Where You’ll Be:
The Rio Grande National Forest spans over 1.8 million acres in a forested ring around the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado. From the high peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range to rugged canyons and ancient calderas, the forest offers year-round opportunities for sightseeing and recreation.
This picturesque Colorado campground is located on the Saguache Ranger District, an hour drive from the town of Del Norte. The campground is surrounded by aspen trees, which will be in peak fall colors during the weekend- which is why it was scheduled accordingly! Nothing better than leaf peeping in the crowd-less San Luis Valley during this time of year. The campground is situated at the base of Storm King Mountain, amid rolling, rocky hills along the Middle Fork of Carnero Creek.
The campground will be reserved for the volunteer project.
Nearest town: La Garita, CO 81132
The specific location will be shared with all registered volunteers 2 weeks before the project.
What You’ll Do:
An old fence that once prevented resource damage and defined the Storm King campsites has deteriorated. Volunteers are needed to remove the old fence and construct a new one in the same area. The purpose of the fence is to prevent campers and cattle from trampling across the vegetation, allowing natural vegetation to flourish and improve the aesthetics of this popular campground.
VOC provides breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner on Saturday. Bring your own dinner on Friday night, and enough snacks for the weekend.
Free campsites are available on Friday and Saturday nights, and volunteers are encouraged to arrive at base camp before 8 pm on Friday.
Support This Project as a Crew Chef Helper!
We provide full meals on our overnight projects to ensure volunteers are well-fed and ready for a day of volunteering, and we could use your help to make it happen!
View this document to learn more about how to support and sign up.
Why It Matters:
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, held each year on the fourth Saturday in September. For more than three decades, NPLD has helped make public lands more accessible to communities nationwide through service and celebration. Coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation, NPLD brings together thousands of volunteers—individuals, families, organizations, and agencies—to care for and celebrate America’s public lands through volunteer and community events.
Eligibility Requirements:
Ages 16+
For overnight projects, all youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.
Project Difficulty:
This project is considered moderate. Please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.
Physical Considerations: This project will include moderate lifting and tool use; shoveling and raking materials; repetitive bending, lifting, and walking; and you can expect to bend, pick up objects, carry tools, and stretch.
Access Factors:
Vehicle Access: 2WD dirt road
Other Notes: Tent camping OK. Car and Van camping OK. No large vehicles or tow-behinds. This project will be at 9400 ft. elevation. Vault toilets and potable water will be available at camp.
