U.S. Department of the Interior
Seasonal Maintenance Worker (Trails)
U.S. Department of the Interior, Wilsonia, California, United States
Overview
The typical season is April through October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2026. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are filling positions from this announcement at both the WG-05 and WG-07 level. Yosemite National Park is filling positions only at the WG-05 level.
Locations
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Yosemite National Park
Responsibilities
WG-05 Maintenance Worker (Trails)
– performs trail maintenance, construction, and repair. Tasks include clearing trails of wind falls, limbs, rocks, landslides, and other debris; digging or cleaning culverts and ditches for drainage purposes; clearing brush; tread work on native soil, gravel and asphalt trails. Assist or lead trail crews on bridge building, tread, brushing, drainage and trail clearing projects. Construct or repair bridges, food boxes, ramps, corrals, outbuildings and pit toilets. Assist in or perform masonry work. Paint or stains boxes, corrals, pit toilets and bridges. May assist in maintenance of historic structures. May assist Packer with preparing loads, as well as saddling and transporting stock. Service and repair chain saws, brushing saws, gas rock drills and breakers, and generators. Repair tents, hand tools, lanterns, stoves; sharpens axes, pulaski's, shovels and clippers. Responsible for inventory updates and issuance of trails equipment, parts and materials. WG-07 Maintenance Worker (Trails)
– provides daily guidance and direction to field crews completing trail maintenance/construction. Repairs trail tread and drainage structures, constructing rock walls, turnpiking, cribbing, and foot bridges, removing windfalls, felling trees, and utilizing block, tackle, and winches for moving and placing heavy objects. Construction and maintenance of rock and wood water bars, retaining walls and cribbing, and other trail structures. Laying out and constructing new trail in rocky, mountainous terrain, and in performing landscape restoration of abandoned trails.
Work Environment
Work involves living and working in remote backcountry regions of the parks. Work involves long distance hiking, often with heavy backpacks, and long hours of hard physical labor to perform trail maintenance and construction tasks. Trail workers often carry loads weighing up to 50 pounds and may be required to hike up to 20 miles per day over steep and/or rough terrain.
Physical Effort
Heavy physical effort is required in bending, lifting, and using hand and power tools in trail work. Frequently lifts and carries objects weighing over 100 pounds, must carry and roll rocks and logs, move rocks of several tons with rock bars, use hammers to crush or shape rock, and use shovel extensively. Frequently hikes up to 20 miles daily and must be able to do so while carrying a backpack, power and/or hand tools.
Working Conditions
Incumbent must have the ability to live and work effectively in backcountry areas in close contact with small numbers of people for extended periods of time. Incumbent must live and work out-of-doors on projects in various terrain up to 13,000 feet elevation in all extremes of adverse weather conditions. Trail work is dusty, and hazardous conditions may exist when moving rocks and logs, working in and around rockslide areas, working around stock, working around explosives, falling and bucking trees, and working around machinery.
Health
Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months – generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information:
http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm
#J-18808-Ljbffr
The typical season is April through October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2026. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are filling positions from this announcement at both the WG-05 and WG-07 level. Yosemite National Park is filling positions only at the WG-05 level.
Locations
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Yosemite National Park
Responsibilities
WG-05 Maintenance Worker (Trails)
– performs trail maintenance, construction, and repair. Tasks include clearing trails of wind falls, limbs, rocks, landslides, and other debris; digging or cleaning culverts and ditches for drainage purposes; clearing brush; tread work on native soil, gravel and asphalt trails. Assist or lead trail crews on bridge building, tread, brushing, drainage and trail clearing projects. Construct or repair bridges, food boxes, ramps, corrals, outbuildings and pit toilets. Assist in or perform masonry work. Paint or stains boxes, corrals, pit toilets and bridges. May assist in maintenance of historic structures. May assist Packer with preparing loads, as well as saddling and transporting stock. Service and repair chain saws, brushing saws, gas rock drills and breakers, and generators. Repair tents, hand tools, lanterns, stoves; sharpens axes, pulaski's, shovels and clippers. Responsible for inventory updates and issuance of trails equipment, parts and materials. WG-07 Maintenance Worker (Trails)
– provides daily guidance and direction to field crews completing trail maintenance/construction. Repairs trail tread and drainage structures, constructing rock walls, turnpiking, cribbing, and foot bridges, removing windfalls, felling trees, and utilizing block, tackle, and winches for moving and placing heavy objects. Construction and maintenance of rock and wood water bars, retaining walls and cribbing, and other trail structures. Laying out and constructing new trail in rocky, mountainous terrain, and in performing landscape restoration of abandoned trails.
Work Environment
Work involves living and working in remote backcountry regions of the parks. Work involves long distance hiking, often with heavy backpacks, and long hours of hard physical labor to perform trail maintenance and construction tasks. Trail workers often carry loads weighing up to 50 pounds and may be required to hike up to 20 miles per day over steep and/or rough terrain.
Physical Effort
Heavy physical effort is required in bending, lifting, and using hand and power tools in trail work. Frequently lifts and carries objects weighing over 100 pounds, must carry and roll rocks and logs, move rocks of several tons with rock bars, use hammers to crush or shape rock, and use shovel extensively. Frequently hikes up to 20 miles daily and must be able to do so while carrying a backpack, power and/or hand tools.
Working Conditions
Incumbent must have the ability to live and work effectively in backcountry areas in close contact with small numbers of people for extended periods of time. Incumbent must live and work out-of-doors on projects in various terrain up to 13,000 feet elevation in all extremes of adverse weather conditions. Trail work is dusty, and hazardous conditions may exist when moving rocks and logs, working in and around rockslide areas, working around stock, working around explosives, falling and bucking trees, and working around machinery.
Health
Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months – generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information:
http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm
#J-18808-Ljbffr