Job Description

Join American Hiking Society for a week of building & maintaining trails in exciting locations across the country. Volunteer Vacations foster public land stewardship and provide volunteers the opportunity to give back to the trails they love, meet new people, and have a great time doing it! Crews consist of 6-15 volunteers accompanied by a crew leader. Volunteer Vacations involve backpacking or day hiking and accommodations vary from primitive campsites to bunkhouses or cabins. Tools and supervision are provided by the host agency or organization. Experience nature up close. Travel to new destinations. Meet other outdoor enthusiasts. Take a vacation that nourishes your body & your spirit. Get Out. Give Back.

Project Specifics:

Dive into St. John’s 3,000 years of human history! Go beyond Virgin Islands National Park’s stunning white-sand beaches. Hike to historic plantation sites to learn about a challenging past when sugar and enslaved labor dominated life on the island. Visit the Indigenous Taino’s ancient petroglyphs. Snorkel coral reefs to discover hidden marine life. Two-thirds of the island of St. John is a national park, making it a unique destination for visitors!

The volunteer trail crew’s scope of work includes trails maintenance, clearing of historical sites, native tree planting projects, invasive species removal, and trash/debris removal. Common tools on the crew are loppers, weed whackers, hand saws and shovels. Volunteers will need to be physically capable of hiking up to 5 miles on uneven terrain while carrying 20 lbs and performing manual labor in hot and humid conditions for up to 6 hours a day. The maximum elevation gain is around 800ft.

Hiking/Access

Volunteers will hike up to 5 miles on uneven terrain while carrying 20 lbs and performing manual labor in hot and humid conditions for up to 6 hours a day. Maximum elevation changes the crew will experience is up to 1200 ft. Crew will be transported in the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park van to and from the worksites. The roads in the Park are generally paved, however some worksites are down unpaved roads. We may drive 1-10+ miles a day, depending on the worksite.

Area and Attractions

Virgin Islands National Park's diverse beaches, coral reefs, historic ruins, and hiking trails provide endless hours of exploration and enjoyment, as well as inspiration and opportunities for solitude and reflection. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities on the land and in the water, including swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving; sailing, kayaking and windsurfing; and camping, hiking, bird watching and archaeology. Enjoy the crystal blue waters on one of the many day-sail charter or snorkeling tours, or for a terrestrial experience try a 2- hour island safari tour, all offered by private operators.

Accommodations Description

The volunteer campground is a three-minute walk from the beautiful white sand beach of Cinnamon Bay with excellent swimming and snorkeling (no lifeguard on duty). Each volunteer will be given a Eureka Copper Canyon 12 tent that is big enough to stand up and walk around in. They are situated on raised wooden platforms and equipped with 2 cots (no bedding provided). The campground kitchen is equipped with two Coleman double-burner propane stoves, a propane grill, a refrigerator, a full complement of kitchenware, picnic tables, coolers, drinking water, electric lights, and a cell phone charging station. There are two cold-water showers and two toilets at camp. There is WIFI and a convenience store as the Cinnamon Bay Campground restaurant (a separate facility from ours that volunteers are welcome to use). Volunteers need to bring their own sheets, bedding or sleeping bag; and towels.

Trip Cost: $425 per person

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