Volunteers
Volunteers are the heartbeat of the U.S. Forest Service. On the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, volunteers provide immeasurable benefits to the land. Volunteers dedicate hundreds of hours of service and accomplish projects to enhance recreational opportunities across our forests and grassland.
Volunteer opportunities can range from a single-day project to a long-term undertaking lasting for several months. What captures your interest—trail work, campground host, bird surveys, information receptionist, wilderness restoration, conservation education? There are many ways to transfer your love of the land to the management of the land.
How to Volunteer with us
- Reference the Ranger District Locator to see which district you would like to volunteer at.
- If interested in volunteering with the Canyon Lakes Ranger District (Larimer County) or the Pawnee National Grassland (Weld County), complete the steps in the Volunteer Form.
- Learn more about Canyon Lakes Ranger District volunteering opportunities below.
- If interested in volunteering at any other Ranger District, email VisitARP@usda.gov with your name, contact information, and what you’re interested in volunteering for.
Canyon Lakes Ranger District Volunteering Opportunities
Four-wheel drive clubs "adopt" a national forest road to patrol and maintain during the summer and fall. Club members learn and offer Tread Lightly low-impact road use techniques to other backroad enthusiasts. Learn more.
Your organization can "adopt" a national forest trail to maintain each year during the spring, fall and summer. Those in the group interested in being crew leaders are trained by the U.S. Forest Service, and eventually lead trail crews on their own. Supervision, tools and equipment are provided the first year. Crew leader training is offered only in the spring.
Formerly a guest resort with log cabins, this 1930s site is now a visitor center for travelers along the Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway and Wild and Scenic River corridor. Summer hosts greet visitors, manage the visitor center and book store, provide basic grounds keeping, and keep the lodge and restrooms clean and organized. Hosts work four days per week and live on site. Free RV site with full hookups are provided to hosts. Site elevation is 7,400 feet.
The original Buckhorn Ranger Station was built in 1906, a small log cabin that housed the district ranger’s operations until 1933. From 1933 until 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the new Buckhorn Ranger Station and its accompanying buildings as part of the Great Depression-era back-to-work programs. Situated at 8,200 feet and an hour from Fort Collins, the rustic buildings of Buckhorn have limited water and electricity. Summer volunteer hosts provide weekend visitor information, yard and facility maintantence, and take care of the recreation rental cabins.
Nordic Rangers ski or snowshoe the Cameron Pass area during the winter to assist visitors. Volunteers patrol ungroomed ski trails, offer recreation and national forest information, collect visitor use information, and perform minor trail and sign maintenance. Requirements include a beginner Nordic ski ability or ability to snowshoe, commitment to a minimum of four days per winter, and one and a half days of training. Training is offered in early winter only.
Last staffed as an official fire lookout in 1970, the tower now hosts scores of curious visitors on summer weekends. Volunteers provide historical and area recreational information, and are unofficial fire spotters. Site elevation is 10,700 feet. Training is required and offered in early summer. There is currently a waitlist to become a Deadman Fire Tower Volunteer.
Provide positive role-modeling while mountain biking. Help enhance this sport by using tread lightly low-impact trail riding techniques and assisting trail users with trail and national forest information and first aid. Four day minimum commitment is required. Spring training is provided and required before becoming a Forest Service bike patrol volunteer. Learn more.
Highly trained Nordic National Ski Patrol affiliate volunteers provide backcountry education, emergency care, and rescue in the Cameron Pass area each winter. Extensive training, such as first aid, rescue, and avalanche awareness, begins in autumn. Learn more.
Spend a season on the popular Poudre River as a courtesy patrol ranger. River rangers gather information on river use, as well as educate and inform shoreline and river recreationists on ways to take care of Colorado's only designated Wild and Scenic River.
Join an organization dedicated to "hiking with a purpose." Hike or ride the woods to educate and inform backcountry users in the techniques of "Leave No Trace" ethics. Requirements: volunteers go through an interview process in early spring, three days of training and a minimum of six days of hiking. Training is offered in late spring only. Visit PWV.
This rustic log facility at 8,100 feet is still in use as a summer base for fire crews. Summer volunteer hosts provide weekend visitor information, respond to Forest Service two-way radio calls, provide radio and administrative support for the nearby Deadman Fire Tower volunteers, and perform minor grounds and building upkeep. Full RV hookups are provided to hosts for three day work weeks.
Built in the 1930s, the rustic log cabins at remote Stub Creek (elevation 8,400 feet) once hosted the forest ranger's family and trail crews. Today, the ranger's house is restored as a guest rental cabin (for reservations visit recreation.gov) and the office provides information to visitors of the Laramie River Valley and surrounding mountains. Site host volunteers assist cabin guests with check in/out, offer visitor information and education, and take care of the grounds and facilities. Hosts work four day shifts and are provided with RV site and full hookups.
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers is an active partner on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland. Visit their website for project details. Visit WRV.