San Juan Islands National Monument, WA (Weekend Trip-Family Friendly 12+)

Join one of the most popular recurring Volunteer Vacations to help this friendly island community maintain local trails! Enjoy stunning ocean vistas, where there is a chance to see a pod of orca whales, humpbacks, or a plethora of other marine life and sea birds.

Situated in the northern reaches of Washington State’s Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands are a uniquely beautiful archipelago of over 450 islands, rocks, and pinnacles. The new San Juan Islands National Monument encompasses approximately 1,000 acres of land spread across many of these rocks and islands and managed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. Drawing visitors from around the world, this is a landscape of unmatched contrasts, where forests seem to spring from gray rock and distant, snow-capped peaks provide the backdrop for sandy beaches. The San Juan Islands National Monument is a trove of scientific and historic treasures, a refuge for an array of wildlife, and a classroom for generations of Americans.

Volunteers will join in on basic trail maintenance focused on social trail mitigation. This work will include trail brushing, cutting back overhanging or encroaching vegetation, leveling potholed sections, installing signs or barriers across social trails, and tool maintenance. Volunteers will need to drive or carpool to the project site. Volunteers will walk from the parking area to the trail(s) where work will be done. The hike will be under 2 miles on flat or mostly flat terrain.

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.