Interpretive Volunteer (Multiple openings for 2027)

Have you ever wanted to find out what it's like to be a park ranger? Are you seeking to learn and expand your skills as an interpreter? Then Gila Cliff Dwellings may be the perfect opportunity.

• Volunteers seeking or having experience presenting interpretive dialogue for the cliff dwellings are welcome.
• Volunteers also provide informal interpretation related to surrounding cultural and natural resources.
• Volunteers staff the Gila Visitor Center providing regional orientation and information to visitors.
• Training is provided.

This is a physically demanding position. Volunteers live and work at an altitude of about 5800 feet (1780m). The park is open year-round, and volunteers spend 75% - 100% of their workday outside and will be exposed to a wide range of weather conditions and temperatures. Staffing the cliff dwellings requires a 2–3-hour block where you will be standing for extended periods of time. To reach the cliff dwellings you will hike an unpaved one-mile loop trail that is steep and strenuous several times a day, fairly quickly while carrying a 5-pound first aid kit. The 185-foot elevation gain (and loss) traveling to the dwellings is the equivalent of climbing 18 flights of stairs with no handrails. All volunteers must be able to hike the trail more than once a day.

Volunteers are asked to commit to a 32-hour work week, for one of the following three months:

January 4 - April 4, 2027 - 2 VIPS. Trailer site with full hook ups or private bedroom in shared home.

January 13 - April 13, 2027 – 1 VIP. Trailer site with full hook ups or private bedroom in shared home.

May 17 - August 17, 2027 – 1 VIP. Trailer Sites available with full hook ups

July 26 - October 26, 2027 - 1 VIP. Trailer Sites available with full hook ups

October 12, 2027 - January 12, 2028 - 1 VIP. Trailer Sites available with full hook ups

Winters can get cold here in the Gila! All trailers interested in staying during the winter need to have a heated hose, skirting or be a four-season trailer in order to prevent your pipers from freezing. Need four volunteers. 

The national monument is located within the remote Gila Wilderness of southwestern New Mexico. The monument and park housing is a 44-mile drive from the town of Silver City, NM. Enjoy amazing scenery and outstanding local recreational opportunities including hiking, biking, photography, wilderness hot springs, wildlife observation, and much more.

We have top-of-the-line Starlink internet for volunteers! There is no data cap, and it is free for all VIPs to use. Although there is no cell service, Wi-Fi calling will work with smart phones. In case of a power outage, land-line phones are also available at the visitor center.

NOTE: Please include three references (with phone numbers)

Due to the remoteness, reliable personal transportation and a valid driver’s license are required.

All Trailer/Camper Van/Sprinter Van must be self-sufficient. We do not provide showers or toilets. If brining a trailer please include its make, model, year and length.