Who runs US campgrounds
Federal agencies
The National Park Service, US Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation all use volunteer campground hosts. Hosts usually get a free campsite, often with hookups, in return for a set number of hours of work each week. Most of these positions are posted on Volunteer.gov.
Private companies on federal land
Many national forest campgrounds are run by private companies (concessionaires) under permit. They hire their own hosts, and these jobs are often paid, usually with a campsite.
State parks
Nearly every state runs its own host program, each with its own rules, minimum stay and application. See the state pages below.
County, city and private campgrounds
County parks, city campgrounds, RV resorts and private chains hire hosts and seasonal staff directly. Pay and campsite terms vary widely, so read each posting.
Paid jobs and volunteer hosting
- Volunteer hosts: unpaid, usually with a free campsite and hookups, for a set number of hours a week. Most federal and state park host positions are volunteer.
- Paid jobs: hourly or monthly pay from a concessionaire, private campground or federal agency (USAJOBS). Some include a campsite.
Where host jobs are posted
Federal
- Volunteer.gov: Volunteer host positions from the National Park Service, Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation. The largest single source.
- USAJOBS: Paid federal seasonal jobs: park rangers, recreation aids, forestry technicians and maintenance workers.
- National Park Service volunteers: Campground host and other volunteer roles in national parks.
- US Forest Service volunteers: Volunteer roles by national forest. Many Forest Service campgrounds are run by private companies that hire their own hosts.
- Army Corps of Engineers lakes: Volunteer campground hosts at hundreds of Corps lakes.
- Bureau of Land Management: Volunteer hosts at BLM campgrounds, mostly in the West.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service: RV volunteer hosts at national wildlife refuges.
Companies that run federal campgrounds
- Rocky Mountain Recreation Company: Runs campgrounds in several national forests.
- Recreation Resource Management of America: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and New Mexico.
- American Land & Leisure: California, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon and Utah.
- Vista Recreation: More than 600 locations in 17 states; the largest employer in this field.
Private campground chains
- Sun Outdoors: Seasonal RV resort jobs.
- Thousand Trails and Encore: Seasonal jobs at RV resorts and campgrounds.
- KOA: Work camper jobs at KOA campgrounds.
Canadians hosting in the US
The National Park Service says international volunteers should not apply for camp hosting, maintenance, fee collection or trail work because of visa rules. It is not clear whether this covers Canadians who visit without a visa. Ask the park before you apply. Looking for work in Canada instead? See the Canada guide.
States
- Alabama 3 jobs
- Alaska 29 jobs
- Arizona 18 jobs
- Arkansas 17 jobs
- California 26 jobs
- Colorado 7 jobs
- Connecticut 1 job
- Delaware 7 jobs
- Florida 13 jobs
- Georgia 54 jobs
- Hawaii 0 jobs
- Idaho 5 jobs
- Illinois 1 job
- Indiana 2 jobs
- Iowa 2 jobs
- Kansas 3 jobs
- Kentucky 6 jobs
- Louisiana 2 jobs
- Maine 1 job
- Maryland 3 jobs
- Massachusetts 2 jobs
- Michigan 3 jobs
- Minnesota 1 job
- Mississippi 6 jobs
- Missouri 25 jobs
- Montana 6 jobs
- Nebraska 1 job
- Nevada 9 jobs
- New Hampshire 1 job
- New Jersey 3 jobs
- New Mexico 4 jobs
- New York 6 jobs
- North Carolina 22 jobs
- North Dakota 2 jobs
- Ohio 1 job
- Oklahoma 1 job
- Oregon 126 jobs
- Pennsylvania 19 jobs
- Rhode Island 1 job
- South Carolina 6 jobs
- South Dakota 7 jobs
- Tennessee 8 jobs
- Texas 25 jobs
- Utah 9 jobs
- Vermont 11 jobs
- Virginia 8 jobs
- Washington 114 jobs
- West Virginia 0 jobs
- Wisconsin 15 jobs
- Wyoming 2 jobs
Sources checked October 2026. See also all US jobs.