A volunteer vacation can be a new adventure

Posted by Bill on Monday, March 17, 2008   |   No Comments

This is the time of year when the urge to get out and get going grows almost too powerful to resist. Winter is winding down, and spring is around the corner. So if you’re beginning to lay travel plans for the months ahead, this post will give you something a little different to consider—a volunteer vacation.

For the last 30 years the American Hiking Society has offered opportunities to mix hiking with volunteer work. This year is no exception, and AHS has 75 projects in 25 states scheduled between February and November. Called Trail Stewardship Projects, these volunteer vacations involve building and maintaining trails on public lands in locations across the country.

The crews range from six to 15 volunteers and a crew leader. Expect some backpacking and/or day hiking. Overnight accommodations range from rustic campgrounds to bunkhouses or cabins. Clearly, a volunteer vacation with AHS is not for everyone. But if you’re willing to devote a little time to a worthwhile cause and want to explore out-of-the-way spots and meet new friends, it could be an exciting possibility.

The AHS web site tells it like it is: “Bring only your camping gear and a willingness to get dirty. We provide the rest.” An AHS outing is the chance to explore the outdoors at a whole new level. Maybe you’ll help restore a trail or build structures along one. In any event, you’ll learn new things, connect with new people and help make a difference.

You don’t have to have experience, but AHS says that you must be in good physical condition. Each project has a variety of jobs, so there’s always something for every crew member to do, regardless of skill level or age. Participants range from teens to senior citizens. There are even some opportunities for parents to bring younger children along.

You can choose the trip and location that fit you. The outings are designated Easy-Moderate, Moderate-Difficult or Strenuous-Very Strenuous. You can read a description of what each level involves at the AHS site, www.americanhiking.org. Maybe you’re planning to be in a certain region on other travels. Hooking up with an AHS project might be a good way to round out a trip or finish it with a unique experience. Most trips run about a week. Complete details are available at the site I just mentioned.

There are trail projects in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin so the focus is not exactly Midwestern. But there are several projects in states near our 12-state Midwest region, including TN, VA, WV, KY, PA and NY.

Each year the AHS puts several hundred volunteers to work in state or national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, national monuments or properties under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. According to AHS, participants are split pretty equally between men and women. In past years, adventurers in their 50s and 60s have chosen AHS volunteer vacations. But today more and more young professionals are discovering them as a refreshing alternative to standard getaways.

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