Backcountry Trails Program 2025 Application

Thank you for your interest in serving with AmeriCorps in California. Are you ready for an unforgettable summer living and working in the wilderness - all while developing sought-after skills in conservation? AmeriCorps members in the Backcountry Trails Program venture far into the mountains to do some of the most challenging and ultimately rewarding work of their lives. We are putting together six wilderness trail crews that will operate out of backcountry camps, totally unplugged from the conveniences of modern technological life. We are a highly structured, regimented program that focuses on hard work, wilderness stewardship, personal growth, community development….and adventure. While serving on physically demanding trail restoration projects in intense conditions, you and your crew will help make wild lands safer and more accessible for generations to come.

Special Benefits

Work and live in Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Inyo National Forest, Trinity Alps, or the Klamath National Forest! Google these locations, they are incredible and scenic. People travel around the world to visit them.

Why work here

Personal growth: Backcountry alumni consistently rate themselves higher in self-confidence, work skills, community-building, and physical fitness after completing the program.

Career advancement: Most of our alumni go on to be hired for one or more seasons with other outdoor or conservation organizations, including the NPS and USFS.

Rare opportunities: Spend five months living in and exploring some of the most beautiful places in California, where many people only get to visit for a few days in their lives if they’re lucky.

New friends: Meet people from all across the country and bond over a unique experience that very few people have done.

Trainings and scholarships:  All members receive free Wilderness First Aid certification and a half-time AmeriCorps Segal Education Award, in addition to on-the-job training like wilderness navigation, pack animal safety, and trail construction techniques.