Great Falls Park Trail Maintainer

When trails become impassable, we need volunteers to fill the gaps.

Lend your efforts to care for Great Falls Park's hiking paths as a Trail Maintainer with Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC)! This position is vital to preserving optimal trail conditions and conserving native ecosystems, not to mention an excellent way to gain new conservation skills.

Trail Maintainers choose their own section (1-3 miles) to focus on; plentiful scheduling flexibility allows for work on your own time, and multiple people can handle the same trail section, too. Position duties include:

• Blazing (indicating directions with paint marks)
• Erosion control
• Weeding
• Pruning vegetation
• Removing obstructions
• Cleaning up litter
• Clearing invasive species. 
• Coordinating activities for larger/specialized teams with the District Manager.
• Regularly filing reports for each maintenance day.

Additionally, Trail Maintainers are expected to:

• Visit their chosen sections 3-4 times per year.
• Follow PATC & land manager protocols.
• Safely hike to & along their trail sections while carrying tools.
• Advocate for proper trail usage/safety while on duty. 

Being a very active outdoors role, prospective applicants should be in good physical health and fine with walking up to several miles a day over varying terrain. Prior trail maintenance experience is welcome but not required, as PATC will determine proper training opportunities if necessary.

Ready to lace up those boots and protect the trails? Apply for this role on PATC's website or reach out to the site contacts!