If you are in the RV community at all, whether you are just getting started in your RV journey or a seasoned RVer, you will hear folks talking about campground hosting. Most RVers look into it as a way to save on campground fees without giving up hookups. If you are like most RVers, you might be wondering if it’s something you should look into. Find out how to find campground host opportunities and what the job is like.
The Job
As a campground host, you can expect to do some or all of the following:
Clean bathrooms
Greet campers
Clean campsites
Help Campers with registration
Notify park rangers, park managers, or law enforcement of camper misconduct
Maintenance
The specifics of the job, of course, depends on the park.
While not too physically demanding, if you have mobility issues, you might want to contact the park you are interested in to see if you can limit your work to camper registration or other jobs that may be less demanding physically.
Job Benefits
In exchange for completing your job, you get:
A campsite for your RV
Free admission to state and national parks
The benefits vary by job. Some of the campsites reserved for campground hosts have full hookups (water, sewer, electric) and are available for free. Some places only offer a discounted rate and partial hookups. There may be some parks that offer free use of laundry facilities, discounts at the camp store, and free uniforms.
When searching for jobs, check their FAQ section for details on employee/volunteer benefits.
Be Prepared to Work
This may seem like a strange thing for me to write, but I think it needs to be said anyway. As a campground host, you will be working at least 24 hours each week, including weekends and holidays. Most assignments run for at least 3 months. During this time, you cannot travel and you have to schedule your outings (personal and errands) around your work schedule.
So, although you may be at a beautiful state or national park and you will have the ability to enjoy it for free, you need to enjoy it around your work schedule. Also, your work schedule might be fixed and decided by your employer. Some places are more flexible. You will know what kind of schedule you will have before you accept the position.
Where to Find Campground Host Openings
Unfortunately, there isn’t one system out there where you can apply to all campground host openings throughout the United States, but I did find this site (camprrm) that will allow you to apply as a camp host to parks in different states using one application.
For State Parks
To search for campground host positions in a state park, head over to the start park website where you would like to work. You may easily be able to search for “volunteers” or find a drop-down menu item or footer that says “volunteers”. Some websites might not have that option and you might want to look for something that says “Get Involved”. Note that each state has a different website, so searching and finding campground host opportunities might be easier on some versus others. If you don’t want to spend too much time searching a website, you might be able to give the main state office a call and get help there.
For National Parks
To find campground host positions at national parks, head over to volunteer.gov . Once on that website, there is a section where you can search for positions at various locations. Please keep in mind that this website will have all kinds of volunteer opportunities, not just campground hosting.
For all Openings
If you want to be able to search for a variety of campground hosting opportunities (state, private, national), you can check out Workamper News. You can see their featured employers and their openings without creating an account by clicking here. At this site, you can easily search for volunteer and paid positions.
How to Apply
State and National Parks will have you complete an application, references, and background check. Details about specific requirements are available on the website where you found and applied for the job.
Other campground hosting opportunities vary in what they require. A resume and references are pretty standard, but be prepared to meet additional requirements. All job postings will include clear instructions on requirements and how to submit them.
Conclusion
I hope this post helps you gave get started on campground hosting. If you would like to hear about our experience campground hosting at a state park, you can read about it here. Feel free to share your own experiences and any questions you might have in the comments.
Exploring the Local Life is a Latino Roadschooling family of four that has been on the road since October 2015. We blog and vlog all about RVing, but it's not always rainbows and campfires. It's real-life every day as we navigate love, unschooling, and breaking free from the mold in our 26ft home on wheels. This post contains affiliate links. We receive a commission for purchases made via these links.