If you’re in the mood to help out while you’re on the road, check this out: state parks offer short and long-term volunteer opportunities for visitors—so chances are there’s an activity that fits your schedule.

Several of Arizona’s state parks offer one-day opportunities, including trail restoration at Dead Horse Ranch in Cottonwood, or volunteer positions at park festivals and parades.

Palo Duro Canyon in Texas has longer-term positions for camp hosts, which involves assisting guests and helping with park maintenance.

In exchange, volunteers get free camping accommodations with water and electricity hookups.

The same deal applies to many state parks in North Carolina, where campsite hosts get to stay for free.

On the East Coast, the New York Restoration Project hosts cleanup and maintenance days at a state park in the South Bronx.

At Minnewaska State Park Preserve, volunteer hikers, bikers and skiers help patrol the park; and several other New York-area parks have volunteer openings for aspiring nature photographers.

And in many cases, finding volunteer gigs is as easy as contacting the state’s office of parks and recreation, or department of environmental conservation.

Learn more in our Voluntourism section.

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