Park Ranger Career Development Internship

The Virginia Department of Conservation (DCR) is the state’s lead conservation agency, and it takes a diverse agency to work for a diverse commonwealth. DCR protects what people care about – access to the outdoors, natural habitats, open spaces, clean water and safe infrastructure.
We manage 37 Virginia State Parks, which have thousands of campsites, hundreds of cabins, beaches, festivals, educational programs, more than 500 miles of trails… the list goes on.
DCR is currently searching for students to join our Park Ranger Career Development Internship program in multiple locations throughout the state.

The Park Ranger Career Development Path program offers college students a great way to get started in a state parks career. It’s a two to three-year intern program, held in the summer, which introduces college students to park operations and ensures that applicants are prepared for entry level management positions.

Those accepted into the program will spend from 12 to 13 weeks each summer working in a state park. Students are trained in all aspects of the state park chief ranger position. Students that perform well are invited to participate the following summer and will be assigned to a different park. Upon graduation from college, students are encouraged to apply for park ranger and chief ranger positions in the state park system.

The duties of a State Park Intern include a wide variety or responsibilities. The goal of the program is to provide exposure to the many facets of state park operations: Maintenance, Customer Service, Business, Interpretation/Education, Housekeeping, Administration and Resource Management.

If you’re someone who wants to love what you do and make a difference, DCR is the place for you!

In order to be considered for the Park Ranger Career Development Internship, you must:

Must be at least 17 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license.
Be enrolled as a college student and possess a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale.

Have knowledge, experience or an interest in outdoor recreation or outdoor activities.
Able to work outdoors for extended periods of time.

Able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Able to work a variety of shifts including holidays and weekends.

Criminal history record check, references, work history and DMV driving record will be verified prior to employment. Ability to work in diverse conditions including exposure to the outdoors, weather in all seasons, dust, animals and insects. Ability to perform heavy manual labor to include standing, bending, pulling, climbing, and frequent lifting.