I met the dreamiest ranger at Zion two weeks ago. I would never bother someone at work so I didn’t but I’m just curious how often y’all get hit on by the public haha

I'll try to keep this as short as possible. I've always had the thought of being a park ranger as a career throughout my whole. Wasn't set on it but the idea was there. There's other career options I've considered but they're a lot more 'risky' jobs and I have to be fully in all the way otherwise i'm screwed by student loans. But I love the outdoors and nature. Always wanted a job where I can just do that. I know that there's more to it than that obviously but I'm generalizing it.

But I know that it's not a huge paying job and that's what I worry about. Every other option I could take I'm guaranteed around 150k after a few years but it's not what I really want. With the way the world is and how expensive everything is what my salery will be is very important. My partner is a bit older than me and has had time to get more money along with what he got from his parents when they died so he's decently off. But I want to earn my own money and have a good job that I could afford to take care of myself only as everyone should do and not rely on anybody else.

So I'm just curious to the actual rangers in this sub do you make enough? Is maybe making a little less worth it for a job that you really love? It's all I really wanna do but I want to make a smart decision with this and I'm more getting to a point where I have to make a decision of which course to take before I get past the age where it can get harder starting out.

I was wondering if any of you guys have switched from accounting to park ranger and if you are happy with your decision. If you regret your decision please feel free to mention that as well. Any input would be very much appreciated

I am trans and do community cleanup, and I know several acquaintances who are queer and whose full-time or part-time jobs are parks and rec. My guess for rural areas is that they can be alone without stigma (Brokeback Mountain), but I'm in a big city and the urban and suburban conservationists tend to be queer. So what calls rainbow people to green careers?

From what I’ve read online and heard from others, adults and teens are allowed to complete the workbooks to earn a junior ranger badge. I have a lot of fond memories completing the books to learn about the parks as a child and collecting the badges. I have autism and I’m really shy, but worked up the courage to approach the person at the desk and say “I’m sorry if this is a weird question, do you give out junior ranger badges?” She gave me a look and scoffed saying, “Yeah, for children.” I was embarrassed because people around started looking at me and thought maybe she misunderstood, so I added “I completed the Junior Ranger Workbook and heard that you can-“ and she cut me off and told me “These are for children to get them to learn about the park. Are you picking one up for a child?” I didn’t know what to say anymore so I just nodded and she told me she couldn’t give it to me because the child wasn’t there. This was my first time putting myself out there and I feel so embarrassed I want to dig myself in a hole and never come out. Is it usually this way? I don’t want to give up trying to talk to rangers and people working at the parks. I’m sorry if any of this sounds strange, I’m not the best at social norms as you can see and didn’t know where else to ask.

This might be a very dumb question but I need help. Please be nice as I don’t think I’m violating any community rules 🙏.

My best friend is a park ranger at a beachy county park in a warm state. He drives trucks a lot, does a lot of very physical work, and I guess all the other typical duties of a county park ranger (parking enforcement lol). His birthday is coming up, and I’d like to see if I can get him something that might be good for his job while having it be a surprise. What are some things park rangers tend to find really helpful? Any particular shoe brands or gear? Just curious.

Anything is appreciated!

Update:

You’re right it was about the executive order from yesterday. It appears the RIF plan is due in 30 days.

I don’t want to say where I am. The superintendent said we should all have a plan B.

Fork in the road has not closed yet due to the injunction.

Ive been here less than a month. Pretty sure I’ll be on the chopping block.

I haven’t been able to secure a winter job yet as a seasonal intern/park guide, I know they’re rare and I am fairly new with NPS. What do y’all do in off seasons? Does anyone apply for unemployment?

I'm a new volunteer at a museum/park and recently came into contact with mouse droppings (smell). When I first came today I noticed a weird smell at our welcome desk. My supervisor thought I was crazy until I identified mouse droppings about 3 feet from me on a nearby rack. I was exposed to the droppings in close proximity for over three hours.

While the smell wasn't the worst part, the thing that scares me the most is the potential exposure to Hantavirus. How common is this in other parks? Is there someone I should report this too?

I'm debating if I should just find a different park to volunteer or just stay at this one. Any advice helps!

Hello! Posting here for maximum coverage. I want to hear from you land management agencies about how many folks you lost this past week. I am not a reporter, I am not media, I am simply a fellow ranger wanting to get an idea of the damage. I'm not going to ask you to throw it out in the comments what you lost and where, so my dm is open. I'm trying to put a list together. Thank you for your time and your service.

I was just reading something about Trump's push to rebrand AI as "super intelligence" and was wondering if anyone has experienced any nudges from higher-ups to use AI in any way, shape, or form at national parks. Doesn't seem to be any immediate uses for park rangers, but that might not stop managers for asking!

Just curious!

Hey all! Pretty much what the title says, but I wanted to elaborate.

With America’s administration being- well, what it is- I’ve been having lots of concerns in general. One I haven’t heard much about or been able to stay as informed on though was our National Parks system. I’m loosely aware of budget cuts, and maybe some risks from pipelines? That’s about it though.

So, I wanted to ask you all to chime in! Give me anecdotes, documentaries, articles, websites, even social media accounts- any kind of resource that talks about this stuff!

I have an opportunity to travel coming up and am aiming to go to a national park but I want to go to one that is facing these issues so I can learn face-to-face more about how these issues developed, how they’re evolving today, and what kind of advocacy or actions I can take to help out the parks.

I know I’m a rambler but I wanted to give some context about my background, my intentions, and the kind of information I’m looking for- so thank you for taking the time to read all of this!

Hi, so I am currently in community college and would love to get some reccomendations on potential paths going forward. Would it be best to finish my pre-reqs and transfer to a 4 year college or try to do a 2 year course? Im very passtionate about protecting natural life and wildlife and fighting against erosion, especially since majority of State Parks in my state deal with erosion. Any advice would be amazing and much apprectiated. thank you:)

How did you guys keep yourselves occupied for 8 hours a day without a cell phone

Hello all , as you can tell I’m new to this subreddit but i don’t want to take up too much of your time I am just looking for confirmation on what the physical test to become a parks enforcement officer or park ranger consists of, I have regularly Been jogging every other morning to get my endurance up by ramping up to doing 2-3 miles and on non running day I have been focusing more on studying and core exercises.Is there any insight on what I should expect for a physical test to qualify for the field ?

Hi everyone, I’m a 19M who’s been dreaming of becoming a park ranger for years—since high school. I even went to college for biology because of this goal, but during my freshman year, I had severe burnout and a mental health crisis that caused me to fail my first semester. It broke me, but I recently discovered that I can pursue this career through an alternative path: gaining 6 months of specialized experience (like trail cleaning as an intern) to qualify for an official park ranger position at a national park.

I’m very passionate about this career path, but I do have some concerns, especially about pay and housing. A family friend who was a park ranger managed to raise kids on the salary and lived in housing provided by the park, but this was years ago, when the economy was different. I’m wondering if that kind of life is still possible today. Can park ranger housing accommodate a future family? Is it realistic to support kids on this career long-term?

I have the option to go back to school for two years to pursue a high-paying cybersecurity job, but I’m not excited about it. I despise school, and sitting at a desk all day doesn’t appeal to me. While the salary would be great for financial security, I fear it would lead to burnout, leaving me only enjoying the time I’m not working.

From what I’ve heard, being a park ranger offers so many things I want in a career: working outdoors, interacting with plants and animals, emergency response, wildlife projects, and making a meaningful impact on the environment. I’ve spoken to people who work with park rangers or knew them personally, but I haven’t had the chance to hear directly from park rangers themselves.

If you’re a park ranger (or know one), I’d love to hear your perspective. Is it still a career where you can build a good life and support a family? What’s the reality of the work, pay, housing, and overall lifestyle? I’m passionate about this field, but I need to know if it’s something I can commit to long-term.

Has anyone worked in a park with housing downtown/close to work and a grocery store within walking distance? State or federal. My car is quickly deteriorating and I don’t want having no car to be the reason why I have to spend a summer back home

I've recently been looking into becoming a park ranger at a local state park because recent changes in my current job have made me realize how much I want a job where I know I'm making a difference and doing the right thing. I also have always loved nature and parks and previously considered going into botany.

After talking to a few rangers at state parks as I visited, one particular ranger said to become a park ranger I would need experience in plumbing, woodworking, landscaping, and the ability to identify most local plants/ animals. How true is this? Of course I'm sure having this experience would make it easier to get hired but for state park rangers how much knowledge is expected and what should I mainly focus on learning/ gaining experience in? I have a bit of experience in wood working and considering myself decently knowledgeable on the local ecosystem but I have no experience in plumbing and very little in landscaping. What things do I need to learn or what would be expected of me in general?

I’m in North Carolina and currently a volunteer firefighter in a rural area going through a community college fire academy. I’m also working toward an associate degree in Public Safety Administration (Fire/Emergency Management). My original plan has been to become a career firefighter, but lately I’ve been looking more into the National Park Service and NC State Parks. I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors, working with my hands, helping people, and being active, so park ranger work has really caught my interest.

My work experience is mostly restaurants and Amazon delivery, along with volunteer firefighting. I don’t have a background in natural resource management or parks, although I recently applied to volunteer with NC State Parks to hopefully start getting some experience.

How difficult would it be to break into the field with my background? I’m especially curious about the difference between getting hired with NC State Parks versus the NPS, and whether an associate degree and volunteer experience would get me anywhere. I’m also wondering about the pay, schedules, and long-term stability. I enjoy firefighting and the shift schedules are appealing, so I’m hesitant to give that up for something that might only be seasonal.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who made a similar career change or got into park work without a traditional parks or natural resources background.

Heyo! I’m going to be graduating here in a year or so and I’m looking forward into jobs in the Backcountry of Alaska. I don’t mind decently low pay as long as I can sustain myself to rent a small place and buy food.

To give some background, I have a degree in Outdoor Rec and Wilderness Medicine and Rescue. I’ll be graduating with my Wilderness EMT, LNT Level 2, Wildland Fire Certs (S-130 +field day, S-190, and S-180), Sawyer Cert, Part 107 Commercial Drone License, ACE Swiftwater Rescue Cert, 2 years of experience as an Interpretive Ranger, 2 years of experience in Conservation/Trail Design and Building, and a season of Rock Climbing/Caving Guiding.

Does anyone have any input on how they got into the field or any recommendations for how I can carve a path for myself to get there?

I’d love to hear any other peoples stories!

Would anyone be willing to share recent working experiences with resource management/wildlife in the park?

I'm interested in applying there, but have heard some concerning rumors. Thanks!

I was curious if anyone in this community knew when Forest Service seasonal positions were flying for summer 2027?

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/870520700/

Hello all,
I just wanted to see if anyone else has heard anything back on this announcement? I maybe worrying for no reason, just wanting to hear from others to get an idea of the progress that’s been made!

Thanks!

Hi all, sorry if this has been asked before. I was hoping to put in my application this November for a direct hire LE position with the NPS. With the recent changes in the hiring process, how does the park matching process work? What decides on where you’re sent off to?

I’m a current seasonal non LE NPS employee. No law enforcement experience or bachelors degree (associates in May) but I do have my EMT-B. If that means anything. Thank you for your help!

For clarification, I live in North Carolina, where park rangers are still all law enforcement.

I have autism, and while I am on the "higher functioning" end and able to manage it much better than I could as a kid, it is still a disability that seeps into most every aspect of my life. I can clarify what my symptoms are like if need be. I also had some pretty significant struggles with mental health as an older teenager that I had to be medicated for, but again, can now regulate much better at 22 than I could at 18.

It may be worth mentioning that I was previously in the National Guard for nearly two years (enlisted when I was freshly 17) and the aforementioned mental health issues were what got me medically discharged - they were not related to service, but goings on in my personal life. I had not yet received my autism diagnosis at this time.

While I believe I am now in a solid enough frame of mind to pass a psych evaluation, I worry that this mental health history of mine will come up in a background check or something and ruin my chances of having the job I've wanted since I was a kid.

Is there still a chance for me, or should I begin looking for an alternate line of work?