Volunteer

Volunteers are the backbone of the Big City Mountaineers program. Big City Mountaineers is always looking for qualified, positive adult role models to fill our needs as adult leaders. We offer weeklong high adventure expeditions (backpacking or canoeing), as well as shorter excursions in some locations.

Volunteer for a Relate expedition (7-day backpacking or 8-day paddling):

Our Relate backpacking expeditions take place in California, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest and may take you as high as 12,000 feet above sea level, depending on the trip location. Our canoeing expeditions take place in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. As a BCM Team Member, you will be expected to hike or paddle up to eight miles per day, while working with youth who may have never experienced the outdoors. You need to be prepared to handle the tough parts of the day in a positive manner so the youth learn how to handle their own obstacles with confidence. All Relate programs run during the summer months.

*All NEW volunteers must reside within 200 miles of Denver, Oakland, Portland or Seattle for backpacking trips, and within the states of Illinois, Wisconsin or Minnesota for paddling trips.

Volunteer for Go single day outings in your area:

Love the outdoors, but can’t commit to a full week expedition? Get involved with our Go program on single-day outings. Go events are single-day outdoor activities in local parks, including hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, snowshoeing and climbing, designed to introduce urban teens to the outdoors. Go events are also used after RELATE trips to continue the relationships of teens and adults that experienced our summer program together. Go outings will take place in the evenings or on weekends throughout the year.

Front Country Volunteers:

Planning and fundraising for BCM expeditions is a year-round process. We rely heavily on volunteers for help in our offices, with gear management, and other special events. Most of these opportunities will take place in one of our regional hubs; however, there is a chance for remote volunteer opportunities for certain projects.

Interested in learning more? Apply now