Volunteers needed in the Smokies
As the green season inches closer and visitation ramps up, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is looking for volunteers to engage with visitors and show off the park’s assets.
Three volunteer opportunities are currently available.
• Volunteers at the Clingmans Dome information center, elevation 6,300 feet, educate visitors about high-elevation spruce-fir forests in addition to providing recreational, trip planning and directional information. Volunteers work alongside Great Smoky Mountains Association employees, who operate a bookstore out of the same building.
Two training sessions are required to volunteer, held 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the Sugarlands Visitor Center on the Tennessee side of park. Volunteers work one four-hour shift per week from April 1 to Nov. 30, with help needed Sundays, Mondays and Saturdays. 828.497.1906 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• At Mingus Mill, volunteers will work alongside park employees to educate visitors about the historical role of milling in the Smokies and specifically about the turbine wheel at Mingus Mill, which was built in 1886.
A training 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is required for new volunteers. Volunteers will work at least one four-hour shift per week from April to the end of November. The mill is located a half-mile north of Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 828.497.1906 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Luftee Rovers wander the trails and fields around Oconaluftee Visitor Center to educate visitors about park regulations protecting wildlife, such as waste disposal and safe viewing distances. When elk are in the fields, volunteers help park rangers with traffic management.
A training 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is required. Volunteers will work one four-hour shift per week from mid-April to mid-November. 828.497.1914 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..