Alaska State Parks General Information
Qualifications
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, and a US citizen. There is no upper age limit, although volunteers must be in good health. Minimum time commitment and additional requirements, such as skills and education, are listed with each position description.
Volunteering, even without compensation, is considered work under a tourist visa. Unless your visa specifically states that you may work in the United States, you cannot apply for a volunteer position. If you have a J-1 Visa, or another type of student visa, you are limited to studying and working with approved programs. Alaska State Parks volunteer program does not qualify for the J-1 Visa program.
Due to the high cost of insurance coverage for minors, volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
Transportation
Each volunteer is responsible for transportation to and from Alaska. If you are driving from the continental United States to Alaska, you must have a passport or other accepted documentation to travel through Canada. See more information on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
How to Apply
Read the following position descriptions and choose the ones that interest you. You may apply for as many positions as you like, filling out an application for each desired position. Return the completed application(s) to the address listed with each position or area. Please specify a park and position title. If you list "anywhere" for the park and "anything" for position title, your application will not receive as much consideration as an application for a specific volunteer position. Duplicated copies are accepted. Individual applications must be submitted for couples when applying for campground host positions. If you have questions specific to a particular position, call the ranger or area office listed for that position. If you have general questions on the volunteer program not answered in this catalog, contact the Volunteer Coordinator by phone: (907) 269-8704, or e-mail: dnr.pksweb@alaska.gov
If you are interested in receiving college credit for your work, fill out the Supplemental Volunteer Intern Application, located at the end of the volunteer application. See the Volunteer and Volunteer Internship page for more information on internships.
On-line applications are available at: http://www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/vip/vipapplication Applications are emailed to the volunteer coordinator and passed on to the area rangers.
Summer application period begins September 1st, and continues until all positions are filled. Many positions are filled before April 1st, so it is best to send your application in as soon as possible. Some of our rangers work seasonally; so do not be concerned if you do not receive an immediate reply, particularly from November thru January. You will receive notice within two to three weeks of mailing in your application that we received your application and the status of the position you are applying for.
Click here for a status list of summer volunteer and volunteer internship positions.
Click here for a status list of winter volunteer and volunteer internship positions.
Click here for a status list of campground host positions.
Click here for the application page.
Miscellaneous
While many positions have a subsistence payment, it is best for the volunteer to have enough money to live for the first month of volunteering. This allows time to process checks through the state accounting system. The Subsistence payment varies between $100/month - $500/month, with maximum amount paid $500 per month not to exceed $25 a day. No goods or services may be provided beyond the subsistence payment.
If you wish to bring a pet, check with the ranger in charge of the position you are interested in. Approval for pets is given on a case-by-case basis.
This catalog and Internet are updated September 1st for the following summer. Click on status list above to see whether a position has been filled or not. This list is kept current.
