Volunteer and Earn a Free Trail Permit

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Horse and bike riders who are required to purchase a trail permit may earn one free by volunteering for trail projects. Here's how:

Requirements

• Volunteers who accumulate at least 25 documented hours become eligible to receive a free permit. There is no time limit or expiration on accumulated hours. Therefore, volunteers earning too few hours the first year may apply them to a future year and volunteers earning in excess of 25 hours may apply the balance to a future year.
• Volunteers meeting the requirements will be provided a voucher that may be redeemed for the current year's permit or saved for a future year. Vouchers may also be redeemed for another person's permit if the volunteer wishes to use it as a gift. Vouchers may be redeemed only at a Hoosier National Forest Office (Tell City or Bedford).
• Volunteers must work under the direct supervision of a USDA Forest Service employee on a trail project initiated by the Hoosier National Forest. Forest Service staff will verify and document individual volunteer hours. Hours will be counted for productive work from time of arrival at the job site to departure from the job site. Time spent in travel, planning, preparation, or logistical support will not count toward volunteer hours, unless warranted by special circumstances and approved in advance by the Forest Service. As always, volunteers will be required to sign a volunteer agreement.
• Participation in this program does not relieve trail riders from the requirement to purchase a trail permit prior to earning a voucher. It is expected that most volunteers will earn the voucher throughout the course of their first year and then redeem it for the following year.

Opportunities

The Forest generally hosts several work days each year. Participation in all of these programs would likely amount to the 25 hours needed for the free permit.

Special Cases

Other trail management projects may qualify for accumulation of hours toward the voucher. These projects will be handled on a case by case basis and must be approved in advance by the Forest Service. Such approvals will be based on need and the availability of Forest staff to administer the project.  

For more Information

Contact our volunteer coordinators (listed on the right of this page) for more information.