Play in the Park 

The Girl Scout Ranger Program 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Girl Scouts Explore the Outdoors, 

Culture, and Heritage Through the National Park Service 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this guide, you’ll learn all about the 

Girl Scout Ranger Program, planning a 

trip with your Girl Scouts to one (or two 

or three!) of the more than 400 national 

parks across the U.S., earning cool Girl 

Scout badges and completing Journeys 

while adventuring outdoors, learning and 

making the world a better place through 

nature and service, and so much more. 

And in addition to any badge or Journey 

requirements girls complete, the National 

Park Service will award Girl Scouts the 

Girl Scout Ranger certificate and/or a 

patch for participation—yes, please! 

Not a Girl Scout Volunteer? 

Learn About Us!

We’re 2.6 million strong—1.8 million girls and 

800,000 adults who believe in the power of every 

G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)TM 

to change the world.

Our extraordinary journey began more than 100 

years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon 

“Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, 

she organized the very first Girl Scout troop, and 

every year since, we’ve honored her vision and 

legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and 

character who make the world a better place. 

We’re the preeminent leadership development 

organization for girls. And with programs from 

coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts 

offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of 

leadership, adventure, and success. To volunteer, 

reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.

Our Mission 

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confdence, 

and character, who make the world a better place. 

Our Motto 

Be prepared. 

Girl Scout Grade Levels 

Daisy: grades K–1, Brownie: grades 2–3, 

Junior: grades 4–5, Cadette: grades 6–8, 

Senior: grades 9–10, Ambassador: grades 11–12 

Our Traditions 

Girl Scout Promise 

On my honor, I will try:

 To serve God and my country,

 To help people at all times,

 And to live by the Girl Scout Law. 

Girl Scout Law 

I will do my best to be

 honest and fair,

 friendly and helpful,

 considerate and caring,

 courageous and strong, and

 responsible for what I say and do, 

and to 

 respect myself and others,

 respect authority,

 use resources wisely,

 make the world a better place, and

 be a sister to every Girl Scout. 
About the National 

Park Service 

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the 

natural and cultural resources and values of the 

National Park System for the enjoyment, education, 

and inspiration of this and future generations. The 

Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the 

benefts of natural and cultural resource conserva-

tion and outdoor recreation throughout this country 

and the world. For over 100 years, the National Park 

Service has been taking care of our natural and 

cultural resources—and not just in parks! There are 

places for Girl Scouts to explore in nature and in 

urban areas, including historic sites, memorials, 

monuments, and more. 

Read more about the history of our national parks! 

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Getting Started with the Girl Scout Ranger Program: 

A Step-by-Step Guide for Girl Scout Volunteers 

1. Find a site. 

Visit nps.gov/fndapark to fnd a park in your state 

or anywhere in the country! 

Have your Girl Scouts use the NPS online map to 

search by state for a nearby national park. If you 

have older girls who are ready for a travel adventure, they can search the entire U.S. for the park 

that sparks their interest! 

Not located near a national park? Consider a visit 

to your own community’s parks, museums, and 

historic sites. You may be surprised at how many 

are right in your own backyard! 

And if you can’t visit a national park right now, rest 

assured you have other options. Check to see if 

the park you’re interested in offers a “virtual tour” 

for your girls to experience. (Look on the park’s 

website under “Photos and Multimedia” or NPS 

University on iTunes.) 

Make a list of some sites to potentially visit, then 

narrow it down to a few places to research. 

2. Learn about the site. 

Ask your Girl Scouts to explore the park’s website to 

learn about its history; the natural, cultural, or historical resources it protects; and the activities it offers, 

such as hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and guided 

interpretive tours. 

To learn about the specifc activities a park offers, 

check out the calendar under “Plan Your Visit.” 

There, girls will also fnd practical info like directions, hours, reservation specs, places to eat—and 

where to sleep, if you’re planning an overnight trip! 

To learn about animals you might encounter at a 

park, check out Girl Scouts’ Spotlight on Wildlife: 

U.S. National Parks map! 

More Opportunities with the NPS 

The National Park Service is uniquely positioned to help millions of young Americans reconnect with 

our natural resources and cultural heritage. Offering seasonal work and internships for students, and 

full-time permanent careers, the NPS puts thousands of young people to work in the great outdoors and 

inspires the next generation of conservation leaders. 

There are internships and future careers with the National Park Service waiting for your Girl Scouts! 

Get the full scoop: 

■ Invite a national park ranger to your Girl Scout troop meeting or visit them to fnd out how they work to 

protect and manage national parks. 

■ Learn about all the ways girls can get involved with the National Park Service. 

■ Get inspired by learning about what park rangers do. 

■ Check out National Park Service jobs for students. 
3. Brainstorm activities. 

Ask the girls to think about activities that interest 

them. Many of the parks describe on their website 

the interpretive and educational programs they offer 

to the public, along with various volunteer opportunities; think about how these can enhance girls’ 

Journeys or meet badge requirements. Make a list 

of ideas for possible activities. 

 Many national parks offer feld trips, guided tours, 

and other fun activities that require reservations. 

In some cases, there’s a self-guided tour option at 

fexible times! 

TIP: Even if reservations for a program aren’t mentioned on the park’s website, it’s always a good 

idea to call ahead, especially if you have a group 

of 10 or more. 

 In addition to activities listed on the park’s website, you may fnd service opportunities of interest 

to your girls. Visit volunteer.gov to locate existing 

volunteer opportunities in national parks! 

 Ask the girls to think about the badges or Journeys 

they’re working on this year—or that they want 

to earn next year. Are there things they can learn 

at the NPS site that can help them out? Here are 

some examples: 

DAISIES: It’s Your Planet—Love It! 

Between Earth and Sky Journey 

Ask a park ranger to teach “Leave 

No Trace” lessons on a nature walk 

based on colors or shapes. 

BROWNIES: Hiker badge 

Get off the beaten path on a 

ranger-guided hike! 

JUNIORS: Digital Photographer badge 

Snap some city shots at a national 

historic site or monument, or some 

seaside scenes at a national seashore. 

CADETTES: It’s Your Story—Tell It! 

MEdia Journey 

Create a publicity campaign or PSA 

about the park. 

SENIORS: Adventurer badge 

Plan your own journey to two different 

national parks that girls choose! 

AMBASSADORS: It’s Your Planet— 

Love It! Justice Journey 

Interview a park ranger about environmental issues impacting the park. 

Think about a Take Action project 

that might help! 

Volunteering at Parks 

Did you know that youth account for more 

than 40 percent of National Park Service 

volunteers and that Girl Scouts contribute 

thousands of hours of service annually to the 

NPS? Volunteers of any age who serve more 

than 250 hours in one year are eligible for a 

FREE annual public lands pass—go to volunteer.gov for more information! 

Looking for more volunteer opportunities? 

Visit volunteer.gov! 
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4. Get in touch. 

Refer to the “Contact Us” link in the left corner of the 

park’s website and email or call the park. Let them 

know you’re interested in participating in the Girl 

Scout Ranger Program and would like to talk with the 

person who coordinates the program for the park. 

Be prepared to share such info with the park 

representative as the number of participating Girl 

Scouts and their ages and skill levels, and the estimated time commitment for the project. 

Ask the rep for the inside scoop on opportunities 

you read about, as well as any additional activities 

that might be available to girls. These could include volunteer service projects, career programs, 

special events and programs for youth, or nature 

conservation activities. 

5. Coordinate and plan with 

the park. 

Work together with the NPS representative to plan 

your visit or project. The rep can suggest ideas for 

activities and work with you and the girls to ensure 

your visit/project is fun and informative, and help 

everyone gain a better understanding of our national 

parks and the many natural, cultural, and historical 

resources they protect! 

Service vs. Take Action: 

What’s the Difference? 

Service makes the world better for some people 

right now. For example, cleaning up hiking trails 

helps people enjoy parks at the present time. Picking 

up trash helps animals and people enjoy their en 

vironment at this moment. Providing clothing and 

toiletries to people who have suffered a disaster 

helps them get through a diffcult event currently. 

These acts of kindness are important ways to help 

some people—right now. 

Take Action projects, including those associated 

with Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, 

address the root cause of an issue and offer sus 

tainable, longer-lasting solutions. Leaders of these 

projects strive to make the world a better place for 

more people for a longer period of time. For exam 

ple, a Girl Scout Brownie troop might help plan and 

create an accessible trail at a national park, and a 

Girl Scout Senior might develop a curriculum for 

ongoing educational programs to teach younger 

children about the history of a national monument. 

Sometimes, service and action naturally blend to 

form one sustainable effort. 
6. Think about 

some key dates 

throughout the 

year! 

JANUARY 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

FEBRUARY 

World Thinking Day, 

February 22, celebrating the 

birthdays of Girl Guide/Girl 

Scout founder Robert, Lord 

Baden-Powell (1857–1941) and 

World Chief Guide 

Olave, Lady Baden-Powell 

(1889–1977) 

MARCH

Girl Scouts’ birthday, March 

12, commemorating the day in 

1912 when Juliette Gordon Low 

offcially registered the organization’s frst 18 girl members in 

Savannah, Georgia 

Women’s History Month 

APRIL 

National Park Week 

Environmental Education Week 

National Volunteer Week 

Earth Day, April 22 

Girl Scout Leader’s Day, 

April 22, honoring the volunteers

who lead and mentor our girls 

MAY 

Kids to Parks Day, May 19 

National BioBlitz event(s) 

JUNE 

Great Outdoors Month 

National Trails Day 

AUGUST 

National Park Service 

birthday 

SEPTEMBER 

National Public 

Lands Day 

Destinations 

Girl Scouts sponsors national travel opportunities for girls ages 11 and older through Destinations. With dif -

ferent trips every year, there’s something amazing for every girl to experience—and many of the trips are to 

our national parks! Check out these great opportunities and learn how Girl Scouts can make friends from 

all over the country as they discover new things and make lifelong memories in national parks. 
7. Have fun, be safe, and Leave No Trace! 

Once all the logistics are in place, go get your fun on 

with the Girl Scout Ranger Program! 

Safety frst: Troop leaders, be sure to familiarize 

yourself with your council’s Safety Activity Checkpoints 

for each activity you’ll be doing, and ask NPS site 

staff about their guidelines for keeping visitors safe! 

Leave No Trace: Visiting a national park is a great 

opportunity to teach your girls how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Teach them the seven principles 

of Leave No Trace: 

1. Know before you go. 

2. Choose the right path. 

3. Trash your trash. 

4. Leave what you fnd. 

5. Be careful with fre. 

6. Respect wildlife. 

7. Be kind to other visitors. 

Leave No Trace is an outdoor ethics program that teaches people of all ages how to enjoy the outdoors 

responsibly. Learn more, including how you can practice the seven principles during your visits to National Park 

Service sites. 

Certifcate or Patch 

National Park Service staff will award girls with a Girl Scout Ranger certifcate once they complete a fvehour program activity, and with a Girl Scout Ranger patch after a ten-hour activity. Girls can even complete 

the program by visiting more than one national park—just use our Girl Scout Ranger Activity Log to track 

your hours! For more info, talk to your contact at the park. 
Tell Us About It: 

Share what you did with NPS and Girl Scouts of 

the USA! 

Encourage girls to share their NPS site experience by 

sending an email with a photo. 

Post photos of your park experience on Facebook, 

Twitter, and Instagram, with the hashtag #gsoutdoors! 

Prompt girls to submit any Take Action projects 

completed at NPS sites to GSUSA’s Map It! Girls 

Changing the World. 

Volunteer Recognition 

George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service: The George and Helen 

Hartzog Award recognizes individuals and groups for 

outstanding volunteer service in national parks. Next 

time your troop or individual Girl Scout volunteers at 

a national park, be sure to inquire about the award 

and nomination process! 

Optional Take Action Project: 

You may want to use what you learn at National Park 

Service sites to develop Take Action projects in your 

community. This is a great option, especially if you’re 

visiting a smaller NPS site that may not have need 

for your project, or a site that’s too far from your 

hometown to accommodate multiple return visits. 

Get inspired by some Take Action projects Girl 

Scouts are doing all over the country! 

Learn more about the 

Girl Scout Ranger Program.