Park Aide (Blue Mountain Area) Multiple Parks

Washington State Park Aide

Experience the natural beauty of Washington State Parks and get paid to do it! Temporary Washington State Park Aide jobs are perfect for:

• People who like to get outside and enjoy nature, do physical work, and contribute to a truly important mission - maintaining a fantastic Parks system for everyone!
• Individuals who are interested in a longer-term career with State Parks. Many permanent staff, including members of our executive team, started their careers as Park Aides.
• Students who are looking for summer work.
• Active retirees looking for work that keeps them moving and doing good in the world. Less than full-time work is a possibility in many locations.

Some benefits you might not know or be thinking about:

• Temporary positions are eligible for vacation and sick leave.
• Holiday pay might be available to you depending on when and how long you work.
• Great teammates who care about their work.
• Learning and refining a set of very practical and transferrable job skills.
• Being in nature is good for your physical and mental well-being.
• Wildlife sightings! From chipmunks and quail, to orcas and moose, and everything in between.

Park Aide jobs can be fun, fulfilling and career starters, but there are a few important things to consider:

• Weekend work is expected, and you might be asked to work evening shifts.
• Our Parks are busiest on spring and summer holidays, so we need more of our workers to be on schedule those days. Getting time off around a holiday is not guaranteed.
• Bathroom cleaning is a task that most Park Aides get to experience fairly regularly.
• Most positions are at least moderately physical – walking, raking, bending, kneeling, lifting and moving lighter items (and heavier ones with assistance). If that is not appropriate for you, but you are still interested, read the announcement carefully to determine if there might be a position dedicated to less physical work at the park(s) you are interested in.

The following parks have low-cost housing options for temporary Park Aides this season:

• Lyons Ferry State Park, bunk-house style (2 rooms available).
• The following parks have low-cost options for a recreational vehicle (trailer, camper, etc.) site for temporary Park Aides this season (most require you to provide own functioning RV, vary in size accommodation, and are at a higher cost than the available housing): Camp Wooten State Park, Lyons Ferry State Park, and Sacajawea State Park.

Housing and RV spots are available on a first come-first serve basis. Please contact recruitment directly for more information. Contact information is located at the bottom of this job posting.

This recruitment will be used to fill multiple non-permanent Park Aide positions located throughout the Blue Mountain Area; Camp Wooten, Columbia Plateau Trail, Fields Spring, Lewis & Clark Trail, Lyons Ferry, Palouse Falls and Sacajawea State Parks. The majority of positions are available and may begin April, May, or June and generally are 3-8 months in duration. The number of vacancies will vary from park to park. Positions in this area typically are scheduled to work 40 hours a week, but we may have ability to offer less than full-time work – over the entire period of employment or for specific periods. If you are interested in less than 40 hours a week, just let us know in the supplemental questions section of the application process.

This position is not eligible to telework, as physical in-office presence is required to perform essential functions.

Benefits eligibility for this position may be different than what's listed in the benefits tab of this recruitment announcement, for more information on employee benefits eligibility visit - Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB).

Park Aide Recruitment Video - Typical Day - Washington State Parks

To read about other current and former Park Aides' experiences, click Here!

Camp Wooten State Park (located in Columbia County) Nestled in the valley along the Tucannon River in the Blue Mountains, sits State Park's largest retreat center, Camp Wooten. Built in the 1930's by Civilian Conservation Corps crews this camp now hosts many large groups looking for a beautiful place to get away from it all. Camp Wooten offers a dining hall with large commercial kitchen, a recreation hall, sleeping cabins, restrooms with showers, and even an indoor swimming pool. There are sleeping accommodations for up to 200 people and with park manager approval, tents and RVs may be allowed.

Columbia Plateau State Park Trail (located in Adams County) is a 4,109-acre, 130-mile-long rail-bed trail that traces the 1908 original path of the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railroad 15 scenic developed trail miles along the Snake River are stunning for hikers, bikers, or equestrian riders who explore from the Ice Harbor Dam trail head to the Snake River Junction trail head.

Fields Spring State Park (located in Asotin County) is a 792-acre, forested park open year-round. Located in the Blue Mountains of Southeastern Washington, Fields Spring has several miles of hiking, biking, and running trails, as well as campsites, lodges, teepees, and a cabin for overnight guests. Winter activities include cross-country ski trails, a tubing hill and snowshoeing. Fields Spring has a diversity of wildflowers, native trees and plants, wildlife, and birds, and is located near popular hunting and fishing areas in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Lewis & Clark Trail State Park (located in Columbia County) is a 37-acre camping park with 1,333-feet of freshwater shoreline on the Touchet River. The park is a rare treasure of old-growth forest and river in the midst of the surrounding arid grassland. Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, this lovely, wooded park on the Touchet River refreshes visitors with its unusual vegetation and geology. The park is rich in history.

Lyons Ferry State Park (located in Franklin County) is a 168-acre park situated at the confluence of the Palouse and Snake rivers. It once was home to early groups of the Palouse Indians. The park has more than 52,000 feet of shoreline and offers a variety of activities, including boating, fishing, hiking and swimming. Lyons Ferry was named for the ferry crossing that operated across the Snake River from the mid-1860s until the late-1960s, when it was replaced by the Lyons Ferry Bridge, also known as the Snake River Bridge.

Palouse Falls State Park (located in Franklin County) is a 94-acre park known as an ideal picnic and birding spot. The park offers three distinct views of the state waterfall. The lower viewpoint provides a direct view; it is reached by a set of steps from the main day-use area adjacent to the parking lot. The second, at the end of a paved interpretive path, tells the story of the secluded canyon. Both the interpretive path and gravel secondary parking area lead to the third and highest viewpoint, the Fryxell Overlook, offering panoramic views of the falls and Palouse River Canyon.

Sacajawea State Park (located in Franklin County) is a 284-acre inland waters, day-use park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers. It features 9,100 feet of freshwater shoreline. The area is spread out with a big sky and excellent views of the two rivers as they flow together. The park features the Sacajawea Interpretive Center, where visitors can learn about the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition through the experiences of Sacagawea, the young Shoshone Indian woman who accompanied the expedition.

Under the supervision of the Park Ranger or the lead of a Senior Park Aide, Park Aides perform a variety of tasks at a State Park, beach, or historical area. A typical work day may include anything from registering campers and collecting camp fees, to cleaning facilities, mowing lawns, or explaining park rules. The specific duties will have some variation by park location. Primary duties include, but are not limited to:

• Maintain park facilities through light routine maintenance and janitorial services.
• Perform grounds maintenance work, such as cutting grass, weeding flower beds, pruning shrubs, raking leaves, and picking up litter.
• Maintain park lawns using a mower, weed eater, trimmer, and various maintenance tools.
• Provide park information to visitors and answer phones.
• Register campers, collect, sort and count revenue; prepare bank transmittals and deposits.
• Perform daily garbage collection