The Performance Trail Crew Program provides paid, summer-long employment to the next generation of trail stewards.
Working in four to eight person teams, crew members hone their trail maintenance and construction skills and develop outdoor leadership skills all while camping out under the stars in national parks, national forests, and other scenic public lands along the Pacific Northwest Trail.
The PNTA performs over 80% of our maintenance and construction on the Pacific Northwest Trail with youth and young adults from trailside communities and schools near the PNT. In 2021, seven trail crews worked across the trail corridor in Washington state.
What Jobs
Are Available?
From entry level positions for local youth, to leadership positions for professional trail-builders, the Performance Trail Crew program offers opportunities for every aspiring trail leader.
Working in four to eight person teams, trail crew members will hone their trail maintenance and construction skills and develop outdoor leadership skills all while camping out under the stars in national parks, national forests, and other scenic public lands along the 1,200-mile trail corridor.
Performance Trail Crew members are the heart and soul of the association and represent the next generation of outdoor leaders. These trail workers contribute the bulk of the labor needed to maintain and build the Pacific Northwest Trail.
With a few years of relevant experience, Assistant Crew Leaders take on a more formal role as outdoor leaders to help shoulder the duties of planning and supervising a crew in the field.
Crew Leaders not only direct the work that happens on the trail, but also oversee behind the scenes planning, provisioning and administrative duties that round out their crew’s success. With the help of the Assistant Crew Leader, they make sure their crew has the information, resources and skills they need to accomplish project objectives while safely living and working outdoors for the workweek.
When the biggest challenges rear their heads, our most experienced crew leaders— Technical Advisors— are ready to supervise the construction of big projects, help cut out the largest logs, and put their extensive leadership experience to work guiding crews to success on the trail and in camp.
Thanks to the generous donors to our Youth Crew Heroes campaign and our corporate partners, REI, Hydroflask, and Six Moon Designs, PNTA has expanded our youth service program, making life changing outdoor experiences available to more participants and getting even more work done on the Pacific Northwest Trail.
PNTA is proud to work with corporate partners, like Six Moon Designs, to help minimize the cost of participation in our free youth service program. Please contact us to learn how in-kind product donations can eliminate economic barriers to participation for our youth crew members’ families. With a long list of gear needed to participate, outdoor retailers can help make this life-changing outdoor experience more accessible for all.
The PNTA performs over 80% of our maintenance and construction on the Pacific Northwest Trail with youth and young adults from trailside communities.
