If you’ve ever dreamed of spending fall and winter camped out under desert skies, this might be your chance. Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks are looking for RVers to volunteer as campground hosts for the upcoming season. No, we’re not talking about roast-i-cating right now—but applications need to be handled pronto. Camp hosting California national parks is a popular call.
What does camp hosting California national parks entail?
Hosts help welcome campers, answer questions about the park, and keep an eye on the campground. You might be asked to walk through the area each day, count how many people are camping, fill out simple logs and forms, and report wildlife sightings. It’s a great way to meet people, give back, and enjoy the beauty of the parks up close.
Bring your own rig
Volunteers must be able to live on-site inside the parks. That means staying in your RV at a campground with limited amenities—think quiet, remote, and scenic.
Locations and dates
Joshua Tree National Park: Host spots are available at Black Rock, Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Jumbo Rocks, and Ryan campgrounds. The season runs from October 2025 through May 2026.
Death Valley National Park: Host locations include Sunset, Texas Springs, Stovepipe Wells, and Mesquite Springs. The season runs from mid-October 2025 through January 2026.
What you’ll need
Each park has different RV requirements, but all volunteers must commit to at least three months. Make sure to check the application details to see if your rig qualifies.
How to apply
Joshua Tree: Applications are due by July 12. Click here.
Death Valley: No set deadline yet. Apply here.
For RVers looking for a unique way to camp for free, meet fellow travelers, and enjoy the national parks from the inside out, this is a rare opportunity. Camp hosting California national parks may be your ticket.
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RVT1216b
The link for Death Valley does take you to the volunteer page, https://www.nps.gov/deva/getinvolved/volunteer.htm, but the links to the four campgrounds return a 404-Not Found error at Volunteer.gov. At least for me. And searching volunteer.gov doesn’t show any opportunities at Death Valley.
Hi, Chris. I got this message when I clicked on each of the four campgrounds: “Volunteer.gov is using Login.gov to allow you to sign in to your account safely and securely.” on this website: https://secure.login.gov/ where you can set up an account. Things are getting complicated, eh? Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
Hi, Diane. Yes I logged into my Login.gov account, which took me to volunteer.gov, that’s when the “404” error was shown for each of the 4 campgrounds. Searching for those campgrounds in the search bar returned no results. Tried 2 different browsers.
Thanks for the update, Chris. Yes, I tried searching for those campgrounds on the volunteer.gov website also, and saw three others. Unfortunately that’s not something we have any control over. Hopefully, they’ll get it fixed soon.🤞 Have a great day and a fun Fourth. 😀 –Diane
Thank you, Russ and Tina, for the news. Sounds like a great deal for someone, not us, but someone. Have a great day and safe travels!