Take a Hike: Volunteer Vacation

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got vacation on your mind pretty much all the time. You’ve barely come back from spring break and you’re already thinking about your next vacation. That’s because vacations are just about the only times when we can do whatever it is we want to do. Some people choose to relax (myself included); others go on thrill-seeking adventures; and others enjoy a culinary feast to delight the senses. Vacation is all about your idea of fun. Actually, you can tell an awful lot about a person by finding out where they vacation.

If you’re the type of person who enjoys being outdoors, camping and hiking, you might actually enjoy a volunteer vacation on the trails. There are many non-profit organizations that are responsible for keeping the country’s trails neat, safe and well-maintained, and they are able to do this because of volunteers like you. As a volunteer, you might help build a dam, blaze a new trail, or remove debris from a powerful storm, but you should expect to be active.

If you want to kick back and relax on your vacation, this one isn’t for you. That’s quite alright; like I said, vacation is all about your idea of fun. If you’re going to consider a volunteer vacation spent maintaining hiking trails, you should want to do it; you should look forward to doing it. Otherwise, just let someone else do it.

Having said that, there are a few benefits to this type of vacation. For one, it’s usually quite a bit cheaper than your standard trip. Meals and accommodations are usually included for a fixed, discounted rate. Another benefit to taking a hiking volunteer vacation is that you’ll get to meet a bunch of other people who share your interests. You'll encounter people from all walks of life (all who love to hike); environmentalists; police officers; you might even rub elbows with a paralegal up on the mountain. You’ll be working alongside them the whole time, laughing and joking as you help make nature a little easier for the rest of us to navigate.