Volunteer information
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Oregon Department of Forestry. Volunteering with ODF is a great way to engage with your community, improve the environment and make a personal mark on the places you visit and enjoy. Volunteers are the backbone of our recreation program, with support for hiking, biking, OHV riding, target shooting, and everything in between.
The Recreation, Education, and Interpretation Program is currently reviewing and reimaging many of the department's former volunteer operations, such as trail patrol and ODF-directed volunteer field days to fit current capacity and facility needs. However, many opportunities (campground hosts, Tillamook Forest Center hosts) remain during the process of establishing new procedures and plans for all volunteer opportunities.
Check out the volunteer opportunities below to see how you can get involved.
The Tillamook Forest Center invites you to consider sharing your passion and experience to help make the center a memorable place for visitors. Whether assisting with programs, meeting and greeting visitors in the exhibit hall or on the trails, working in the gift shop and at the information desk, or helping behind the scenes, volunteers bring their own special insights and know-how to the Tillamook Forest Center team. For more information, please
visit the Tillamook Forest Center website.
Camp hosting is a great way to travel around the United States experiencing new areas and meeting new people.
The ODF Recreation Program has camp host positions at eight campgrounds spread across the Tillamook, Santiam and Clatsop stat e forests. Each year, opportunities arise for camp hosts throughout the forests, and everyone interested is encouraged to seek further information.
All camp hosts are provided:
- Free campsite in a scenic campground
- Firewood throughout the season
- Power (An ODF generator with propane or electrical hook-ups)
- Water (Either from a water tank or the campground system)
- Septic (Either into below-ground tank or a RV tank)
- ODF uniforms and gear
- Training in the recreational field
The host season runs from the middle of May through the middle of October. All hosts are preferred to stay for at least one month, but can serve many different periods.
If you are interested in spending the summer in the forests and helping to provide recreational opportunities for all Oregonians, please apply through the link below.
Do you have a favorite trail in an Oregon State Forest and are looking for a way to give back to the area you enjoy? Partner with ODF to adopt the trail you love!
You can become a working partner in the trail management team where you or your club can volunteer to maintain established trails and keep them clean. Adopt an entire trail, or a specific segment of a trail – whatever you or your group can manage best.
Adopting a trail means doing maintenance work, providing status reports to the State Forest Recreation, Education and Interpretation Team, and helping to identify and complete trail upgrade or improvement projects. Anyone can adopt a trail from a single person, to a group of family and friends, to an organized club or business.
The Adopt A Trail Program is currently offered on the Tillamook, Clatsop and Santiam State Forests. Contact Joe Offer, Recreation Program Manager, for more information at 503-359-7464.