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Work Camping: 5 Ways to Find Jobs on the Road

| Updated Jul 17, 2022

Work Camping is a practical method of travel, where you can work your way through seeing the country. From working for lodging to working for money, there are several resources that can help you find jobs on the road…

Have you ever thought about living in your RV full-time? Do you want to but needing a paycheck is holding you back?

If this sounds like you, there may be something that you have not yet thought of: work camping!

Recently, Lisa contacted our RV Lifestyle group on Facebook. She asked the group the following question: 

“My husband and I are traveling cross country and would like some insight on work camps. How do you go about applying for work, etc…” 

She asked, and our community responded big time! 

The following are some of the great tips they shared on how to apply for work camps. 

What is Work Camping? 

Generally speaking, work campers are individuals that live in their campers or RVs and work for a campground or national park. It can be any combination of part-time or full-time work. 

They earn the rent for their campsite as payment and can potentially earn wages as well. Sometimes work camping consists of volunteering at a national park or RV resort. 

Here’s an interview that we did with a retired couple that decided to give back to our national parks through volunteering this way:

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One advantage of work camping is that you can travel to different places in the country, taking your home with you. You can spend time in different states or areas of the country. 

It’s a great way to see national parks and attractions that you would not otherwise get the opportunity to see. 

This type of work is often seasonal. That means there is some downtime between jobs. Many people enjoy visiting relatives or taking side trips while on their way to their new position. 

Work Camping: How to Find Jobs on the Road

The good news is that our RV Lifestyle community members have a lot of great resources between them. The following is a list I compiled from their excellent suggestions on how to find jobs on the road!

1. Workamper.com

Several RV Lifestyle members suggested workamper.com as a great work camping tool. 

John first posted the resource, but Bill quickly replied that they had beaten him “to the punch by 50 minutes.” 

This website is dedicated to assisting folks in finding perfect work camping jobs. They are not a hiring website, but more of a match-making website helping interested people find work posts. 

You can build a resume and add it to their database. You can also view current job postings to see if there is something that interests you. 

2. Volunteer.gov

Work Camping: 5 Ways to Find Jobs on the Road

Lots and lots of our RV LIfestyle members suggested checking out the website volunteer.gov. 

If you visit the site, you can click on “Discover Opportunites” to see different job postings from national parks. 

You can narrow your search criteria by filtering for keywords, activities, difficulty level, and host housing, just to name a few. 

One of our members, Lisa, said she met a woman and her husband who found work this way. They were working for three months at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The husband cuts grass, and the wife works in the visitor center. 

3. USACE Volunteering: Volunteer.org

Another great resource was posted by Allen. He suggests finding work with the United States Army Corps of Volunteers. 

While much of that work is unpaid and requires volunteering twenty hours a week, it can be a useful tool. Most positions pay for rent, fuel, and utilities, although you would need to look into various jobs. 

This is a great starting point for young folks looking to enter a new field. With some of your larger bills coveted, you could also find a second job to make up the difference to cover other bills. 

It could also be great for those folks traveling with adult children. 

3. Camper Gigs

Camper Gigs is a website and an app that was created by RVers for RVers. It is a one-stop shop to find good, current, quality work camping, camp hosting, and short-term volunteering gigs. 

Camper Gigs also has a Facebook group where you can chat with others who utilize their services. They also may post work and upcoming gis or other opportunities in an easy place to see. 

4. Facebook Groups

Many of our RV Lifestyle community members said that Facebook groups are a great resource when looking for work camping gigs. 

One member, Liz, commented that “There are several great Facebook groups that are great for this! Lots of places posting jobs and responding to (those) looking for jobs. Go join some of those groups and look how folks post ads searching for jobs; you’ll want to do something similar.”

I think this is a great idea! Facebook is a great way to connect with others in every realm of life, and looking for new employment is no different. 

Another thing you might want to try is to look for area-specific groups. For example, if you know you will be visiting Florida, look for groups specific to the town area you are hoping to visit. 

Work Camping: 5 Ways to Find Jobs on the Road

5. Check Your Favorite Campgrounds

Many others commented on this post about region-specific locations looking for work. They named specific campgrounds in different states that have posted a help wanted ad. 

This got me thinking that you should start your search with campgrounds that you already enjoy or are interested in. Lynda suggested looking into KOAs since “they have them all across the USA.” Not a bad idea! 

Many campgrounds need seasonal help. You can check out their specific websites or call them directly to inquire. 

Do You Work Camp?

We’d love to hear about your work camping experience. Please share in the comments below or join the conversation in our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group. Our FB group is filled with fellow RVers who seek and offer advice– it’s a wonderful community of RVers helping RVers! We’d love to have you join if you haven’t already.

Mike and Jennifer's Official Travel Guide – Michigan's Lower Peninsula is now available!

Work Camping: 5 Ways to Find Jobs on the Road 1

You are in for a HUGE adventure. While some of our guides are designed to explore an area in 7 days, this one can take an entire summer to see it all. We chose to start in Detroit and travel north up the “Thumb” region, but you can pick and choose any section you want to begin your adventure.

Each Stop in our Guide gives you at least 3 places to camp while exploring the area! The state is particularly well suited for RV adventurers and the Michigan State Park system is one of the nation's best. But don't forget the beauty of boondocking. State forests abound, most offering rustic and dispersed off-the-grid camping. We hope you pick this up and enjoy one of our favorite places in the US to RV!


Mike Wendland

Published on 2022-07-16

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

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