How to Become a Park Ranger in Idaho

Park rangers are so prominent in the distinctive hats that the public commonly recognizes them as uniformed rangers who patrol routes and hand out maps.

However, that just makes up a tiny fraction of what they do.

In reality, a park ranger’s job is highly varied and involves watching over both the people who visit state parks and the parks themselves.

Here is what you need to get started as a park ranger in Idaho:

Popular Programs

Requirements to Become a Park Ranger in Idaho

In Idaho’s state parks, park rangers work for the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation.

The required qualifications include the following:

• Have an understanding of managing natural resources and recreation activities
• Have good customer service skills
• Expertise as a supervisor
• Some familiarity with interpreting environmental education
• At least one college course

Park Ranger Duties in Idaho

Park rangers in Idaho work in various natural settings, including national parks, rainforests, and coastal areas.

Their duties and responsibilities include:

1. Assuring the management, improvement, and protection of the cultural, recreational, and wildlife resources found in the natural environment.
2. Finding endangered creatures, populations, or species and assisting in their protection and safeguarding their safety.
3. Maintaining facilities for various uses and helping visitors understand and appreciate the environment’s aspects.
4. Welcoming visitors and helping them review park policies and safety rules to ensure they are safe throughout their adventure
5. Check on campers to ensure they are following the regulations and not bothering the area or other campers.
6. Distributing maps and pointing out notable sites and prohibited areas while working in the visitor center.
7. Providing emergency care like CPR, first aid, search and rescue efforts, and assistance in putting out or containing forest fires.
8. Providing informative excursions and workshops.
9. Putting up campsites for visitors and looking after the park’s paths to ensure they are safe throughout their stay.
10. Providing animal care includes, but is not limited to, attending to sick or injured animals, capturing or tranquilizing them, and removing their carcasses.
11. Developing educational programs for environmental issues for use in classrooms.

State Parks in Idaho

According to the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation, thirty state parks are now under management.

In Idaho, some of the well-known state parks are:

1. Hells Gate State Park

Hells Gate is a verdant sanctuary on the banks of the Snake River, approximately four miles from Lewiston, Idaho.

Large campsites with abundant shade await campers.

The park hosts the deepest river gorge in North America and serves as a gateway to Idaho’s Lewis and Clark region.

2. City of Rocks

The City of Rocks is popular among climbers because they enjoy its granite columns, allowing them to reach heights of 60 stories.

Many climbers claim that Almo Pluton’s younger granite is some of the greatest rock they have ever scaled.

3. Bruneau Dunes

Bruneau Dunes park features the tallest dune with a single structure in North America, with a top that rises 470 feet above the neighboring desert plain.

4. Farragut State Park

The park features Idaho’s largest lake, Lake Pend Oreille.

The woodlands are home to squirrels, black bears, whitetail deer, and bobcats.

Salary

In Idaho, a park ranger earns an average yearly salary of $41,332, roughly $19.87 per hour, $3,444 per month, or $794 per week.

Currently, the average compensation for park rangers is from $30,903 to $51,996, with Idaho giving the highest salaries at $59,844 annually.

Park Ranger by State