Get Involved: Ridgway State Park

Colorado Parks and Wildlife values the right of every visitor to experience our state's natural beauty. To provide this opportunity to the disabled community, Ridgway State Park offers the use of the Action Track Chair, floating wheelchair, and inflatable wheelchair paddle board, which allows visitors to explore designated trails in the park. 

The chair allows access to gorgeous park features, sweeping views of the San Juan Mountain Range, a wide variety of fauna, geological and water features and spectacular views of the Cimarron Range. As a volunteer your responsibilities will be to hike alongside Track Chair participants and ensure they have a safe and educational trip! Training will be provided. Year round opportunities available for summertime and autumn strolls, fall hunts, and snow packed trails on occasion (snowshoes provided). Please contact us for more information.

The floating wheelchair and inflatable wheelchair paddle board are available at our Marina office. They can be reserved just like the track chair. As a volunteer your responsibilities will be to prep, store, and show individuals and families how to operate the equipment at the park.

Do you enjoy camping/RV'ing, working outdoors, interacting with people, and have good customer service and communication skills? Become a volunteer Campground Host at Ridgway State Park!

Located at the base of the spectacular San Juan Mountains in Western Colorado, and close to Telluride, Ouray, and Ridgway, make Ridgway State Park the gateway to a wide range of outdoor natural recreation opportunities including fishing, boating, golfing, hiking, alpine 4x4 roads, nature photography and much more. Ridgway State Park has 280 campsites, a 1000-acre reservoir, 15 miles of trails, a swim beach, a marina, picnicking areas, and a fly fishing stream.

Our volunteer hosts assist campers, maintain the campsites, sell firewood, and help with reservations. Hosts may also help in other sections of the park depending on their skills and interests.

Site elevation: 6,800 ft.

1 opening for summer 2024. We are looking for couples or pairs and will discuss with hosts on a case-by-case basis who have children or pets.

Ridgway State Park values the data collection needed to know about current flora and fauna populations at the park. Butterfly monitoring happens annually April-September to capture which butterfly species are migrating and how many are passing through. You would be assigned a monitoring station at the park.

Bird banding happens each September for two weeks and is part of the Audubon's national research. The park hosts school groups during bird banding and at times gives educational training to elementary to high school aged students to participate in the research. Training will be provided. No prior experience needed. 

Provide excellent customer service to rental customers and visitors to the park. Ensure safety procedures are followed by customers and team members. Seek assistance as needed from emergency personnel. Serve as a team member in a positive and friendly manner that fosters a high level of success for the overall park operations and an enjoyable marina atmosphere. Ensure all proper financial and safety forms have been completed by the customers and forwarded to the finance department in a timely manner daily. Inspect and maintain the rental slips, buoys, and boating craft daily with fuel, cleaning and repairs as needed. Require all rental craft are ready for use prior to their reservations by customers. Be neat, presentable and in uniform. Operate computer for financial and administrative transactions.

Located at the base of the spectacular San Juan Mountains in Western Colorado, and close to Telluride, Ouray, and Ridgway, make Ridgway State Park the gateway to a wide range of outdoor natural recreation opportunities including fishing, boating, golfing, hiking, alpine 4x4 roads, nature photography and much more. Ridgway State Park has 280 campsites, a 1000-acre reservoir, 15 miles of trails, a swim beach, a marina, picnicking areas, and a fly fishing stream.

Our volunteer hosts assist campers, maintain the campsites, sell firewood, and help with reservations. Hosts may also help in other sections of the park depending on their skills and interests.

Site elevation: 6,800 ft.

0 opening for summer 2024. We are looking for couples or pairs and will discuss Solo applicants on a case-by-case basis

Ridgway State Park is fortunate enough to have a Group Events Facility and an Overlook at the park that is rented May-September for 1-4 events each weekend. Event types range from company picnics, weddings, wedding receptions, birthday parties, family reunions, celebration of life ceremonies, and more. The group sizes range from 10-250 people at each event. Group Event Facilities can be rented any day 9am-9pm and the Overlook/Conference Room can be rented anytime during business hours. This position would greet the group, answer questions, go through a check-in/check-out procedure, and at times, sell day passes for groups in the Visitor Center parking lot. No clean up or set up duties. 

Support the set up/tear down of large education events at the park where school groups or partner organizations come to the park for a day. 

Support public outreach through archery programs. Work one-on-one with all ages to teach introductory archery skills. Must attend at least one instructor course.

The Friends of Ridgway State Park (FRSP) is a non-profit group which supports Ridgway State Park in many ways. They are particularly involved in supporting the parks' education programs community relationships, and special projects. Friends members may also volunteer in other areas of the park.

Volunteers who serve on the Friends of Ridgway State Park Board are particularly involved in environmental education and interpretation, community relations and special projects. The Friends of Ridgway State Park (FRSP) is a non-profit group which supports Ridgway State Park in many ways. Board Members of the Friends of Ridgway State Park provide the leadership and guidance to the Friends group. The Friends Board meets monthly (except November-January) and determine what projects or programs they are working on and would like to support. They work collaboratively with the State Park staff and provide valuable community input, innovation, and enthusiasm about the park and the surrounding area.

Assist Ridgway State Park with maintaining the beauty and safety of the park by helping with building and grounds maintenance, special construction projects, equipment maintenance and repair, and trail support.

Responsibilities:

• Clean grounds and facilities
• Special and seasonal maintenance
• Construction projects
• Vehicle repairs
• Trail maintenance

Elevation: 6800 feet

Looking for 1 host for the 2024 season! Couples/Pairs preferred.  Individuals, families with children, and people who are still working/in their careers (e.g. working remotely) will still be considered. Volunteers are permitted to have pets.

Put your passion for interpretation and environmental education to use by helping kids of all ages become more aware of the world around them while encouraging them to become active stewards of our precious resources. Naturalist/Education volunteers assist the park interpreter with assigned programs and projects. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to: Preparing and presenting park interpretive programs including campfire talks, nature walks, arts and crafts children's activities. Assisting with multi-media shows and living history programs. Assisting with special park programs and events. Preparing and conducting Jr. Ranger programs and assisting with fishing days and archery clinics. Help prepare and conduct school and group programs. Conducting roving interpretive patrols in campgrounds, on park trails, and at park facilities. Producing artwork or graphic designs for publications, signs, flyers, or exhibits. Marketing and advertising park programs. Assisting with writing and editing newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, and manuals. Volunteers may live in the local community or stay on-site if park has the sites available.

This volunteer position would support Ridgway State Park presence at community outreach events to answer questions about Colorado Parks and Wildlife and build community relationships. 

Do you have a specialized expertise, skill, or interest that you would like to share with Ridgway State Park? If so please contact us and share your ideas. We are always willing to discuss any potential volunteer projects on the park. In the past we have worked with many talented people that have offered assistance and expertise on many special projects and assisted with building and maintaining many of the programs run by Ridgway State Park. In the past Special Interest / Program Support volunteers have: Completed research projects; Completed Eagle Scout projects; Worked on park photography and completed other art projects; Assisted with water quality monitoring; Completed and assisted with fish & wildlife biology projects; Assisted with the park recycling program; Completed, assisted, and provided technical guidance on weed, forestry, GIS, geology, mapping, and historical projects; Helped with public safety and awareness issues; Assisted with boating, snowmobiling, and OHV safety and registration programs; Provided training or other technical assistance to park staff and other volunteers; Assisted with special events.

Assist with design, construction, and maintenance of park trails. Serve as crew member or crew leader on trail construction. Renovation and maintenance. Design or install trail signage. Participate in prearranged trail or maintenance days.

Assist Ridgway State Park with a variety of clerical, general office support duties, or fee collection. This position is perfect for a volunteer who enjoys interacting with people, has good customer service and communication skills, and who enjoys working in a retail sales environment.

Responsibilities:

• Answer phones
• Assist visitors
• Sell park passes
• Retail sales
• Restocking inventory
• Other tasks as assigned

Elevation: 6800 feet

Looking for 1 host for the 2024 season! Couples/Pairs preferred.  Individuals, families with children, and people who are still working/in their careers (e.g. working remotely) will still be considered. Hosts are permitted to have pets.