VOLUNTEER
WILDERNESS RANGERS
Join our team of Trailhead Hosts and Trail Patrollers.
What do Wilderness Rangers Do?
Volunteer Wilderness Rangers (VWRs) have 2 roles. They serve as TRAILHEAD HOSTS and TRAIL PATROLLERS. In these roles, they are official volunteer representatives of the United States Forest Service, meeting and educating the public and encouraging them to follow Leave No Trace principles. VWRs also record information about hikers and trailhead/trail conditions, and submit a report.
How Do I Become a Wilderness Ranger?
All VWRs go through the same training program and pursue the same objectives. VWR Training requires about 2 hours of work on your own plus a short day of in-person training. Are you interested in volunteering as a Wilderness Ranger? First donate and join as an ESWA member, and indicate that you'd like to be a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger. Finally, sign up for the 2025 VWR class. We'd love to have you on board!
VWR Trailhead Host
VWR Trailhead Hosts post themselves at a trailhead to educate people who are beginning their hike into the Wilderness. They report various trail head statistics.
VWR Patroller
VWR Patrollers sign up for hikes on popular trails and educate the people they encounter about Leave No Trace and the Wilderness. They report various statistics at the end of their hike.
VWR Llama Trips
VWRs can participate in ESWA's overnight Llama trips into the Wilderness. During these trips, they educate people and perform trail work like eliminating illegal fire rings. See the Events Page for upcoming Llama Trips.
