Technology has rendered modern Americans both more connected—and more isolated—than any population of humans in history. In fact, some researchers have gone so far as to declare a “loneliness epidemic” in reference to our increasingly desperate need for IRL connection and community. That said, knowing that you need new friends and actually making them are two very different things. Building community can feel like a vast and nebulous proposition; it’s hard to know exactly where to start.
The good news is that if that you’re an outdoorsy type, there are plenty of opportunities to make connections. Joining a group run or ride is one of them. However, volunteering might be the one you can feel best about. That’s especially true now: amid federal funding cuts, conservation and trail organizations need help now more than ever. Plus, it’s pretty dang fun. Anyone who’s ever received or handed out water at a race knows how volunteering can be both fulfilling and exhilirating. And at the end of the day, you’ll have connected with a tight-knit group of people who’ve come together over a common cause. That can lead to lifelong friendships.
Here are seven other service opportunities that may lead to new pals.
1. Become a Trail Ambassador
Trail building requires some advanced knowledge and skills, but if it’s what you’re after, the American Hiking Society leads volunteer vacations that involve building and preservation, and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has info on mountain bike–specific trail building days near you. Want something a little less labor-intensive? Consider becoming a trail ambassador instead. The U.S. Forest Service is currently seeking volunteer ambassadors for national forests along Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The position is most needed from May through October and requires that you travel the trails (by foot, bike, or horseback) and pick up debris, repair signage, maintain trailheads, interact with hikers, and report any issues to recreation staff. Not local to the area? Trail ambassador opportunities exist across the country, from Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge to Vermont’s Kingdom Trails.
2. Serve as an Active Buddy for Someone With a Disability
Vermont’s Kelly Brush Foundation provides adaptive sports programming, equipment and instruction for those with disabilities. One of their volunteer gigs is called Active Buddies. This means if one of their grant recipients wants a friend to go out biking, hiking, skiing, or paddling with, you show up. Some training required; locations vary. Adaptive sports programs like California’s High Fives Foundation, Utah’s Wasatch Adaptive Sports, and Colorado’s National Sports Center for the Disabled also have volunteer gigs.
3. Plant Flowers at an Urban Farm
There’s WWOOFing for farm work all over. But what if you just want a fun farm job that involves picking flowers or fruit? Rise and Root Farm, less than an hour from New York City, has community work days; Delight Flower Farm in Champaign, Illinois, trains volunteers to weed, plant, mulch, and harvest flowers; and at Pollinate, an urban farm near Oakland, California, you can help package CSAs, build planter boxes, or harvest vegetables.
4. Clean Up a Beach With a Social Club
Join an organized beach cleanup or stage your own. The Surfrider Foundation has all the info you need to get involved. Find beach cleanups, lake cleanups, or inland river cleanups that aim to intercept trash before it gets into waterways and, inevitably, the ocean. Here’s a fun option: San Diego’s free-to-join social club, called Après Surf Club, organizes surf sessions, beach cleanups, and social gatherings that aim to make surfing more inclusive and inviting. They host live music, post-surf coffee, and have member discounts.
5. Be a Volunteer Astronaut (Sort Of)
There are many ways to be a citizen scientist: You can count bumblebees, monarch butterflies, or American pikas (which are disappearing due to climate change); observe birds in your area for the Audubon Society; record light pollution for the Globe at Night campaign; or track eastern hemlock within national forests. Those are all good options, but this one might be the most fun: NASA relies on 1,200 people across the U.S. who they call Solar System Ambassadors. Duties range from hosting sidewalk telescope sessions at local libraries to lunar eclipse watch parties.
6. Protect Turtle Hatchlings in Maui
Options abound for animal welfare volunteer gigs. You can help rescued farm animals at an animal sanctuary near Woodstock, New York, work with rescued pigs an hour north of Seattle, or walk dogs at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah. And your locale humane society likely needs volunteers. But if you want to make a vacation out of it, may we recommend the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, where you can help research and protect the nesting activities of hawksbill sea turtles on the shores of Maui.
7. Take Care of a Backcountry Hut in Maine
Systems of backcountry huts run by groups like the Sierra Club or the Appalachian Mountain Club often rely on volunteers to monitor and maintain their properties. In Vermont, the Vermont Huts Association and the Green Mountain Club both depend on volunteer hut caretakers. This gig for Maine Huts and Trails is a winner: You’ll stack wood, organize the hut, and do snow removal to help out the on-staff caretaker; in exchange, you get to stay at the hut for free.
This piece first appeared in the summer 2025 print issue of Outside Magazine. Subscribe now for early access to our most captivating storytelling, stunning photography, and deeply reported features on the biggest issues facing the outdoor world.
The post Looking for Outdoorsy Friends? It Might Be Time to Volunteer appeared first on Outside Online.
