Camp Host

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DATES: 4/1/2021 – 11/1/2021

LOCATION: Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument; US 191; Roy, Montana

Bureau of Land Management

James Kipp Recreation Area Campground Host

Note about the 2021 summer season recruitment: applicants will be considered starting in late November through March (or until vacancies are filled). Applications received in November, December, and January will be processed in the order they were received.

The Kipp campground host will provide visitor information, conduct monitoring, provide a management presence, perform maintenance and janitorial duties, and represent the BLM at project locations. Hosting duties include but are not limited to, daily campground fee compliance, thorough routine bathroom cleaning and monitoring, monitoring facilities and campground for visitor security, cleanliness issues and potential safety hazards, light maintenance duties, routine daily trash pickup throughout the campground, routine fire-ring monitoring and cleaning, daily interactions with visitors, including answering questions regarding area recreational opportunities, and informing visitors of rules and regulations within the campground, reporting to staff when repairs are needed or when incidents occur, and other duties as assigned.

DUTIES

1. Provide visitor information through distribution of printed BLM materials and personal communication.
2. Inform visitors about recreation opportunities and regulations in the Kipp Recreation Area, located in the UMRBNM. Additionally, maintain and update the information boards for the campground on a weekly basis, if requested by campground staff.
3. Implement the visitor satisfaction survey for the camping areas, if needed.
4. Monitor daily recreation use at campsites and around the campground and provide clear visitor data to BLM.
5. Inform BLM of non-compliance with use regulations.
6. Daily campground/day use fee compliance.
7. Document all volunteer hours spent working as the Campground host and turn them in monthly to the Outdoor Recreation Planner.
8. Position may require the wearing of designated BLM volunteer uniform items.
9. Regular patrol of the Kipp campground including: campsites, boat ramp, day-use areas, restrooms, roadways, and administrative sites.
10. At no time will the Campground host handle money.
11. At least daily, or more as needs dictate, thorough cleaning of all the restrooms in the campground.
12. At least a once (1) per day cleaning up of the trash around the campsites, day-use area, and roadways etc.
13. Position may require identification and removal of invasive species within the campground.
14. Position may require rebuilding of stone work around campsites, walking trails, and roads as needed.
15.  Inspections of signage in and around the campground and day- use areas and the prompt reporting of the conditions of the signs to the BLM, if needing replacement.
16. Accurate visitation data will be collected for the recreation area using “recreation visitation logs.” provided by the BLM.
17. Position may require mowing areas within the campground and day-use areas when needed.

SKILLS

• Backpacking/Camping
• Drivers License
• Fish/Wildlife
• General Assistance
• Visitor Information
• Working with People

WORK ENVIRONMENT

James Kipp Recreation Area and Campground is remote and rugged. Accessible by US 191 and located at river mile 149 on the Wild and Scenic Upper Missouri River, and 20 road- miles to the nearest convenience store, James Kipp Rec Area boasts 3 camp loops, two tent-camping areas, a fish cleaning station, a boat launch and 2 day-use areas. Paddlefish season (April) is very busy at Kipp. In summer, you’ll find Missouri River floaters and RVers spending the day or week. In fall, during hunting season, the campground becomes completely full.

In late spring the weather can be predictably unpredictable, with freezing temps and snow to flooding rivers and gorgeous sun-filled days. In summer, it gets hot in the river basin. It’s not unusual for daytime high’s to hit the 90’s, when out of the blue, an unexpected violent thunderstorm rolls through lashing the tree branches and turning roads into a muddy mess. That’s also when the bugs come out…biting horseflies and mosquitoes. In fall, when the elk are bugling and the cottonwood trees leaves are changing color, temps can drop below freezing and snow, and the next day be 65 degrees. You just never know in central Montana!

There is a public water system at Kipp that is in service as soon as the threat of frost dissipates (typically May-Oct). Although the water is technically potable, it isn’t the most desirable. The selected host(s) should plan on filtering and/or subscribing to a water delivery service. There is no cell phone reception at Kipp.

Tagged as: FALL '24, SUMMER '25