Welcome to our Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities Page!
Check out our 2023 Project Map
Projects will be added to our calendar regularly throughout the year!
2023 is shaping up to be full of changes, the most pertinent being our NEW SIGNUP PROCESS!
STEP 1: Scroll through our list of projects. Click any of the photos or titles associated with the project to access its page. Read carefully about the dates, location, scope of work, degree of difficulty, vehicle requirements, and camping logistics.
STEP 2: If you are interested in volunteering, click the link that says “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!” You will be re-directed to the project’s registration form. (If you are re-directed to a HistoriClub Early Access Page, this means the project is locked until the advance access window for HistoriClub members is complete.)
STEP 3: If you are a new volunteer, please fill out the required information on pages 1 and 2 of the registration form. (This will be standard for every registration form.) Returning volunteers will have the option to update their personal information and project preferences or skip ahead to registering for the project if no changes are desired.
STEP 4: Submit the form and look for a confirmation email of your submission. Next, sit tight! We’ll email you if you are accepted to the project!
HAVING DIFFICULTIES REGISTERING? Contact our Manager of Workforce Engagement and Communications – Kyle Ward at kward@historicorps.org
Below is our active project list for the 2023 season. PLEASE CLICK ON A PROJECT TO LEARN MORE.
*Projects will be added throughout the season*
VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
Hunter Creek Road House, CO
Hunter Creek Historical Foundation
September 24-29, October 1-6, and October 8-13
Today, it may be known as a mountain retreat for the elite, with median home prices often exceeding $2M, but the original settler history of Aspen was much more humble – and much more difficult to attain due to the sheer difficulty of accessing and living in this alpine environment. The Hunter Creek Valley is a supremely popular and beautiful hiking area just outside of Aspen. During this HistoriCorps project, volunteers will get to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, all inclusive trip to this internationally-renowned destination while also giving back through preserving the iconic Hunter Creek Road House. According to the Hunter Creek Historical Foundation, “This 60-acre site includes both pre-historic and historic components and has been identified by the Forest Service as officially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Properties. However, a lack of public funding has allowed these structures to deteriorate to a state of near oblivion, and the historic barn on the Adelaide Ranch has already been completely lost.” HistoriCorps to the rescue! There will be limited road access to the project site. Tent camping is recommended, but there is limited access and availability for truck campers and campervans. Unfortunately, no dogs are permitted.
The Point Iroquois Lighthouse sits along the Whitefish Bay at the eastern most point of Lake Superior. French explorers/colonizers began occupying the area in 1620 and in 1622, there was a notable battle between the Ojibwe and Iroquois for control of the point, which the Iroquois lost. On September 20, 1857, two years after a wooden lighthouse and keepers’ residence were constructed, a guiding light shone over the channel for the first time. This first light illuminated the watery highway for 107 years, during which time the original wood buildings were replaced with brick constructs. It is estimated that this channel, running up St. Mary’s River and connecting goods that traversed the frigid Lake Superior to the hub of Sault Ste. Marie, was at one point the busiest in the world. However, time and technology march on, and by the 1960s this beacon was replaced by an automatic light, stationed nearby at Gros Cap in Ontario. The Point Iroquois Lighthouse, by now an anachronism, earned its place in history and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Tent camping only; those with truck bed campers or similar can also access this site. There are RV sites in the vicinity at Monocle Lake Campground and Brimley State Park Campground but volunteers will need to make their own reservations, and plan to commute to and from the site daily. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed.
Red Mountain Open Space Historic Horse Barn, CO
Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
September 24-29, October 1-6, and October 8-13
SPECIAL OFFER: *All volunteers will receive a commemorative T-shirt and be entered in a drawing to receive a Larimer County Parks Pass*
The Roberts-Goodwin buildings at Red Mountain Open Space serve as physical historic remnants of the area’s pioneer agricultural and ranching heritage. The focus of our work is on a 100+ year old horse barn that shares the history of farmers and ranchers who settled here between the 1870s and 1920. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to camp up at an open space that doesn’t normally allow this type of use. We hope our volunteers are as thrilled as we are to continue this project surrounded by the beauty of Red Mountain Open Space! We will be making camp just outside of the job site. Volunteers must adhere to the rules and regulations at Red Mountain Open Space. Tents are permitted and there is room for a few truck or van campers in designated spaces. No RV spaces will be provided. Showers will not be available so please come prepared to dry camp. No campfires are allowed, cooking stoves are permitted. The project partners are committed to diverse wildlife in this important conservation region and therefore no dogs are permitted at this site. We appreciate your understanding, and our project partners will too!
Located at roughly 7,000 feet of elevation on Mount Baden-Powell is the Big Horn Mine, which was named after the big horn sheep a man named Charles Tom Vincent was hunting at the time he discovered it in 1891. Vincent and a fellow prospector laid claim to the mine, and the cabin Vincent inhabited – the site of this HistoriCorps project – was his residence. The mine and cabin are located on Gabrielina-Tongva Nation land. Hype around developing the mine was significant; investors advertised their anticipated profits to be in the neighborhood of $8M (roughly $267M in today’s dollars). These claims were eventually proven to be overblown, with profits only weighing at $1M ($32M today). Over time, several companies purchased and sold the mine. The latest owner purchased the Big Horn in 1981, but by 1985, the mine was determined to be unproductive. Tent camping and car camping only! RVs will not have access to our campground and dogs are allowed but must be leashed. There is no official water source onsite but water will be brought in by our partner. Please arrive with extra water if desired.
Cave Mountain Lake Pavilion, VA 2023
George Washington & Jefferson National Forest
October 8-13, October 15-20, and October 22-27
The Pavilion at Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area is another timeless structure built in the 1930s by the fabled Civilian Conservation Corps, a nine year program created by federal government that put young men to work during the Great Depression on conservation and natural resources projects across the country. Featuring a public beach with access to fishing, nearly 30 campsites, and close proximity to the areas most scenic geological tourist attraction, the Natural Bridge at Natural Bridge State Park, Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area is prime example of the public recreation sites built by the CCC. Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area resides in the beautiful George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, home to the Virginia’s portion of the Appalachian Mountains, and specifically, the wondrous Blue Ridge Mountains. Featuring roughly 125 peaks and rising up to 6,000 feet in elevation, the Blue Ridge Mountains are the highest mountain range in the Eastern United States. If you’re looking for a bit of natural serenity to accompany your preservation efforts, this might be the one to cap off your summer. HistoriCorps is excited to lace up our boots to restore the roof of the pavilion, replace eroding sill logs, and revamp the interior floor. We invite you to come lend a hand in Virginia’s regal backwoods at the Cave Mountain Lake Pavilion! Tents, truck campers, campervans, and RVs are welcome at our campsite. Hookups will not be available. Dogs are welcomed but must be leashed.
Lake Wedington Cabins, AR
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
October 15-20, October 22-27, and October 29 – November 3
Located on land historically inhabited by the Kickapoo, Osage, Caddo, O-ga-xpa, and Ohéthi Šakówi Nations, Lake Wedington hosted Civilian Conservation Corps crews that constructed cabins and other recreational buildings for public use. These CCC-built resources are overdue for some HistoriCorps TLC. According to recreation.gov, “Lake Wedington beckons all visitor types, from those who come to relax and fish all day, those who come to speed along on bike paths or cruise on a boat, and those who want to stay in a cabin as a lakeside home away from home offering luxuries including electricity.” Volunteers will get the opportunity to restore the rustic cabins at Lake Wedington Recreation area while lounging lakeside on a project that should not be missed. We invite you to come spend autumn in the Ozarks with HistoriCorps! Tents, truck-campers, campervans, and small RVs will have access to our campground. Please be sure that if you are bringing a trailer, your tow vehicle AND trailer equal no more than a combined 25 feet in length. Dogs are welcomed!
When Mary Downen, a homesteader and widow, first visited Mount Konocti in 1902 she found herself with a deep admiration of the old oak forest that fell before her eyes. It was then that she decided to stay and build a small home for herself at 3,500 feet in elevation and to live there completely on her own. Historically speaking, this cabin would also become the first to be built on this mountain. Over the years this little sliver of history has fallen into shambles, hardly able to fathom that a lone woman lived in it for almost three decades until her death in 1942. What will make your time here even more “special” is that both Mary and her son-in-law, Euvelle Howard (who built the apple orchard around the property), are buried on the land not far from the cabin itself. Join HistoriCorps this autumn in the beautiful Lake County for a unique and rugged experience restoring the Pioneer Woman’s cabin! To learn more, check out the book Lake County. Tents, car and truck campers and campvervans are the only type of camping allowed for this project. Trailer and RV spaces are not available at this location. Our partner has requested no back and forth access for any volunteers bringing their car to the project campsite – you will have the option to carpool with HistoriCorps staff. Showers are not available and, unfortunately, dogs are not allowed due to it being private property. Volunteers and HistoriCorps staff will camp on site next to the cabin.
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, CA
October 22-27, October 29-November 3, and November 5-10
The Gold Rush of the 1800s left behind not only wealth, but also cultural institutions like the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), in Coloma, California. According to our partner, the Greek-revival style Coloma Lodge #27 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was organized on August 21, 1854. The property for the hall was deeded to the Odd Fellows by James Johnson and his wife, and the lodge was built under the guidance of J.C. Brown. The state acquired the property in 1959. It is among the oldest IOOF halls in El Dorado County, and stands as one of the oldest fraternal halls in the State. It was used by the IOOF and other community groups for nearly 150 years. In 2021, volunteers and staff contributed to the restoration of the iconic IOOF hall with three weeklong work sessions that kicked off in late March of that year. The primary goal the for the 2023 sessions is to continue the rehabilitation of the IOOF Hall. This will involve replacing the deteriorated siding, repairing the facade, rebuilding the front porch, and painting the building. With the masonry work on Bekeart’s Gun Shop we hope to start the process of repointing the building and learn the tools necessary to continue the process. Tents, car and truck campers, and campervans will have access to our campground. There will be a just a few RV or trailer spaces available, but hookups are unavailable. RV spaces will be available on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Showers are not available at this location. Dogs are allowed, but must be well-behaved and leashed.
Homeplace Double Pen House, TN
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area – USDA Forest Service
October 15-20, October 22-27, October 29-November 3, and November 5-10
Today, Land Between the Lakes serves its original recreational and educational goals through places like the nationally-recognized Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum, the site of this HistoriCorps project. After all, if we can’t preserve our history, how are we ever going to learn from it? Homeplace evokes the Civil War era in U.S. history through replicating a two-generation farm spanning the scenic, rolling landscape of northwest Tennessee. These days, interpreters in period clothing reenact daily chores on a real, working farm, where attention to details, routine, and craftsmanship is of the utmost importance. The farm livestock includes rare and endangered breeds which would have been found on a farm like this in the 1850s, as well as varieties garden plants and field crops planted from heirloom seeds dating back before the Civil War. Tents, truck campers, campervans, and RVs/trailers can access this campsite, but there are no hookups. Potable water and restrooms will be available. Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed at this project. Showers will be available! We’ll be camping across state lines at the Energy Lake Campground in Kentucky and commuting the project daily.
Mendocino Woodlands State Park – Camp 2 Cabins, CA 2023
Mendocino Woodlands State Park
October 22-27 and October 29-November 3
Built by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s as a Recreation Demonstration Area, the Mendocino Woodlands State Park was established to introduce the public to the wonders of nature through recreation and conservation. The campgrounds were created to retire submarginal agricultural and other lands, and repurpose them for recreational use. The entire park has continued to serve this original purpose without interruption since opening in 1938. The Mendocino Woodlands State Park is located within the traditional Pomo Indian territory, near the village site of bu’ldam. Originally, the Woodlands consisted of 5,425 acres. In 1976, Senate Bill 1063 split that parcel of land, reducing the camp to approximately 700 acres in a narrow corridor along the river, and transferred it to the State Department of Parks and Recreation. Our partners at the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association have offered us room and board at the illustrious Camp 2 cabins which house 8 2-bed cabins and 24 4-bed cabins! We highly encourage you to stay in with us in these accommodations for this project. Showers will be available, but please bring your own bedding! Alternatively, only truck-campers, campervans, and RVs/trailers maxing out at 25ft will have access to our campground. Tent camping and hookups are not available and dogs are not allowed.
