What is the best and worst of workkamping

[Gary RVRoamer]

I've seen more than a few state & national park & forest service volunteer slots where the "volunteer" was told they had to work 30-35 hours per week in exchange for their "free" campsite. And I mean "work", not just greet campers or be available in case of an emergency. Even at minimum wage I would call that being taken advantage of. I know of one couple that had to work 32 hours a week EACH for a site that only had 20A electric and water, but they did get honey wagon service as needed.

That said, we have found workamping to be a lot of fun, yielding new friends and experiences we remember for years and entertain other campers with our workamping tales. It may not be for everybody, but it can be a very rewarding experience.

[Dolph]

We knew, when we volunteered at that Nat'l Park, that we were required to work a total of 32 hours/week between the 2 of us in exchange for a full hook up site. Since we knew that and agreed to it, how is it that we were "taken advantage of"?
During the course of our time there we found out that 85% of the parks budget went to pay and benefits for the rangers. There was no money to pay for any additional help. Hence the need to use volunteers to operate the park.

[mick]

Then what I read from your post is simple. The parks are not charging enough money to pay the help or the necessary help needed.

Or, they are paying too much for what they get.

So they use volunteers, I might at, at taxpayers expense, to suplement the work. If they did not use a taxpayer paid for site, and rented it out, could they then use that money to pay an additional ranger?
You see, there is two ways to look at what some describe as "volunteering" , but what it boils down to is, they give you a taxpayer paid for site and bennies, to keep from hiring a fulltime, paid , with benefits person.

Is that not plain and simple? Or, let the work go undone.

Fascinating idea.

If they paid just "15.00" per hour, and you worked the 32 hours, huh, that is 480 per week, plus you would get the bennies that the govt employee would get. So, in essance you are paying them to work there.

[Rocky Larson]

Originally posted by Bill & Jan:
There are two kinds of workamping....for pay and volunteering. My husband and I are into volunteering because we want to see the USA yet feel we are making some kind of contribution to society. The more I read about someof the experiences of those that work for pay, the happier I am that we are volunteers. We have had NOTHING but good experiences and national wildlife refuges are the best.

Bill and Jan, Rocky and Jan here. We agree with you. USFWS volunteers are the best. We have done 4 three month tours with them in the last two years. We will be in Roma Bluffs, Texas in January and at Tetlin NWR in Alaska in June. The people are great, the assignments ( I can't really call it work) are to our liking, and the amenities more than adequate.

If anyone wants to know more details you can start here: USFWS Resident Volunteers

Other volunteer opportunities can be searched from:Volunteering

[MtManLee]

Mick hate to burst your bubble but even if they did not hire voluteers they would still only staff with seasonal employees which work 5 to 6 days a week for a season where volunteers work for 4 days a week during a season. 80 percent of park staff are volunteers and seasonals not full time personel. and seasonals dont get any more benefits than a seasonal and also have to pay for the housing they use. They also have to buy their own uniforms where for volunteers the uniform is provided. But over all its a savings in the long run to the taxpayer. Temp employee 2700 a month Volunteer 500 a month now tell me where the problem lies.

[MtManLee]

RV Roamer sadly some parks abuse the system its supposed to be 32 hours per rv not per person. I have been turned down from working in parks because my wife will not work and they want to get two people working for the 32 hours each. The problem is that most volunteers are not aware that they cannot do that to you that it can be split or worked by just one person. But parks like Rocky Mountain in Colorado abuse that regulation. They are one of at least a half dozen or more that I have run into.

[pemsit]

I did the volunteering in the Park for Yosemite.
Over the phone I was told I would only be doing 24 hours a week maybe sometimes 32 hours and supplementing the hired staff. Well when I got there there was no staff for the first 1 1/ months I was it. I started off doing Thursday through Sunday from 0700 - 1700 with a one hour lunch. Thats 10 hours a day. The breaking point was when I worked for 11 days stright and I told the boss that I would be leaving and going back to Florida if that happened again. After that I was only doing Friday through Sunday. 9 hours a day. Sometimes you have to put your foot down.
The staff I worked with the last 1 1/2 month were GS-2 - GS-4
Would I do it again? yes but at a different Park
and I would want it in writing the number of hours required.
They really want a couple for these jobs as it is better to have two for the price of nothing vs one.

[travlingjim1]

We have workamped in 6 states and 6 different parks since 2005. All except one were Army Corp of Engineers and state parks 15 to 25 hours per week total. Actually, it was work until the job was done, usually less then the required time. We have never had a bad experience. Always ask plenty of questions. Make sure you understand what is expected from you and what you will get in return. Get it in WRITING! (Most government parks will send it to you before you commit.)

[Bill & Jan]

Workamping is what you make it. We have thoroughly enjoyed every workamping job we have had because we don't read negative comments by other folks who have worked there or try to figure out whether we are getting "taken". Go into each job, volunteer or paid, with a good, open-minded attitude expecting it to be good, and it probably will be.

[GOLDWINGER2]

After a couple of days of bad treatment I would do like post #3 said, put the pedal to metal baby.