Volunteer to be a Campground Host

Campground hosts are vital to ensuring that campers have an enjoyable stay and that regulations are followed.

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Summary of Duties

Campground hosts serve as volunteers in the National Park Service's Volunteer-in-Parks (VIP) Program. Hosts assist park staff with campground operations and provide a variety of information to visitors including: campground and food storage regulations; safety advisories concerning visitation while in bear and mountain lion country; backcountry camping, hiking, and fishing; National Park and concession facilities; interpretive programs; road conditions; park natural resources and other points of interest.

Hosts are often thought of as the "eyes and ears" of campgrounds. They provide supervisors and rangers with information regarding campground facilities, visitor use, wildlife sightings, and safety concerns, but do not take direct action involving law enforcement situations. Hosts may staff ranger stations, provide upkeep of campgrounds, assist with the selection of campsites, and camp registration and fee payment. They do not accept or handle recreational fee transactions. The wearing of a VIP uniform identifies campground hosts. You may be reimbursed for the cost of required uniform clothing items.

Most campgrounds have full recreational vehicle hookups for hosts, but a few are more limited in utility services (see Campground Information below). Campground hosts live in designated sites within the campgrounds and are subject to visits and requests for assistance at all hours of the day. Hosts should plan on working in all kinds of weather due to the park's mountain environment. Due to training requirements, most campground host positions require a commitment, of approximately three months. Campground seasons run from mid-May through mid-October, depending on the campground.

To Apply

You will need to download and complete the following forms:

Volunteer Application (360kb pdf)
Campground Information and Campground Preference Form (13kb pdf)

After reviewing the Campground Information, please indicate on the form, in preferential order, the campground(s) you are interested in hosting. Submit all to:

Glacier National Park
ATTN: Volunteer Coordinator
PO Box 128
West Glacier, Montana 59936

Once we receive your paperwork we will maintain it in our Volunteer-In-The-Parks file for supervisory review throughout the current calendar year. If considered, a supervisor will contact you directly. If selected, information concerning appointment, position description, uniforms, etc. will be sent to you.