Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to help rebuild the Rainbow Falls Trail/NPS

Funding is so tight in some pockets of the National Park System that parks are asking volunteers to do trail maintenance. That's the case at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where the call has gone out for volunteers to help rebuild the Rainbow Falls Trail.

Those interested will join a Trails Forever crew that is focusing on several targeted locations along the 6-mile trail to improve visitor safety and stabilize eroding trail sections. Volunteers are needed every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To sign up, you must register at least one week in advance by contacting trails and facilities volunteer coordinator Adam Monroe by email ([email protected]) or phone (828-497-1949).

Rainbow Falls Trail is one of the most popular trails in the park, leading hikers to Rainbow Falls and Mount Le Conte. The planned work will improve overall trail safety and protect natural resources by reducing trail braiding and improving drainage to prevent further erosion.

"This work will be a long-term solution to the various safety and route-finding issues found along this section of the Rainbow Falls Trail and will allow visitors to enjoy the trail and the scenic areas surrounding it safely for years to come,” said Tobias Miller, trails and roads facility manager. “This project would not be possible without the generous support from our park partner, Friends of the Smokies, who provide funding for the project through the Trails Forever endowment program."

The Trails Forever program provides opportunities for both skilled and non-skilled volunteers to work alongside park crews to make lasting improvements to park trails. The Rainbow Falls Trail project provides an opportunity to improve a part of the park that was damaged by 2016 wildfires.

Trails Forever volunteers will perform a range of trail maintenance and rehabilitation work depending on experience level, including installing drainage features, rehabilitating trail surfaces, constructing raised trail segments, removing brush, or planting vegetation. While these jobs may vary in complexity, all Trails Forever volunteers must be able to hike at least four miles and safely perform strenuous and often-difficult manual labor.

Volunteers should be comfortable lifting heavy objects and using hand tools such as shovels, rakes, axes, and sledgehammers. The park will provide all the safety gear, tools, and equipment. Volunteers will need to wear boots and long pants, and bring a day pack with food, water, rain gear, and any other personal gear for the day.