Campground Host

Come volunteer as a Campground Host at the beautiful Buffalo National River and be a valued part of our team. The Host position is considered the first line of contact with the visitor. The Host(s) will work directly with the area NPS Law Enforcement, Fee Collection and Maintenance personnel.

Main duties include: ensuring compliance with park regulations, visitor use fees are paid in a timely manner, applicable documentation is correctly displayed at the individual sites, visitors occupy the site in accordance with park policy, and to facilitate an orderly and safe experience by the visitor.

The prospective Host is expected to arrive with adequate housing for extended periods (no less than 90 days), such as a camper trailer or motor home. The Host is provided a pull-in site with 30 or 50 amp service, potable water and sewer hookup in exchange for services rendered.

Scheduling of duty periods will be worked out with the District Law Enforcement Representative. Typically, the Host and employees try to schedule staffing around the weekends (Thursday through Monday), as that is the part of the calendar week with the heaviest concentration of visitors.

The Host duty day will revolve around the core hours of 7am to 9pm, with emphasis on visitor arrivals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and departures on Sunday mornings; but infrequent knocks on the door, at all hours of the day and night, should be expected.

As the first line of contact with the visitor, the Host is responsible for providing friendly, accurate and timely information about the park, available interpretive programs, campground regulations, and general information about the region. The Host must present a friendly demeanor and be willing and able to communicate with a wide variety of visitors, in a professional and congenial manner. The Host should be in sufficient physical condition to rove the entire campground, several times a day, on foot.

This position is ideal for a wilderness steward with interests in backpacking and hiking. In addition to ensuring compliance and safety, the Host is expected to assist the employees by cleaning fire rings after visitors vacate a site, restock restroom facilities as needed, police up any garbage, secure and turn in all found items and report lost items to uniformed staff.

The Host will be provided uniform shirts and hat, which should be worn proudly, during duty hours. The Host will report to the area Law Enforcement representative for scheduling, supplies and on-site issues. All administrative issues will be handled through the District Law Enforcement Representative and the Volunteer Coordinator.