Hey y'all,

I'm a wilderness ranger for the USFS on a GS5/6/7 ladder, making 7 in about a month. I work a 13PP on, 13PP off schedule, and try and find work on my off season, as well as trying to pursue a rangeland management degree. Working 40hrs a week doesn't leave time to take too many classes, which makes FAFSA irrelevant for me. My job gives me a pension and year round healthcare, but again, only paying in 6 months of the year.

Last week I got cold called for a three year GS7 term position in a higher cost of living--albeit very, very cool--town a few hours south of me. The office seems a lot healthier, I'm very intrigued, but my housing costs would go up substantially. Having run the numbers, it's a slight loss of income as I dont expect I'll be getting an overnight perdiem, but I'd finally have some stability in my life--I haven's spent more than six months in one place since 2019 on account of seasonal work, and I'm feeling like Odysseus trying to get back to Ithaca by this point.

Is holding onto a 13/13 a better career move than three or four years with a guaranteed end date?

Hey guys, wondering how rangers monitor a park when it's such a massive space. I'm guessing they've got a bunch of sensors and drones, but is it mostly tech or still people walking around? Would love to hear from anyone who knows!

I am aiming to get an internship with the NPS next season and I was wondering how long it takes to get a permanent position within a park. I want to settle down somewhere and with seasonal work that's hard. I would rather not bounce between park and my parents home every season and off season (No shade to my parents ofc). If it is a multi-year process, what do you do in the off season?

How intensive is the medical exam? I currently have a torn meniscus and a bone bruise along with a cyst in my knee but I am completely able to work my current law enforcement job with another fed agency but I’m a little worried about not passing medical. Any tips? I am going to get a letter from a specialist saying that I am GTG

What is your lunch like at your park? How much does that vary across the park system? I have met some who say if scheduled for a 30 minute lunch, they’re lucky to get five minutes by the time they get to heat up their food and eat. They’re stopped by visitors, have a very long walk to the break area, not able to get lunch on time, or at all. They also go without hydrating properly due to limited access to bathrooms. They have strenuous positions, where active in all seasons and weather conditions. Is this normal or just those specific parks?

Heyo! I’m going to be graduating here in a year or so and I’m looking forward into jobs in the Backcountry of Alaska. I don’t mind decently low pay as long as I can sustain myself to rent a small place and buy food.

To give some background, I have a degree in Outdoor Rec and Wilderness Medicine and Rescue. I’ll be graduating with my Wilderness EMT, LNT Level 2, Wildland Fire Certs (S-130 +field day, S-190, and S-180), Sawyer Cert, Part 107 Commercial Drone License, ACE Swiftwater Rescue Cert, 2 years of experience as an Interpretive Ranger, 2 years of experience in Conservation/Trail Design and Building, and a season of Rock Climbing/Caving Guiding.

Does anyone have any input on how they got into the field or any recommendations for how I can carve a path for myself to get there?

I’d love to hear any other peoples stories!

I need advice.

I’m 27. Graduating w/ my masters in May. Been coaching college ball for the last 3 years. It’s just not what I think I want to do anymore. I’ve always followed school and sports. I want to break out. I’ve been following the safe comfortable option.

Anyway. I feel old. I’ve been snooping on this subreddit for a while. Getting to be a park ranger and working my way up seems to start w/ seasonal gigs. Which is fine but I feel too old for that. It feels too unstable.

I just need some advice. How can I get to work in the outdoors in this sector ? Any other paths I’m missing ?

I feel strongly about this sector and working in the outdoors. Park ranger has been on my mind for awhile. Part of my masters degree has been in outdoor leadership as well if that makes any difference. No science background though.

Is it competitive ? What are the steps to make my way up ?

I don’t want to move around my whole life across the country. I’m feeling ready to settle. I’ve lived in 4 different states in the last 8 years.

Just need any advice from yall. Thanks !

I was just reading something about Trump's push to rebrand AI as "super intelligence" and was wondering if anyone has experienced any nudges from higher-ups to use AI in any way, shape, or form at national parks. Doesn't seem to be any immediate uses for park rangers, but that might not stop managers for asking!

Just curious!

I was wondering what experience opportunities would be the best in Wisconsin to work towards a full time career as a park ranger before I am 21. I am in the marine corp infantry reserves if that would look better on paper for jobs, but i am currently in my first year of school but i do not plan on sticking with it if experience for the year and a half i have till
Im 21 would help more.

Hi, has anyone here worked as an educational ranger with the NC Forest Service? If so, what was the interview process like?

For a variety of reasons, I didn’t apply on Oct 5 when some of the NPS postings dropped. For those that were there, how many of the interp positions posted that day? Did it look like basically all of them?

Hello, i have a question about an experience i had in Maine with a park ranger.

Ill get right to the point. I was walking along the beach, and this ranger with a megaphone tells me the park is closed.

I was taken back, but i advised that i couldn't find my son to leave immediately. After making several degrading comments about my son he says "heres what were gonna do, im gonna leave and you can close the gate behind you".

I found it odd, but the guy was being really manipulative; so i carried on. Within 45 minutes, the police showed up. To make a long story short, the ranger closed early- park was open until dark. This was 6:30pm. He proceeded to file a false police report against me (said i was smoking Marijuana and giving him a hard time) i did nothing of the sort. The police were cool and explained the report they received and left. The ranger filed a false police report to get pd to do his job. The next day, i approached him and he blatantly denied calling pd. I went right to the station and confirmed the report. Guy is a danger to the public based on my interaction and should be fired. What should i do?

Hey so I have a interview for this role coming up this week. I was wondering if anyone has worked at the Yellowstone club ? More specifically this position- what was your experience like is it worth giving up my full time
Job to go work a winter here ?? Will this put me in a position to get a full time job at the club ?

Also wanted to see what the employee housing is like ? I’m very new to seasonal jobs and just wanting to know what to expect.

This might be a very dumb question but I need help. Please be nice as I don’t think I’m violating any community rules 🙏.

My best friend is a park ranger at a beachy county park in a warm state. He drives trucks a lot, does a lot of very physical work, and I guess all the other typical duties of a county park ranger (parking enforcement lol). His birthday is coming up, and I’d like to see if I can get him something that might be good for his job while having it be a surprise. What are some things park rangers tend to find really helpful? Any particular shoe brands or gear? Just curious.

Anything is appreciated!

The park where I work has a fairly new ranger station/visitor center that was built in 2019, and that is where my office is currently located.
Before that, the park operated out of an older ranger station that was built in the late 1970s. That building has been sitting vacant since the new visitor center opened in 2019. It was actually scheduled to be demolished last year, but the demolition was postponed. I never knew why until recently.

I just found out that while renovations are being done to the current visitor center, everyone whose job is not law enforcement is being moved into the old ranger station.
Normally I wouldn’t have a huge problem with temporarily working out of an older building, but I have now heard that the old ranger station has had mold issues. Considering that the building has been vacant for about seven years and was previously scheduled for demolition, I’m pretty concerned about being required to work in there.

I don’t know yet how extensive the mold problem is, whether the building has been professionally inspected or remediated, or whether any air-quality testing has been done before employees
are moved in.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? What information or documentation would you ask for before moving into the building? Is there some type of inspection, mold assessment, or indoor air-quality report that employees should be able to request?

Hi there, I’m thinking about applying as a non LE park ranger recruit in Sacramento county. There’s a lot of mixed information out there about regulations and restrictions. I smoke weed a couple of times a week and was wondering if that would disqualify me from being hired on. I’ve never touched any actual drugs and if I have to stop smoking weed to become a park ranger I will. I was just curious if there was anyone here who knew the specifics for how they do things in Sacramento? Thanks in advance

Why when I am applying do they list 20 parks and then say pick 10. Like I would work at all of the parks most of the time. It just seems like a system to have like Grand Canyon get all of the people and the smaller parks on the application almost none. Also leads to many not getting hired when there are spots, maybe at a smaller not big name park. Why not let people apply for as many as they want?

anyone know if any historic preservation or structural preservation jobs will be flying soon for next summer? i see there is already one in SC but curious if there will be more postings

A bunch of the Seasonal summer positions open tomorrow. Park Ranger (I) and general Ranger. Maintenance. Laborer. Biological Science techs. A bunch more I cannot think of off the top of my head. They are once again limited by applicants so get in early and apply.

Edited to add I think this is just for IMR at the moment.

When these positions got canceled nationwide earlier this year, I thought the reason was that they were going to bring them back, just under Department of Interior and not NPS. Any word if this will actually happen?

I'm a seasoned landscaper who is looking to possibly shift career directions, as I am in love with nature, hiking, and all around being in the forest. I live in Central PA, and am considering DCNR job opportunities. I understand that there is a lot that goes into preserving our state parks, so I'm sure there are different career slots to fill. While a Ranger sounds exciting, the law enforcement side of it does not peak my interest as much as Wildlife and Nature Conservation does. Looking for some advice from anyone experienced in the DCNR field as to what jobs they have available that would fit my love for being in the woods, learning about and preserving plant and wildlife species, physical labor to keep active (like trail maintenance), but also a willingness to teach students or guests about our state parks! If you have any leads or experience, please let me know. Thanks in advance!

As a recent grad I've been applying to hella environmental jobs ofc, including Colorado parks and wildlife jobs, and recently got an email for a guardian background check. It was a pretty thorough check but I'm not sure why I'm doing it, I've had no communication from them and I only have like 4 months of experience, which is like nothing for a park ranger position I assume. Any idea why they want me to do one/what stage of the hiring process I'm in?

Hello guys,
i am utterly disappointed in my time at my park. and i’m hoping there’s a community of rangers who feel the same or maybe just down/alone with their feelings. I won’t name my state park or any rangers but it is VA.

unfortunately I always dreamt of doing something with conservation or just being apart of something that i thought was beautiful but I have come to learn that DCR is all recreation and 0% conservation.

from the beginning of my hiring process i learned that this job was gonna be messy but just maybe i can get past the workers. but after being employed for almost 2 years now I have been under appreciated by staff over me and way overworked. I have also learned it’s not only my park but every single park i’ve ever met a part time or even full time staff at.

it discourages me a lot after feeling bullied by grown adults, having to document conversations, emails, every task i do because of the hostile environment i work in and im so sick of this.

so has any ranger in this group ever felt discouraged by the system before or even your managers? what did you guys do to improve your work life? would you tell about your experiences if you relate?

Anything I should know before I send in my application as far as things that they would like to see on it? I’m applying for a seasonal position for wildland firefighting.

Two years on a USFS Type 2 IA handcrew, EMT, WFR. Worked under the FS EMS program which is very similar to the NPS one. Trying to secure a PSAR/park emt job at one of the larger parks for the summer. Thanks folks.