Visitor Center Volunteer

FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a09SJ00000331Uf

ADDRESS: 5 North Fork Canyon Road  Ketchum, Idaho, 83340

DATES:5/22/2026 – 9/11/2026

DEPT: Forest Service

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Sawtooth NRA Visitor Center Volunteer

One to two volunteer positions or couples with their own RV, are needed to work with the public at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Visitor Center, 8 miles north of Ketchum. They will be working alongside partners including Idaho Conservation Corp (ICC) and Environmental Resource Center (ERC) Interpretation and Education staff. Managed by the Partnership Coordinator at the Sawtooth NRA Headquarters Visitor Center.

 

General Responsibilities:

Attend the Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association 2 week training and other scheduled trainings throughout the season.

 

General responsibilities include providing visitor information about the area by phone, email, in person on questions regarding opportunities such as: hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, rafting, mountain biking, scenic drives, historical sites, fire restrictions, wilderness rules and regulations, bear food storage order, and general FS rules and regulations.

 

Open and close the visitor center daily including maintaining a cash bank and daily sales records. Operate a cash register, point of sale system and credit card machine to sell bookstore items, firewood permits, and park passes. Building maintenances includes vacumming, dusting, straightening and stocking bookstore inventory and checking public restrooms. Daily copying and folding, and ordering brochures to re-stock information breezeway.

 

Volunteers need to be able to conduct light physical work such as sweeping, lifting up to 20 lbs (chairs, books, interpretive props), bending/stooping to clean, walking on paved and unpaved trails to and from the visitor center or events.

 

Special events and programs: Smokey’s B-day, Sawtooth Salmon Festival and other events. This can include loading vehicles, driving to location, setting up tent and table, plus being in the sun for an afternoon to a full day speaking with the public and take down before returning back home.

 

Other negotiable duties:

Maintenance- There is opportunity to help with general maintenance of the Sawtooth NRA Visitor Center building itself and grounds around the Visitor Center. This can include fixing small items, mowing the lawn, weed eating, and other small projects that need attention.

 

Roving- This can include driving around dispersed camping areas and campgrounds nearby engaging campers, answering questions, and sharing information about bear food storage order, fire regulations and visitor center or campground programs.

 

Interpretive Services- If interested can research, write, and implement interpretive programs including junior ranger, table talks, and campground programs and/or help with summer camp and special program requests along with ICC and ERC staff.

 

Conservation Education- If interested there are opportunities to help with summer camps and special program requests.

 

Other duties as agreed upon. There may be opportunity to help staff with filing, organizing or scanning documents.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

The volunteer should have excellent customer service skills, including phone etiquette, and have the ability to read and explain maps. The service also involves operating a cash register to sell books and maps, and print weather reports, collect the mail, assist with some administrative duties such as filing, checking supplies, bookstore ordering and stocking, copying brochures and flyers. One volunteer out of a couple would assist in taking care of the Visitor Center grounds and minor maintenance.

 

Work Environment:

The Visitor Center itself is slow paced, with visitation topping out at 80 per day, with the average being 50 per day. If we have two volunteer couples or two single volunteers, hours will be approximately three 8-hour days working and four days off. You will be working with ICC and ERC interns and staff and Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday from 8-4:30 p.m.

 

Work will be at the Sawtooth NRA Headquarters Visitor Center which is within walking distance of the RV pad housing. Duties will primarily be inside of the Visitor Center staffing the front desk, tiding up displays inside the visitor center, and some light cleaning and/or also general maintenance in and around the Visitor Center. This can involve a lot of sitting and standing.

 

Work period is generally from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day, although we can negotiate a week earlier start times for one couple or volunteer, and a later start/end time for the second couple or volunteer. Our busiest times are from mid-June to Labor Day. Evenings can be cold in the early season, but also temperatures in summer months can top out at 90 degrees for a couple of weeks. Our average daytime temps in the summer are mid-60’s to mid-80’s and lows in the 30’s and 40’s.

 

Please bring your own computer to use to research questions and answer e-mails.

 

Work Schedule:

Volunteer will provide 24 to 28 hours per week of service with possible additional days for special programs or events.

 

Schedule will be Monday-Wednesday and Wednesday-Friday or Thursday -Saturday if there are special events.

 

Benefits Include:

Free RV Pad with electric, water, gas and sewer hook ups. A fire ring and picnic table are not always available.

 

USFS and/or Sawtooth NRA polo shirts available

 

Please note: There are no lodging quarters, only full hook-up RV pads. Our location has limited cell service directly at the RV site, but most phones work at the Visitor Center, a short walk away. Internet works well in the VC, but not directly at the sites. However, movies/podcasts can be downloaded a short distance away from the RV pads. A mini booster can work at the site (you provide), or the closest public free Wi-Fi is in Ketchum, 10 minutes away. Another option is “Star-link” (you provide) and can service both RV pad locations and you can split the service with the other volunteer couple/person. Email can be accessed on a break while at the Visitor Center. The two RV pad locations are within walking distance to the Visitor Center. If you wish to have a quieter RV pad experience with lots of wilderness nearby but with close access to town, this is your spot! It is imperative that you get along well with the other volunteer(s), as they are in close proximity to each other.

 

Great location! Close to the Sawtooth NRA Visitor Center so you can walk to work! RV pads are close to the trails if you want to get out into the wilderness for a hike, mountain or gravel bike on the Harriman Trail, or go fishing in the Big Wood River all of which are nearby! Located about 10 minutes from Ketchum and Sun Valley, you can also enjoy everything the town offers. Many free music opportunities, including the Sun Valley Symphony concerts and other activities abound in Ketchum during the summer months, as well as festivals, farmers markets, and hiking trails. Ketchum/Sun Valley area is truly a wonderful place to be in the summer, with endless wilderness, alpine lakes, towering peaks and hiking trails nearby. We have banks, grocery stores and nearby hospital/clinics in Ketchum. Major chains and box stores are available in Boise, 2.5 hours away, or Twin Falls, 1.5 hours away.

 

 

 

 

Tagged as: SPRING '26, SUMMER '26