Recreation Volunteers
Join the Outdoors for All volunteer community and help create inclusive outdoor recreation experiences for people with disabilities!
Browse current opportunities below to learn about volunteer roles, time commitments, training requirements, and available shifts.
Questions or accommodation requests? Contact Us. Outdoors for All is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible volunteer experience and welcomes accommodation requests.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Group Programs
Group Programs are single-day experiences that Outdoors for All delivers in partnership with community organizations and nonprofits, bringing outdoor recreation directly to participants.
Check back often for new Group Program volunteer opportunities and events throughout the year!
Volunteers assist Outdoors for All staff in providing a safe, positive climbing experience. As a volunteer, you will support in belaying participants and fellow volunteers, conducting thorough safety and gear checks, and offering basic instruction and plenty of encouragement! If needed, you may may also climb alongside participants to provide direct on-wall support.
Date: Thursday, October 22
Location: Edgeworks Tacoma
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Training:
- Complete online training before your first day: Enroll Here
Responsibilities:
- Ensure participants are wearing properly fitted shoes and harnesses.
- Perform thorough system checks to ensure Figure-8 knots are tied correctly, climbing gear fits properly, and belay devices are loaded accurately.
- Provide a safe and fun learning experience for Outdoors for All participants.
- Assist Outdoors for All staff with the organization of participants in designated climbing areas
- Engage participants throughout the activity and give helpful instructions to improve climbing technique.
- Assist Outdoors for All staff with setup and cleanup of event.
- Help staff care for and properly organize climbing gear.
Expectations:
- Attend and complete all required virtual training
- Must have previous rock climbing and belay experience.
- Must be belay certified at by a climbing gym or create a plan to become certified before the start of the program.
- Volunteers must demonstrate the ability to properly load a GriGri, tie and check a figure 8 follow through knot, demonstrate proper belay technique, and lower a climber.
- Ability and desire to work with a wide variety of personalities, skill levels, and abilities.
- Ability to commit to all responsibilities and expectations.
- Pass a Washington State Background check
- Equipment: Please bring a climbing harness and climbing shoes. We will provide a belay device and carabiner. Any personal equipment used must be checked by an Outdoors for All staff member. If you need to borrow personal climbing gear from Outdoors for All, please contact us.
Volunteers assist Outdoors for All staff in providing a safe, positive climbing experience. As a volunteer, you will support in belaying participants and fellow volunteers, conducting thorough safety and gear checks, and offering basic instruction and plenty of encouragement! If needed, you may may also climb alongside participants to provide direct on-wall support.
Date: Monday, November 2
Location: Edgeworks Tacoma
Time: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Training:
- Complete online training before your first day: Enroll Here
Responsibilities:
- Ensure participants are wearing properly fitted shoes and harnesses.
- Perform thorough system checks to ensure Figure-8 knots are tied correctly, climbing gear fits properly, and belay devices are loaded accurately.
- Provide a safe and fun learning experience for Outdoors for All participants.
- Assist Outdoors for All staff with the organization of participants in designated climbing areas
- Engage participants throughout the activity and give helpful instructions to improve climbing technique.
- Assist Outdoors for All staff with setup and cleanup of event.
- Help staff care for and properly organize climbing gear.
Expectations:
- Attend and complete all required virtual training
- Must have previous rock climbing and belay experience.
- Must be belay certified at by a climbing gym or create a plan to become certified before the start of the program.
- Volunteers must demonstrate the ability to properly load a GriGri, tie and check a figure 8 follow through knot, demonstrate proper belay technique, and lower a climber.
- Ability and desire to work with a wide variety of personalities, skill levels, and abilities.
- Ability to commit to all responsibilities and expectations.
- Pass a Washington State Background check
- Equipment: Please bring a climbing harness and climbing shoes. We will provide a belay device and carabiner. Any personal equipment used must be checked by an Outdoors for All staff member. If you need to borrow personal climbing gear from Outdoors for All, please contact us.
Equipment Maintenance
Help prepare our Nordic and Alpine skis for the upcoming winter season by waxing and scraping equipment to keep it performing at its best. This hands-on role is perfect for volunteers with a can-do attitude who enjoy working behind the scenes to ensure participants have skis that are ready to hit the slopes.
Dates: Mondays: November 2, 9, 16
Time: 9 AM - 4 PM
Location: Snoqualmie Pass - Summit West.
Volunteers may either:
- Meet at Outdoors for All's Bellevue headquarters at 9:00 AM and ride with staff to Snoqualmie Pass, or
- Meet the team directly at Summit West.
Requirements:
- Age 18+
- Closed-toe shoes required
- Able to work in a workshop environment with potential for loud noises, variable temperatures, non-typical smells, and other conditions that affect the senses.
- Familiarity with ski waxing and scraping preferred, not required.
Training:
- Complete online training before your first day: Enroll Here
Please Note: A minimum of four volunteers is required for each workday. If fewer than four volunteers are registered two business days before the event date, the session may be canceled and all registered volunteers will be notified.
Get your hands dirty with us as we prepare our bike fleet for the spring and summer! If you can change a flat tire, adjust a brake, and lube a chain – we want you! We have over 230 bikes in our fleet and winter is a great time for in-depth maintenance. You will work on a bike from start to finish, cleaning and performing safety checks, with opportunities to learn more advanced bike maintenance skills as we find issues. You will also get to know our adaptive bikes, which many people are not familiar with.
You do not need to be a “bike mechanic” for this role, but some experience working on bikes and familiarity with bike parts is a plus.
Dates:
Wednesdays: November 4, 11, 18; December 16; January 20, 27; February 3, 10, 17, 24; March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM (6 hours total; flexible based on your availability)
Email volunteer@outdoorsforall.org with your scheduling needs.
Location: Outdoors for All Headquarters – Bellevue, WA
Requirements:
- Age 18+
- Able to work in a workshop environment with potential for loud noises, variable temperatures, non-typical smells, and other conditions that affect the senses.
- Bike mechanical skills preferred but not required.
- Familiarity with hand tools required.
Training:
- Complete online training before your first day: Enroll Here
Adaptive Cycling Center (ACC)
Our Adaptive Cycling Center is open 7 days a week from 10 AM – 6 PM at Lake Sammamish State Park. Adaptive cycles are free for participants to use in the park thanks to our partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Volunteers will support the Adaptive Cycling Center on weekends and heavy-use days. Volunteers will greet participants, discuss bike options, ensure liability waivers are signed, perform A B C Quick checks, give Lake Sammamish State Park tours, provide route suggestions, and more! Bike maintenance skills and knowledge are not required.
Dates: Weekends and heavy use days from June 6 – October 18
Location: Outdoors for All Lake Sammamish State Park
Times: 2 Shift Options: Morning: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Afternoon: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Training:
- Complete online training before your first day: Enroll Here
Responsibilities:
To help you choose the best fit, please review the volunteer role description below for a full overview of the responsibilities and expectations:
Requirements:
- Age 18+
- Attend and complete all required trainings prior to the first shift
- Ability and desire to work with people of varying abilities, ages, and needs
- Comfort standing, walking, and moving bikes for the duration of a shift
- Bike maintenance skills are not required
- Be flexible, as the flow of the ACC can shift between busy and quiet periods
- Pass a Washington State background check