Volunteer
Trail Maintenance/Construction Volunteering
Trails, once built, will not survive without maintenance. Mother Nature is constantly trying to reclaim the trail corridor. Trees fall; saplings, shrubs, grasses, vines and briers grow, etc.Without a volunteer workforce, the trails would soon become unusable.
Portions of the trails were constructed by the CCC and volunteers over 70 years ago. Often times trails must be rerouted due to washouts and land slides as is the case of the CLOSURE of the OHT between the Cherry Bend TH and E Fly Gap Road TH is closed due to a landslide
New trails are constructed to connect sections of existing trails. A project is underway to connect the OT and the OHT between Dawt Mill, MO and Norfork Dam, AR.
The associations overseeing the major trails need volunteers to keep the trails open and enjoyable for all.
The Ozark Trail Association is powered by volunteers like our many trail adopters who form the core of our volunteer program. The Adopt-A-Trail program provides opportunities for hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, equestrians, and outdoor enthusiasts alike to adopt and maintain a segment of the Ozark Trail (OT). There are 14 sections of the Ozark Trail that span over 400 miles of trail across Missouri.
One of the major roles of the Ozark Highlands Trail Association is maintaining the trails in a usable condition. OHTA has agreements with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service to provide this volunteer workforce.
About 270 miles of the OHT have been built with 50 miles to do construct in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness and 3 gaps near Lake Norfork. When complete, the OHT will run about 320 miles across northern Arkansas
If you are interested in donating your time, we have periodic maintenance outings to address issues at a particular location on the trail; and we also allow members to “adopt” a section of trail that they routinely maintain.
Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) is an all-volunteer force. The most important thing you can do is dedicate your time to help accomplish our mission. Volunteers can either adopt a section of trail or join periodic work parties.
The Ouachita National Recreation Trail stretches 223 miles through the beautiful Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The “Ouachita Trail”, as it is more commonly known, runs from Talimena State Park in Oklahoma, through Queen Wilhelmina State Park and ends at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, near Little Rock, Arkansas.
If you are interested in helping FoOT maintain the OT, consider adopting a section of the trail! Sections marked as ‘Not Adopted’ on the Trail Conditions Report are available for adoption now.
The Poplar Bluff Trails Coalition was established in January 2021, the Poplar Bluff Trails Coalition (PBTC) is an all-volunteer, 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to plan, promote, build and maintain trails in the greater Poplar Bluff, Missouri region. We serve Butler, Carter, Dunklin and Wayne Counties in the State of Missouri. To achieve our mission, we partner with a variety of public, private and non-profit landowners to plan, construct and improve trail networks for mountain biking, hiking, trail running and equestrian use.
Buffalo National River has volunteer opportunities for all different ages, interests, and time commitments. Explore our current volunteer openings. Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Buffalo National River and we look forward to working together!
National Scenic Riverways Missouri offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups as part of the Volunteers-In-Parks program. Work behind the scenes or on the front line in positions ranging from a one-time service project/ volunteer event to a longer term position, serving alongside park employees or with one of our many partner organizations.