Residential Lighthouse Volunteer - Fall 2026-27

The overall purpose of the Residential Lighthouse Volunteer position is to strengthen the connection with and foster stewardship of Point Reyes National Seashore among park visitors. The volunteer does this by staffing the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse as well as roving the immediate area. Helping visitors connect with the park involves facilitating positive experiences by being welcoming and answering questions about the Point Reyes lighthouse as well as the natural history of the area (whales, birds, plants, geology). At the lighthouse, the volunteer will give 15-minute talks about it's history. In the visitor center, the volunteer will sell merchandise using a point-of-sale system as well as answer questions. Roving involves being available to visitors outside, answering questions, and proactively interacting with them. The volunteer position is a customer service position, both in a formal retail and non-retail sense.

The volunteer will wear a volunteer uniform. The park will provide uniform shirts, hats, outerwear, and a name badge. The volunteer will provide their own long pants in a solid, neutral color, such as tan, dark blue, gray, or black.

The park will provide all training needed for the position which will consist of self-guided, independent study materials as well as on-the-job training.

The volunteer must clear a background investigation. 

The volunteer will work alongside a National Park Service Ranger, another Residential Lighthouse Volunteer and/or a Visitor Services volunteer who commutes in and works for part of the day.

The volunteer will work 7.50 hours a day for four days. The three consecutive days off will be determined by park needs and will be communicated to the volunteer before their first day on duty. 

The Residential Lighthouse volunteer will be provided housing free of charge as long as the volunteer works at least 30 hours per week. Housing consists of an apartment in a multiplex building of four units. Each apartment is bi-level and contains 2-3 bedrooms. Housing is shared and co-ed.

The apartments are located less than a 5-minute walk from the visitor center. Each apartment has 1 bath, living room, dining area, and kitchen (refrigerator, sink, stove, oven, microwave). Each bedroom has a bed and mattress. Free laundry is located in another building a short walk from the apartments. Parking is also a short walk from the apartments and is outside and uncovered.

Heat and water are included with the apartment at no cost to the volunteer. Cell service (AT&T and Verizon) is also accessible. Internet service, provided by a local internet service provider, will be reimbursed to the volunteer at full cost ($59/month). Land line service (if desired) must be paid for by the volunteer. Cable TV service is not available. Private WiFi, designed for park use, is available in the visitor center, and the volunteer is welcome to use if for personal use. However, the signal does not extend to the apartment, and the volunteer is expected to limit personal WiFi use while working in the visitor center. 

The apartment is located in a public area with a privacy fence separating the apartments from the main visitor walkway on the other side. On weekends, the lighthouse area can see heavy visitation, however the fence prevents visitors from disturbing residents.

The apartments are not rodent-proof. The park will provide traps and cleaning supplies to help mitigate rodent intrusions. Mice may also nest in vehicle engine compartments and chew on wires. Ravens have been known to peck at and pull on rubber seals on vehicles.

Pets are not allowed in the apartments.

Point Reyes National Seashore is located about a one-hour drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. Although there is no entrance station, the main entry to the park is via Bear Valley near the town of Olema. The lighthouse area, where the volunteer will be living and working, is a 45-minute drive (20 miles) west of Bear Valley in what is considered a very remote location (the furthest west one can drive in the park). The largest nearby town is Point Reyes Station located near Bear Valley. Small nearby communities include the towns of Olema, Inverness Park, and Inverness, all situated near Bear Valley. In this part of the region known as West Marin, there are three post offices, one gas station, one bank, two fire stations, a community center, one large grocery store plus numerous markets, a hardware store, a tavern, numerous restaurants and shops, a pharmacy and medical clinic, and many lodging establishments. These businesses serve the local community as well as tourists.

The largest nearby cities with regionally or nationally known stores is Petaluma, a 30-minute drive northeast of Bear Valley, and San Rafael, a 45-minute drive east of Bear Valley. Prices in these cities will be less expensive than in West Marin. However, the cost of living in Marin County and the Bay Area in general quite high.

The volunteer must have their own vehicle in order to arrive at the residence and to drive to community resources (e.g. grocery stores) and recreational areas in the park.

The volunteer is expected to pay for their own groceries. A stipend or food reimbursement is not available.

Mail can be received either at a PO Box (at no cost) at one of the three post offices in West Marin or at the park’s headquarters.

The lighthouse area is known as the windiest and foggiest location on the west coast. Fog is common at any time of year, but especially in the summer. Fog can range between overcast skies with 20-mile visibility to socked-in conditions with 100-foot visibility. See the lighthouse web cam for current conditions. Winds average about 20 mph but can exceed 40 mph. Temperatures range between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Occasionally during the summer, the skies are sunny, the wind is calm, and the temperature reaches a balmy 70 degrees. This part of California does not receive rain during the summer. The volunteer must be able to tolerate and work in cold, windy, foggy, as well as sunny and warm, conditions. Inland areas of the park, such as at Bear Valley, regularly experience sunny skies with temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s after the morning fog burns off.

The lighthouse tower is located 300 feet below the visitor center by walking down a flight of concrete stairs (313 steps plus one ramp), the equivalent elevation of a 30-story building. Of course, one must also walk back up the stairs. The volunteer must be in average physical shape.

Due to the remoteness of the lighthouse area, emergency medical services can take up to 45 minutes to arrive from Point Reyes Station. All of the park’s law enforcement rangers are EMT trained and will be able to provide assistance sooner if they happen to be nearby. Volunteers will be provided a park two-way radio in order to communicate with our 24-hour dispatch office in case of emergency.

Special Note for November - April

The most significant consideration for the months from November through April is the weather due to rain and high winds. Extreme storms with winds to 60-80 mph are very possible. With the wind comes cold temperatures due to wind chill. The likelihood that the lighthouse stairs will be closed due to winds above 40 mph increases in the winter and spring.

Blackouts occur due to tree limbs falling on powerlines in stormy weather. The source of the outage can originate far from the Lighthouse area and affect a large area of the park. If there are multiple outages in the county, and depending upon how widespread they are, it could take days before power is restored to the park. You should have a cooler to keep your perishable food in this event. The Facility Management Division will distribute generators if a blackout is expected to be prolonged.

Trees can fall across park roads during storms blocking access to/from the park. The Roads Crew and Visitor and Resource Protection Rangers will act quickly as soon as conditions are safe to clear the roads. Be assured that the park will look after you and make sure that your needs are met to the best of the park's ability.

Please consider these working conditions carefully when determining if this volunteer position is a good fit for you