Check out this summer’s volunteer projects!

No experience necessary. Join us for one day or multiple days. All tools are provided. Complimentary camping and most dinners will be available for all of these projects, and details will be emailed to participants prior to the event. Registration is required for all events. Because we now have an electronic waiver, all volunteers must each register separately.  

Our registration system was upgraded in winter of 2024, and we have experienced a couple of small glitches. If you have any difficulty registering, please contact [email protected].

Trail Renewal events start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Expect to travel and work on rugged and uneven ground. Please register only if you can volunteer for a full day. If you are unable to join us for the entire day, please sign up for a different event when you are able to commit fully. Want to know more about what to expect on a Trail Renewal event? Check out our FAQ.

A special way to support our group projects – We’re looking for a few folks who are willing to participate as a camp cook. This person would arrive at camp at about 4:30pm to set up for dinner on the nights that there are shared meals. If you’re interested in doing this on one or more of our projects, please contact Barbara Budd at [email protected].

2024 Projects  Please note that these dates and locations are subject to change as we see what spring brings us.

Trail Clearing Weekends  Come help SHTA clear trees off the trail that have come down over the winter. Certified sawyers will cut, all others will help remove the debris. No experience necessary! Expect to hike several miles while removing downed trees. Register here for Duluth May 4-5,  Grand Marais May 18-19,  Finland June 1-2

Cascade River Loop  Join us in renewing the Cascade River Loop. Activities will include using hand tools to repair and reroute the current trail. Expect a less than 1mile hike from trailhead to project. Nearest town: Grand Marais. Register here for June 20-24,  July 11-15

Mission Creek (All Women)  In partnership with Unruly Women, this project is reserved as an event for women, which means all folks who are female identifying and/or femme leaning non-binary individuals. Join us as we reroute a section of trail near Mission Creek. Activities will include digging with shovels and hand tools to create the new tread. We will also build structures (either stairs or boardwalk). Expect a 0.5 mile hike from the trailhead to the project. Nearest town: Duluth. Register here for July 26-28,  September 13-15

Bean and Bear Loop  Come help us get more of the Bean and Bear Loop up and out of the mud. Activities will include using hand tools to repair and reroute the current trail. Expect up to a 1.5 mile hike from trailhead to project. Nearest town: Silver Bay. Register here for August 1-5

Corridor Clearing and Blazing Weekends  Have you been whacked in the face or tripped up by low-hanging branches while hiking the SHT? Here’s your chance to clear the trail corridor of woody brush using hand tools and to mark the trail you’ve cleared with fresh blazes. Join experienced volunteer crew leaders Nicole Halgrimson and Denny Caneff to clean up brush and add new blazes on the Trail! Expect to hike up to 3 miles round trip to the work site. Register here for Grand Marais Area August 10-11,  Finland Area September 7-8,  Two Harbors Area 28-29

Gooseberry Backpack Team  A new type opportunity! There is an eroding section of the Gooseberry spur trail that isn't easily accessible by a day trip, so we're planning a backpacking trail maintenance team! Activities will include using hand tools to repair and reroute the current trail. This is a strenuous trip that is open to volunteers with at least one day of trail maintenance experience. Previous backpacking experience required. You must commit to all three days, and you will need to provide all your own food and backpacking gear. In addition, you will carry 5-10 lbs of SHTA-provided tools to the site. The hike in will be about three miles and mostly uphill. If a strenuous trip is your jam, please join us!  Register here for August 16-18

Drainage Maintenance (mud reduction!), You can be a drainage hero! Join us as we do the work to keep water off the SHT so that the trail stays dray and mud-free.  Expect to hike 2-6 miles while working. Register here for September 21,  October 12,  October 26

Ongoing All Summer - 

Trail work between the southern terminus and Two Harbors has begun for the season!!

Join our southern area contractor, Larry, as he leads trail maintenance events in the Duluth vicinity. Depending on the day, you might find Larry leading groups of volunteers lopping, weed whipping, or building trail structures like stairs or boardwalks. Check out the list on the registration page for dates and details about what project will happen at any given event.  When you get to the registration page, look for events that start with the words "Duluth Area."

Dates and projects will be posted regularly throughout the summer. We post these opportunities four or more weeks in advance, though last-minute opportunities will also arise, so keep coming back to find a date that works for you!

Register here!

Introduction to Trail Work  New to trail maintenance? Have you ever wondered if this was something you'd enjoy? This half-day event is a great way to check out what it's all about. No experience necessary.

There are currently no Introduction to Trail Work events scheduled.

Adopt a section of trail: Section Adopters inspect and maintain a 2-5 mile section of the trail at least twice per year. The primary goal of a section adopter is to lop back the persistent brush that threatens to obscure the Trail. Check out the full job description. Update 5/10/22 - We are celebrating 100% adoption! If you would like to be on the waiting list for a section, please email [email protected].

Adopt a campsite: Campsite Adopters inspect and maintain a SHT campsite at least twice per year. They clean out the fire ring, clear brush, and report hazard trees in the area. Check out the full job description. Update 5/10/22 - We are celebrating 100% adoption! If you would like to be on the waiting list for a campsite, please email [email protected].

To file your volunteer hours, please follow this link to get to your volunteer portal and the reporting system. If you do not yet have a portal, or if you have any questions  this, please email [email protected].

There are lots of ways to volunteer at SHTA, and not all of them require using a shovel or a saw.

Below are some areas where we can use help. If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact [email protected]. Let us know how you'd like to help out at SHTA, and we'll let you know when opportunities arise. If you have a skill to share or an idea of how you can help that isn't on the list, let us know.

• Facebook moderators
• Trail Ambassador
• Trail store and office
• Camp cook (for group events)
• Photography
• Education and outreach, tabling
• Professional/Technical

These instructions are for Adopters, Trail Clearing (sawyers/swampers), and other individual projects (i.e. tabling, office/store, board activities). If you participate in a Trail Renewal or Duluth Area Group Project, your hours are automatically recorded. Do not fill them out using this system.

Please note that there were several years that records were not being kept in this system. At this point, we do not have plans to enter them here, but know those hours were recorded in the fiscal years when they were performed.

Instructions for filing your hours.

Because the SHT is an affiliate of the North Country Trail, SHTA volunteers have access to the Volunteer-In-Parks program. The VIP program for the NCT is co-managed by the National Park Service and the North Country Trail Association. The VIP program provides important protection for volunteers. All VIPs are entitled to the same injury considerations that NPS employees receive (provided they are operating within their approved scope of duties and NPS policies). Additionally, VIPs are recognized for their contributions and earn annual recognition items based on hours of service and are eligible to attend certain skills and leadership training.

To sign up as a VIP, please follow this link. Choose "Individual Agreement Sign-Up Process" and take into consideration the instructions below.

Under Step 1, there are multiple categories to choose from. Please select all titles where you could potentially volunteer. If you ever choose to add a position, you will need to update your VIP paperwork if you do not choose it now.

* As an SHTA volunteer, please contact [email protected] when the position description states to contact someone within NCTA and the Chapters.

Follow the rest of the steps as outlined.

Finally, have fun and be safe! Remember to submit your volunteer hours on a regular basis. (See the File Your Volunteer Hours link on the SHTA Volunteer Page).