserve, managed by the National Park Service, offers a vast range of landscapes, ecosystems, human histories, and dark skies to explore. Become a Campground Host and you’ll help campers settle into their temporary homes comfortably and they’ll quickly appreciate the many remarkable features of this unique National Park unit. By sharing your knowledge and passion for this little-known gem of a park you will be protecting it and creating future generations of stewards for all public lands.

A minimum commitment of one month, 40 hours per week; past volunteers have said that a minimum of two months full-time is even better!

Duties:

• Hosts are the “eyes and ears” of campgrounds: provide rangers with updates on campground facilities, visitor use, wildlife sightings, adverse resource impacts, and safety concerns, but do not take direct action involving law enforcement situations;
• Assist park staff with campground operations and upkeep, including occasionally helping Facilities staff keep restrooms and vault toilets clean in campground and other visitor areas, reinstalling signposts, painting camp tables, and other light maintenance tasks;
• Help campers with registration and using credit/debit cards for payment; hosts do not accept or handle recreational fee transactions;
• Provide a variety of information to visitors including campground regulations, safety advisories, backcountry hiking, road conditions, park, and cultural & natural resources;
• Drive government supplied vehicle to check on Mid Hills Campground during tour of duty;
• Campground hosts live in designated sites within the Hole-in-the-Wall Campground and are subject to visits and requests for assistance at all hours of the day; hosts should plan on working in all kinds of weather due to the park’s desert environment, which could include snow and monsoon rains;
• Staff visitor centers: provide orientation to the area and information about the Preserve, conduct park store sales, and respond to inquiries by phone and mail;
• Contact and engage public at popular destinations, by roving on hiking trails, and while driving a government vehicle on paved and unpaved roads;
• Encourage visitors to recreate safely and in appropriate ways that will sustain the Preserve’s ecosystems, their inhabitants, and its cultural heritage;
• When necessary, assist with parkwide safety incidents, including road closures, stacking sand bags, etc;
• Operate a park radio to maintain communication with other staff and dispatcher for visitor and staff safety and assistance.

Qualifications:

• Enjoy working with people;
• Strong communication skills;
• Ability to work outside in a wide variety of weather conditions (wind, heat, cold);
• Sensitivity to and appreciation of visitors and staff of a wide range of backgrounds;
• Ability to maintain situational awareness for safety of staff, volunteers, and visitors;
• Handling any potential conflicts with tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to safely drive government vehicles, including on bumpy non-paved roads.

Desirable skills: first-aid, multilingual, work comfortably with public, four-wheel drive vehicle operation.