Interpretive Intern

5/04/26 – 10/16/26 

$15 / hr + housing 

40 hours / wk 

Overview: 

Are you looking for a position to kickstart your career in natural resource education and interpretation? Have you ever dreamed of a position that allows you to fulfill both your love of writing as well as your love of hiking and spending time outdoors? Baxter State Park (BSP) is pleased to invite applications for the Interpretive Intern position for the 2026 season! This position provides a diverse range of epic experiences and learning opportunities in a vast and beautiful wilderness setting. Home to moose, black bears, brook trout, rare alpine plants, and both Maine’s tallest mountain, Katahdin, as well as the state’s tallest volcanic mountain, the Traveler, Baxter State Park is a haven for those who are adventurous, outdoorsy, and hungry to learn and teach about the natural world. 

Please note: This position is both writing and hiking-intensive. 

Principle Responsibilities: 

• Perform informal interpretation/education for visitors on Katahdin’s alpine tablelands, along trails, at campgrounds, at the Visitor Center, and in other designated high use areas in the Park
• Assist with developing and updating written and visual content for the Park’s website and social media
• Develop new and/or maintain or update existing interpretive handouts, signage, and displays based on educational needs around the Park
• Assist with invasive species identification, monitoring, and management, and organize volunteer efforts in this area
• Participate in ongoing natural resource monitoring efforts, such as alpine plant phenology tracking and an annual loon count
• Deliver interpretive programs in the Park
• Participate in search and rescue efforts

Typical Training/Education Provided (Subject to Availability):

• Wilderness Advanced First Aid
• Leave No Trace training
• Alpine ecology and plant identification
• Search and Rescue in BSP
• Introduction to BSP rules, policies, and protocols
• On-the-job training on the Park’s natural and cultural resources

Requirements: 

• Hike with a heavy backpack and spend multiple hours in the alpine zone in late spring, summer, and early fall on a weekly basis
• Write, research, and create professional content; must demonstrate proficiency in using correct grammar and spelling, relying only on trusted sources, keeping track of source materials, and incorporating feedback between drafts
• Speak in public and initiate one-on-one conversations with Park visitors (training will be provided)
• A valid driver’s license and personal vehicle adequate for travel on the Park’s gravel roads (mileage will be reimbursed)
• A smart phone and/or camera with GPS tracking
• Work a non-standard work week (40 hrs per week), including weekends, holidays, and early mornings
• Be available for the entire length of the internship

Desired Qualities: 

• A passion for natural resources and wilderness protection
• Eagerness to work at a physically demanding job, including in inclement weather
• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively with park employees and supervisors
• Creativity, resourcefulness, and flexibility
• Ability and willingness to live in rustic shared housing in a remote setting without electricity or cell phone service
• Ability and willingness to camp in a tent, lean to, and/or bunkhouse some nights throughout the summer, sometimes on a multi-day backpacking trip
• Enthusiasm for learning about BSP’s natural history, rules, and policies, and a keen interest in sharing this knowledge with others
• Strong people skills, including being outgoing and friendly
• Previous experience in professional writing, interpreting natural resources, public speaking, working with youth and public audiences, stewarding natural areas, backpacking, and/or working in a wilderness setting
• Enrollment in or completion of a degree in environmental studies, natural resource management, outdoor recreation, creative writing, or a related field

Additional Information 

Successful applicants will develop their professional skills with a mixture of both field and office work, including participating in mountain patrols up to Katahdin’s tablelands every week; providing information to visitors at Katahdin trailheads between 6 and 8 a.m. on most working days; and researching, writing, and creating visually pleasing educational content. All of these requirements can be challenging, but they are also incredibly rewarding experiences. Katahdin is an 8-12 hour hike up steep terrain and large granite boulders, but the views of the surrounding landscape are unmatched.

Content creation requires long hours of dedicated research, writing, and revising, but it offers the unique opportunity to not only foster the public’s interest in conservation, but to teach them how to safely and ethically interact with wild spaces. 

As BSP prepares to make several changes to its website in the coming years, the 2026 Interpretive Intern can expect to help draft a great deal of digital content to educate visitors about the Park’s rules, procedures, and natural and cultural history. The Interpretive Intern must be available to work weekends and holidays in order to perform their educational duties when the Park hosts the greatest number of visitors. This position is filled through Tri-State Staffing Solutions and is assigned exclusively to BSP under the supervision of BSP. 

The Park-provided housing is a private bedroom and shared bathrooms in a dorm style building with up to 8 housemates. All appliances are run by propane, and while there is hot running water, it is not potable. There is no electricity, wifi, or cell service throughout most of the Park, though interns can check in with the outside world in various “phone booths.” The nearest grocery store is roughly a 45 minute drive from Park housing. 

Encompassing over 200,000 acres of land and boasting 220+ miles of trails, 50+ mountains, and 60+ ponds and lakes, Baxter State Park offers nearly limitless possibilities for adventure in one’s off-time. Whether your hobbies include fishing, hiking, paddling, photography, or quiet time in nature, there’s a place for you here at Baxter State Park!