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Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical ParkPhoto of canal laborer food and drink during park special event.
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Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Volunteer
 
Volunteer at the C&O Canal
NPS Photo

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park has many opportunities for our visitors who are interested in volunteering for the park. Whether your interest is in living history, bike patrolling, park maintenance, or staffing a visitor center, the C&O Canal has many rewarding volunteer jobs. To find out more about volunteering in the park, please click on the link of your choice.

Specific park volunteer jobs and descriptions are listed below.

To apply as a volunteer, please go to current volunteer opportunities and complete the volunteer form.  Thank you for your interest in volunteering

 
Photo of Billy Goat Trail Steward.
NPS Photo
Volunteering in a national park is a rewarding and exciting experience.

Throughout the country, thousands of individuals assist the National Park Service by volunteering their time and talents. These people who work side-by-side in partnership with NPS employees are called Volunteers in Parks, or VIPs. VIPs care about the parks- their past, present, and future- and care about the people who come to visit the parks.

Wherever they work, whatever their job, VIPs help the park service in its challenging mission: To conserve the parks' natural and historical resources and to provide for their enjoyment in a way that will leave them unimpaired for future generations. Following are volunteer opportunities available at the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Click for more information or contact volunteer coordinator, Danny Filer, by phone at 301-714-2218 or email.

 

Application to Volunteer in the Park

Application for Volunteer Bike Patrol

Volunteer Data Form

Photo Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center.
Visitor Center location and hours.
Where can you gain more knowledge about the C&O Canal?
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Photo of park rangers interpreting building the canal.  

Did You Know?
Canal historians estimate approximately 35,000 laborers helped dig the canal as well as build aqueducts, culverts, locks, lock houses, etc. It took 22 years to build the canal from Georgetown, DC to Cumberland, MD. Much of the workforce were immigrants from Ireland and western Europe.

Last Updated: May 01, 2008 at 17:05 EST