I am wondering if anyone here has ever volunteered with the ND state parks? We are in setting up the process of to spend some time with them come 2018. In particular, I am looking for information about Cross Ranch and also Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center.

I find State Parks reluctant to sign us up a year in advance!

  On 6/24/2017 at 8:48 PM, homelesshartshorns said:

I find State Parks reluctant to sign us up a year in advance!

As I said before, we are already in process, having been in contact with the park manager, just working out the details. 

If memory serves, this will be our 30th different location to volunteer as work-campers and with the places we have been twice, it will make tour #35. In all of that, there all but two have been wonderful experiences!

Edited June 25, 2017 by Kirk Wood

I have spent a lot of time in North Dakota but not volunteering in state parks.  I did recently visit the Lewis and Clark Center and it is a very nice site.    The visitor center is a ways away from the Fort where it looks like the RV parking would be but I am guessing they also use volunteers at the Fort visitor center.

  On 6/25/2017 at 4:24 AM, trostberg said:

The visitor center is a ways away from the Fort where it looks like the RV parking would be but I am guessing they also use volunteers at the Fort visitor center.

As I understand it, in past years the center has only used local volunteers and for pretty limited jobs, but the ND parks have had budget cuts and so now have a smaller staff and will use volunteers in more positions. We will be staying in the campground at Cross Ranch, as there is no RV site with sewer at the center. The plan is that we would do interpretive work at both parks at various times. The center manager indicated that he is now working with the Cross Ranch manager and the entire work plan isn't yet developed. 

Agree that they DO plan a year in advance. As we left our host position on the 31st, they were already talking about 2018. (Their lives are much easier if they have volunteers lined up.)

ND is a great state...love it up there!

  On 9/3/2017 at 5:02 PM, ToddF said:

ND is a great state...love it up there!

We will be living at Cross Ranch SP and be working both there and at Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center next summer, but so far the details like our arrival and departure dates are not definite. Really looking forward to the experience. Once we arrive, I will have at least traveled through all 50 states and spent significant time in more than 30 of them. 

Wow - that is impressive! It's what I want to do... become familiar with places - their people, culture and natural surroundings.