Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, WA – Volunteer Vacation 2024

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT: Spend two amazing weeks contributing to the improvement of trails in Washington through consecutive Volunteer Vacations. Team up with Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge for a joint expedition. Interested in participating in two trips? The initial trip registration costs $425, while subsequent trips have a registration fee of $375 each.

Hidden between the foothills of the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains, this unique, forested, mountainous Refuge provides habitat for large mammals like bears, deer, elk, and moose as well as over 200 species of birds. Join the opportunity to support trail work at Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and explore almost 43,0000 acres of this wildlife preserve.

Maintenance at Bear Creek Connector trail will expand opportunities for visitors to experience Little Pend Oreille’s iconic pine woodlands alongside some of the largest restored grassland ecosystems on the refuge. Volunteers will use hand tools to cut approximately 2 miles of trail in largely flat terrain, with brush clearing necessary along portions of the route. Some trail signage may be deployed during the project period and mechanical weed control along routes, which volunteers may be asked to assist with. The Mill Butte trail is a 4-mile loop near refuge headquarters that requires seasonal clearing of brush and fallen woody debris. If work on the Bear Creek Connector trail is completed early, volunteers will conduct maintenance on the Mill Butte Trail. Volunteers will be driven to the worksite, which is less than a mile from the bunkhouse and accessible via maintained gravel road.

During this trip, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge’s average high temperature is 58°, and average low temperature is 38°.

There is no experience needed to join a Volunteer Vacation! Your expert hosts will provide detailed instruction, tool demonstrations, and project oversight throughout the week. All you need is a willing attitude and to be in good physical condition to participate in moderate physical activity for approximately 6-8 hours a day with plenty of breaks, at your own pace. Find out more about what it’s like to join a Volunteer Vacation and other frequently asked questions here.

AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, Ktunaxa ɁamakɁis, snʕickstx tmxʷúlaʔxʷ (Sinixt), Syilx (Okanagan), and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation peoples past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations, their deep and sacred connection to these lands, and those who continue to steward these lands today. We offer this land acknowledgement as the first of many steps to stand as an ally and amplify Indigenous voices. We invite the American Hiking Society community to join us through continued efforts to support Indigenous communities and learn more about the history of the lands on which we live, work and recreate.

Click here for a PDF of trip details.