Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for volunteering in Florida State Parks! You must already have an account.

Use the web browser Chrome or Firefox, not Internet Explorer. Then go to the Florida State Parks volunteer portal HERE. Under the heading Current Volunteers click Forgot your password?

Enter your User ID (e-mail address)

Click Send reset code

Enter the reset code

Enter your preferred Password twice (no special characters e.g. @%@ or blank spaces in the middle or end). Be very careful here.

Your parks' Volunteer Manager can also reset passwords and is always happy to assist you.

Your account may be status 'Applicant' or another. Your park volunteer manager is always there to assist you and can update your settings to onboard you to the park by updating your status to 'Active'. Please contact your park volunteer manager. Phone numbers are on the park's webpage. See https://www.floridastateparks.org then enter the park name. There may be other causes. Ensure that you are using web browser Chrome or Fire Fox and not Internet Explorer. When all else fails send a screen shot of the error messages to FPS_Volunteers@FloridaDEP.gov

The best recommendation is to view the Volunteer Program Overview located under the navigation ribbon heading Learn More.

There are 175 Florida State Parks. To view a Florida State Parks map, go to the Florida State Parks website, see https://www.floridastateparks.org/statewide-map

See the Florida State Parks website https://www.floridastateparks.org/ then enter the park name. Each state park has a webpage to learn more. To learn more about a visit, see FAQs, https://www.floridastateparks.org/plan-your-visit/faqs

You can make a difference in state parks. There are more than 100+ volunteer opportunities to browse and apply. Parks are always adding opportunities. So, check back frequently. Opportunities are divided into five categories:

Individuals (no RV site or lodging) - Local park volunteer opportunities for individuals are subdivided into the "Big 5": Administration, Maintenance, Protection, Resource Management and Visitor Services (no RV or campsite provided);

Campground Hosts - Receive a free RV site in the campground for a total of 24 hours of volunteer service per week per site (can be divided among multiple site occupants). Camp hosts are responsible for the campground - cleaning bath houses, site maintenance, answering camper questions and handling late-night emergencies. The maximum stay in a park is 16 weeks in a 12-month period starting on the first day of site occupancy;

Park Residents - Receive a free RV site for a total of 24 hours volunteer service per week per site (can be divided among multiple site occupants). These opportunities are project or skill based and are provided an RV site typically not in the campground. The maximum stay in a park is 16 weeks in a 12-month period starting on the first day of site occupancy;

Groups / Teams - Corporate, employee, civic, family, church, club and student groups are invited to get outdoors and make a difference. Group projects include beach clean-ups, invasive plant removals, trail maintenance, special events and other park improvements. Parks often have opportunities to get involved with alternative spring breaks, Earth Day (April), National Public Lands Day (Sept), Make a Difference Day (Oct) and more;

Citizen Support Organizations (CSO) - Also known as Friends Groups. The purpose of a CSO is to operate a nonprofit organization to support a park/s accomplishing its goals. The organizations are made up of a group of dedicated individual volunteers raising funds, supporting special events and spending funds on needs that benefit a park and visitors.

The first step to volunteering is to browse opportunities. On a category -- Individuals, Campground Hosts, Park Residents, Groups or Citizen Support Organizations click More Information to see a list of parks with needs. Use the Search to enter keywords e.g., enter a year, month, activity, park name, etc. Click Read Full Description for details. Ready to apply, click Apply opens the application to fill in.

To apply, follow the instructions at the top of each opportunity category's page -- Individuals, Campground Hosts, Park Residents, Groups or Citizen Support Organizations. If you are new to volunteering with Florida State Parks, browse opportunities by clicking on More Information, then for a specific job click Read Full Description to review details. Ready to apply? Click Apply opens the application to fill in. This establishes your volunteer account and sends your completed application to the park that advertised the opportunity. In future, login as a Current Volunteer and apply to opportunities, update your application and review where you've applied. Active volunteers in parks can also enter service hours, review hours, take annual required trainings and more.

Thank you for your patience. Ensure that you address these three common issues:

Use the web browser Chrome or Firefox, not Internet Explorer

Many fields are required (* or yellow highlighted)

When you click Submit at the bottom of the application a box will appear listing any remaining items to complete

Thank you for your patience.

It is strongly recommended to call the park a week or two after applying. A park receives dozens of applications a week from individuals, groups, campground hosts and park residents. When calling be patient, yet persistent as our staff are often in the field. Once your application is in the system then you and the volunteer manager can have a conversation about openings and whether you are a mutually good fit. Think of it as an informal interview. Park phone numbers are listed on the parks' web page https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails.

Thank you for your interest in supporting Florida State Parks!

Opportunities are diverse to meet a park's needs. Individual opportunities for your local state park are divided into categories that the Florida Park Service calls the "Big Five" -- Administration, Maintenance, Protection, Resource Management and Visitor Services. Individuals can apply to a specific opportunity or put in a general application.

Application instructions are on each individual opportunity's page including an option to submit a general application. For the Individual Application the first park that you select receives your application.

These are not park resident or campground host opportunities. No RV site or campsite provided.

Yes, youth/minors ages 17 and 16 year old's and 15 and 14 year old's can volunteer when consistent with Florida Child Labor Laws (see links below) that establishes the jobs and hours requirements during school days, weekends, and when school is not in session June 1 through Labor Day. The youth / minors Volunteer Agreement must be signed by a parent or guardian.

Thirteen years old's and younger see next question.

See Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/child-labor/

See Florida Department of Education https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/additional-cte-programs-courses/ojt/childlabor.stml

Yes, but must be accompanied by their parent or guardian or participate in a group service project as part of a bona fide youth organization, such as the scouts, school group, social organization, etc. when that member conforms with that organization's policies, is acting under the auspices of that organization and chaperoned by the groups' leader/s.

Yes, when you are from a foreign country you are welcome to apply to become a Florida State Park volunteer. Please note, however, it is your responsibility as the potential volunteer to know what country and/or United States visa/immigration laws allow while working in the country. Depending upon your origin, duration of stay and other factors there may be some restrictions.

Canadian citizens do not require a visa to enter the USA for short term visits except for certain situations. In general, international visitors can volunteer in the U.S. when here on a B1/B2/Border Crossing Card for citizens and residents of Mexico and for some other nationals of countries that are covered by the Visa Waiver Program. There may be other restrictions.

A significant restriction to be aware of is that you can only volunteer to do things that are normally done on a voluntary basis, i.e. without pay. So for example, you could volunteer at a hospital as a 'candy striper' because that is a volunteer position, and you would be working alongside other unpaid volunteers. You could not do the work of a nurse even if you volunteered to do it unpaid because a nurse is normally a paid position. You also can't do "anything that would benefit a commercial enterprise", and there are restrictions on unpaid internships.

Apply directly to a campground host opportunity.

Browse opportunities and click Read Full Description to review the details. When ready to apply, then click Apply. If you are new to volunteering with Florida State Parks, the application opens to fill it in. Help a park select you by thoroughly completing the application with your talents, skills, abilities and experience. Fields highlighted yellow or have a * are required. You can upload a resume.

Campground hosts answer questions, help with maintenance and are available for late-night emergencies. Opportunity descriptions are park specific. A campsite is provided in the campground in return at no charge with 24 hours volunteer service per week per campsite (can divide the hours between multiple people onsite). Positions are highly coveted, so keep the following in mind:

Apply early.

Parks book winter volunteers as far as 1-2 years in advance.

Openings at coastal parks are very competitive. Parks in the interior of Florida often have more openings - it's a good way to get started volunteering as a campground host.

There are frequently more opportunities from April through October. November through March is a very competitive season for campground hosting opportunities.

Most parks, regardless of location, need campground hosts in the summer.

The maximum length of stay at a park is 16 weeks in a 12-month period starting on the first day of site occupancy.

Apply directly to a park resident opportunity.

Browse opportunities and click Read Full Description to review the details. When ready to apply, then click Apply. If you are new to volunteering with Florida State Parks, the application opens to fill it in. Help a park select you by thoroughly completing the application with your talents, skills, abilities and experience. Fields highlighted yellow or have a * are required. You can upload a resume.

Park Residents receive an RV or live-aboard boat site that is not in a campground. These opportunities assist in park maintenance and operations and are typically project-based. Opportunities may require special skills - electrician, painter, vehicle repair, etc. Additionally, the opportunities could include cabin cleaning and ranger station duties. A campsite is provided at no charge in return for 24-hours volunteer service per week per campsite (can divide the hours between multiple people onsite). Positions are highly coveted, so keep in mind:

Apply early.

Parks book winter volunteers as far as 1-2 years in advance.

Openings at coastal parks are very competitive. Parks in the interior of Florida often have more openings - it's a good way to get started volunteering as a park resident host.

There are frequently more opportunities from April through October. November through March is a very competitive season for park resident opportunities.

Most parks, regardless of location, need park residents in the summer.

The maximum length of stay at a park is 16 weeks in a 12-month period starting on the first day of site occupancy.

Each adult that plans to volunteer and contribute to the hours requirement needs to put in a application for the same campground host or park resident opportunity.

The hours requirement is 24 hours per week per campsite (can split between multiple site occupants). Adults are 18 years old or older.

Separate applications establishes a volunteer account for each person. In an application the first information that you provide sets up the account in the system, and you need different User IDs, email addresses. Each person accumulates volunteer service hours, called lifetime hours towards volunteer awards and benefits - pins, passes and certificates. Each person earns hours served toward their own awards.

The park volunteer manager links the separate accounts to show that multiple people contribute to the same campground host or park resident 24 hours per week per site requirement.

Thank you for volunteering to support Florida State Parks!

The best tip to secure your next campground host or park resident volunteer opportunity is to apply directly to an opportunity.

Ensure that you are using the web browser Chrome or Fire Fox and not Internet Explorer to login to the Volunteer Portal http://volunteers.floridastateparks.org/. Since you're already in our system, login to the Volunteer Portal as a Current Volunteer, browse more than 100 opportunities. Then when you see an opportunity that interests you click Read Full Description. Review details and click Apply. The park will receive a notification of your application to the opportunity and can review your application.

Once submitted, follow up with a call to the park and ask for the volunteer manager. Park phone numbers are listed on the parks' web page https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails. Then you and the volunteer manager can have a conversation about the opening and whether you are a mutually good fit. Think of it as an informal interview. Each park keeps its own schedule and selects their park residents and campground hosts based on park needs.

Pro Tips:

When calling be patient, yet persistent as our staff are often in the field.

Browse opportunities and apply directly to those of interest to you. Check back periodically as parks are always adding opportunities.

Openings at coastal parks are very competitive. Parks in the interior of Florida often have more openings - it's a good way to get started volunteering as a campground host.

There are frequently more opportunities from April through October. November through March is a very competitive season for campground hosting opportunities.

There are several ways a group can volunteer to make a difference in a Florida State Park:

1. 1) Browse and apply to a specific group opportunity that is listed in the Volunteer Portal. Check back often as parks are always adding needs. Click Read Full Description to review details, when ready click Apply. This opens the application and the information that you provide sets up your account. Yellow highlighted fields and those with * are required.

2. 2) Day/s of service (2 options)

1. a. Statewide (multiple locations) service day or days across the state so volunteers can contribute to their local state park. We've done this for corporations with 39 offices in 20 state parks for 900 people OR

2. b. Designated national volunteer service days - participate as a group on Earth Day (April), Volunteer Month (April), National Public Lands Day (Sept), or Make A Difference Day (Oct) where parks host groups to accomplish priority projects.

3. To discuss these options further, contact FPS_Volunteers@FloridaDEP.gov

3. 3) When you know of a specific location that you are interested in, then work with the local state park and volunteer manager to identify a project and date. View state park locations https://www.floridastateparks.org/statewide-map

   1. a. Submit a general Group Volunteer Application to a specific park. The first park that you select receives your application.

   2. b. It is highly recommended in about a week or two after submitting the application, then call the volunteer manager to have a conversation about a suitable project for the group size and scheduling. Park phone numbers are listed on the parks' web page https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails

There are 80+ Friends Groups, see https://www.floridastateparks.org/friend-groups for more information about each and to contact them. In the Volunteer Portal http://volunteers.floridastateparks.org/ you can browse and apply to Citizen Support Organization opportunities. The Friends groups often need volunteers for park special events or are recruiting board members.