Visitor Center Host Volunteer

FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a09SJ000006a0ne

ADDRESS: 304 South Main St.  Creede, Colorado, 81130

DATES: 2025-05-01

DEPT: Forest Service

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Recruitment is now open for the 2025 Summer Season! Volunteers are needed to assist the Divide Ranger District on the Rio Grande National Forest.

Volunteer Position: Visitor Center Host in Creede, CO

About the Position:

The Divide Ranger District is looking for hosts who are energetic, enthused and love to work with visitors. This position opens, closes, and staffs the Divide Ranger District Office in Creede, CO

The weekly schedule is typically 4 days on duty and 3 days off duty. For volunteers, the hourly requirement is 32 hours per week. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. If we are able to recruit multiple volunteers we will be able to reduce the hour requirement for each.

Tasks:

·        Daily opening and closing of the office

·        Providing information to visitors and answering questions

·        Restocking information handouts and fee envelopes

·        General upkeep and maintenance of the facility

·        Book and theme item sales through local interpretive association (books, shirts, local gifts)

Volunteers must have warm, welcoming customer service and be able to work in a team environment. A volunteer uniform will be provided to the volunteer and must be worn while stationed behind the front desk. Volunteers will also receive on the job training. A commitment of  4 to 5 months of volunteer service is preferred.

About the Location:

The 979,687 acre Divide Ranger District is located in Rio Grande, Mineral, San Juan, and Hinsdale Counties in south-central Colorado. The vast district includes the headwaters of the Rio Grande and over 100 miles the Continental Divide. The district serves the four communities of Monte Vista, Del Norte, South Fork, and Creede and is connected by US Highway 160 and Colorado State Highway 149.

The main district office is located just east of the town of Del Norte. The district also has another office located in the town of Creede. The Creede office is open seasonally, check with the Del Norte office for hours. The Divide Ranger District provides forest information and permits year-round at the Del Norte office.

The landscape is dominated by the rugged eastern portion of the San Juan Mountains and varies in elevation from 7,800 feet at the foothills to over 13,800 feet along the Continental Divide.

Highlights of the District include portions of two wilderness areas (Weminuche and La Garita), long portions of the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, the Silverthread Scenic Byway, Wolf Creek Ski Area, Wheeler Geologic Area and the historic mining district of Creede. Off road travel routes for jeeps, ATVs, and motorcycles abound outside of the wilderness areas on the forest.

Several sites on the district were chosen to introduce moose and reintroduce Canada lynx. The district supports healthy herds of elk, deer, and pronghorn, as well as many small mammals and birds common to Colorado. Great fishing can be found in many small streams, numerous lakes, reservoirs, and of course the Rio Grande River.

Some of the higher elevations of the district receive over 400 inches of snow annually, supplying a clean water supply year around for rafting, fishing, and irrigation farming in the San Luis Valley.

In return, we provide:

• An RV or motor home site with utility hook-ups for electric, water, and sewage OR room in shared bunkhouse.
• A small-team environment to learn and grow in.
• Opportunities to explore behind the scenes with staff.
• An opportunity to explore some of Colorado’s most scenic landscapes

*When applying, please provide contact information for three references. Two references should be professional. 

Tagged as: SUMMER '25