Beyond the Adventures Outdoors: Camp Hosts Volunteer Their Time, Find New Purpose in Helping State and National Park Visitors

Across the country, camp hosts volunteer to maintain park grounds—and get a chance to enjoy the wilderness while they’re at it.
Beyond the Adventures Outdoors: Camp Hosts Volunteer Their Time, Find New Purpose in Helping State and National Park Visitors
Backpackers trek along the shore of Arrigetch Creek at Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska. Patrick J. Endres/Getty Images
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“We couldn’t do it without them,” a Utah Department of Natural Resources park ranger said about camp hosts. “They are invaluable.”
Individuals who do camp hosting, also referred to as “workamping,” volunteer their time to keep things clean, handle reservations, and lead educational programs at campgrounds. While most positions are unpaid, some campgrounds offer a small stipend. Retirees and remote workers make up the bulk of camp hosts around the United States. State parks, national parks, and private campgrounds have become reliant on them.
Deena Bouknight
Deena Bouknight
Author
A 30-plus-year writer-journalist, Deena C. Bouknight works from her Western North Carolina mountain cottage and has contributed articles on food culture, travel, people, and more to local, regional, national, and international publications. She has written three novels, including the only historical fiction about the East Coast’s worst earthquake. Her website is DeenaBouknightWriting.com
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