The National Park Service is looking for a live-in winter volunteer at the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, which has been perched on the West Coast’s foggiest and windiest stretch of coastline since 1970. In exchange, the unusual gig comes with free on-site housing just an hour north of San Francisco.
From November 6, 2026, through February 1, 2027, one volunteer will live near the remote lighthouse and work 30 hours per week helping visitors learn about the area’s wildlife, natural history, and maritime past. The catch? Point Reyes is famously cold, foggy, windy, and isolated in winter, and the shared apartment is explicitly “not rodent-proof.”
Still, for the right outdoorsy person craving a change of scenery, it’s a rare opportunity to spend a season on one of California’s most dramatic stretches of coastline.
What the lighthouse volunteer does
The selected volunteer will complete four 7.5-hour shifts per week alongside NPS rangers and other volunteers. Duties include greeting visitors, answering questions, and giving interpretive talks about the lighthouse, wildlife, and surrounding Point Reyes National Seashore.
In return, NPS provides a room in a shared co-ed apartment about a five-minute walk from the visitor center. The housing includes a kitchen, living and dining areas, basic appliances, utilities, laundry, and parking; internet is reimbursed up to $59 per month.
Applicants should be prepared for rugged conditions. The lighthouse sits at the bottom of a 313-step staircase, and the exposed headland is known for intense wind, dense fog, and damp winter weather. A personal vehicle is required, pets are not allowed, and NPS warns that mice may enter the apartments or even nest in vehicle engine compartments.
A historic coastal outpost
The Point Reyes Lighthouse was first lit on December 1, 1870, after decades of shipwrecks along the dangerous, fog-shrouded coast. Lighthouse keepers maintained its powerful Fresnel lens and fog signals for more than a century before the station was decommissioned in 1975 and replaced by a nearby beacon.
Today, the National Park Service preserves the landmark as a museum within Point Reyes National Seashore. It’s roughly six hours north of Los Angeles by car.
📍 Location: Point Reyes Lighthouse, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County
📅 Volunteer dates: November 6, 2026–February 1, 2027
⏰ Commitment: 30 hours per week, across four 7.5-hour shifts
🏠 Housing: Free shared on-site apartment near the visitor center
🚗 Requirements: Personal vehicle, comfort with stairs and cold/wet weather, no pets
🐭 Good to know: Housing is not rodent-proof
🌐 Apply: Volunteer.gov
