Wilderness Corps Intern
Internship Description
Our Wilderness Corps trail crews do the hard work it takes to restore and maintain the most remote Forest Service trails in southwest Oregon and northwest California. They backpack into project sites and spend their days removing downed logs, cutting thick brush, and rebuilding forgotten trails. Through the process, each year interns visit most remote pockets of this region acclaimed for its biodiversity and complex natural history.
Interns commit to a term of service of varying lengths, working a rigorous schedule of work hitches extending anywhere between eight and 21 days. They are led by field staff with multiple years of experience in backcountry trail work.
Crew members get mixed-and-matched to fit projects, but off-trail activities are spent as a group. Required off-trail activities include things such as:
- Whitewater rafting trips
- Visit to Crater Lake National Park with their staff
- Visits at California’s Redwood National and State Park
- Vocational workshops and civic engagement
- Classroom training activities to gain nationally-recognized qualifications
The Wilderness Corps is an intense and immersive experience. Interns participate in an online onboarding process leading up to their term and jump right in on their start date. Each intern provides consistent feedback that inspires progress and growth. Project locations are predetermined but can change depending on conditions. Each crew member must complete our approximately 15-hour online curriculum before their term starts.
Location
Projects occur throughout Southwest Oregon and Northwest California. Our home base for off-trail days is Ashland, OR, though we may venture out for some off-trail activities.
Terms, Pay & Housing
In 2026, we have two start dates and multiple end-dates. The pay is a $1,800 monthly educational stipend that is paid biweekly. Partial months are pro-rated.
Interns who start on June 1 have the option of four end dates. Interns who start June 25 are limited to an August 17 or August 29 end date.
Potential Start Dates: June 1 and JUne 25
Potential End Dates: July 27, August 5, August 17, August 29
Learn more and apply here.