More Opportunities Than Ever
Learn about all of the ways to volunteer
New this year, volunteer opportunities kick off in late February and run through early October, with expanded sessions and fresh ways to get involved. There’s something for everyone—whether you’re a returning member of the Medora family or joining us for the first time.
We want your TRMF volunteer experience to be a positive one! Take a look at our expectations and responsibilities to help you choose the session that best matches your skills and availability.
Spring Sessions
TAG TEAMS
THE “RETAIL EARLY STARTERS” FUN
February 24 – March 21
4 sessions | 5 days each session Mon – Fri
7 hours per day
Duties may include lifting, unpacking boxes, and tagging merchandise. Involves bending, standing, and some stairs.
SPRING INTO RETAIL
THE “GETTIN’ ‘ER READY” FUN
March 31- April 25
4 sessions | 5 days each session Mon – Fri
7 hours per day
Duties may include unpacking boxes, folding, sorting, tagging merchandise, and stocking shelves. Involves bending, standing, lifting, and some stairs.
SPRING INTO ACTION
(Previously Pre-Season)
THE “SPRING CLEANING” FUN
April 28 – May 23
4 sessions | 5 days each session Mon – Fri
6-8 hours per day
Duties include but are not limited to: raking, weeding, mowing, carpentry, pruning trees and shrubs, cleaning, painting/staining, and various general maintenance duties around town in preparation for the guests to arrive. Involves lifting, bending, standing, walking, working with tools
EARLY BIRDS
THE “MIXED BAG” FUN
May 23 – June 3
1 session | 12 days
4-6 hours per day
Duties are a combination of Spring, Summer, and Fall duties all mixed into one experience. Volunteers operate the various venues open to guests during the holiday weekend such as the Badlands Pizza, Shooting Gallery, Mini-Golf or other food service or retail venues. Providing good customer service and guest
interaction are key skills. Involves light lifting, bending, standing, walking, and limited working with tools.
FLOWER CREW PREP
THE “PREPPIN’ THE PRETTY” FUN
May 19-23
1 session | 5 days Mon – Fri
6-8 hours per day
Duties include tilling and mulching flower beds, pulling old flowers and weeds, applying Preen, and potentially cutting down old perennials. Involves both heavy and light lifting, carrying light loads, bending, kneeling, walking, standing, and working with garden and landscaping tools.
FLOWER CREW
THE “MAKIN’ ‘ER PRETTY” FUN
May 26-30
1 sessions | 5 days Mon – Fri
6-8 hours per day
Duties include preparing flower beds, planting flowers and landscaping tasks around Medora. Experience/knowledge of gardening is helpful. Involves lifting, carrying light loads, bending, kneeling, walking, standing and working with garden and landscaping tools.
SPRING TEE BOX TEAMS
THE “BRIGHT AND EARLY GREENS PREP” FUN
April 28 – June 3
5 sessions | 8 days each session Mon – Sun
4-6 hours per day – 6:00am Start
Duties include moving tee markers daily, filling divots, cleaning tee areas, filling sand bottles and emptying trash. Involves driving a golf cart. Repeatedly lifting up to 10-15 pounds, bending, walking, and standing.
SPRING TEE TIMERS
THE “OPENING FOR BULLY” FUN
April 28 – June 2
5 sessions | 8 days each session Mon – Sun
4-6 hours per day
Tournament days may have split shifts with regular days being full days. Duties will include customer service, outdoor services, player prep, driving and cleaning of carts. Knowledge of golf is helpful but not required. Involves lifting, bending, standing, walking, working with tools, and repeatedly walking up and down a hill.
GIRLS GOLF CAMP
THE “TEE-CHING THE GAME” FUN
May 31 – June 2
1 session | 3 days
8 hours per day
Tournament days may have split shifts with regular days being full days. Duties will include customer service, outdoor services, player prep, driving and cleaning of carts. Knowledge of golf is helpful but not required. Involves lifting, bending, standing, walking, working with tools, and repeatedly walking up and down a hill.
CLASSROOM IN THE BADLANDS
THE “CUB HERDING” FUN
May 5 – May 23
Schedule will vary depending on when schools sign-up.
Provides oversight of the Harold Schafer Heritage Center video. Oversee scavenger hunt, including distribute scavenger hunt forms/pens and assists students with questions/finding items. Will help with distributing putters and balls at Lil’ Bully Pulpit Mini Golf Course and assists TRMF entertainment department in tours of the Burning Hills Amphitheatre (venue of the Medora Musical). May rotate between activities or be stationary at one of the above activities depending on confirmed schedule of schools. Involves standing and some stairs (stage stairs at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre). Weather permitting – Outdoor activities are weather permitting. Most classrooms come on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Volunteers who select this option on the application form will be put into a pool to be called for availability for the confirmed school arrival dates.
Summer Sessions
GREEN VESTERS
THE “TEAM” FUN
June 2 – Sept 13
15 sessions | 8 days each session Mon – Tues
Approximately 6 hours per day
Monday is orientation day working through the following Monday, leaving on Tuesday morning. Volunteers work in pairs or couples and rotate through a variety of venues daily following an assigned schedule. Guest interaction and customer service are key components to volunteering during the summer season. Duties may include but not limited to food service, standing for short periods of time, walking short distances, light lifting, some cleaning, some climbing of stairs and other duties that may arise during the course of a shift at the various venues. Volunteers usher at the Medora Musical, serve guests at our Brunches and Pitchfork Steak Fondue, and are the key personnel in many of the venues such as the Shooting Gallery, Mini-Golf, and many more.
GUEST SHUTTLE DRIVER
THE “MAKING SURE THE GUESTS GET THERE” FUN
June 4 – Sept 14
14 sessions | 7-12 days each session
5-6 hours per day
Monday is orientation day working through the following Monday, leaving on Tuesday morning. May sign up for more than one session. Each volunteer that signs up for this session (even if you are signing up as a pair) must be able to drive a 15-passenger van. Drives guests to the Pitchfork Steak Fondue and the Medora Musical, picks up at end of Medora Musical. Assists with other driving needs, such as, driving for employee orientations and taking recycling boxes to city recycling.
LATE SUMMER
(Previously End of Season)
THE “BEHIND THE SCENES” FUN
Aug 12 – Sept 15
3 sessions | 8-15 days each session
6-7 hours per day
Number of openings available is dependent on need as determined by number of employees leaving before summer ends – final selection and confirmation of spots will be determined by June 2nd. Late Summer volunteers fill in typically at one location for employees who return to school or their home countries while Medora is still in full operational mode. Duties depend on positions available –Positions may include any of our food service venues such as the Badlands Pizza, Rough Rider Hotel catering or the Life Skills Center Cafeteria. Other positions may be with Maintenance, Grounds, Laundry, Campground, Housekeeping, Point to Point Park, Retail, Entertainment, Administrative Offices, and Bully Pulpit. Duties may require cleaning, light lifting, walking, standing, stairs, customer service, and guest interactions. Shifts average 6-7 hours including breaks/ day(s) off in each session depending on length of session. Bully Pulpit LSV – Some LSV volunteers choose to work only at the Bully Pulpit Golf Course. Couples do not have to choose to both work at the golf course. Preferences for venues will be completed with final confirmations in June.
SUMMER TEE BOX TEAMS
THE “BRIGHT AND EARLY GREENS PREP” FUN
June 2 – Sept 9
14 sessions | 8 days each session
4-6 hours per day – 6:00am Start
NEW – SUMMER TEE TIMERS
The “Helping Golfers Prepare” Fun!
June 2 – Sept 9
14 sessions | 8 days each session
4-6 hours per day
Tournament days may have split shifts with regular days being full days. Duties may include customer service, outdoor services, player prep, driving and cleaning of carts. Knowledge of golf is helpful but not required. Involves lifting, bending, standing, walking, working with tools, and repeatedly walking up and down a hill.
Fall Sessions
NEW – AUTUMN ACTION
THE “FALL CLEANUP” FUN!
Sept 22 – Oct 10
3 sessions | 5 days each session Mon – Fri
6 hours per day
Weather permitting – Duties include but not limited to: pulling flowers, cutting perennials, raking leaves, putting away grounds & flower equipment, general help winterizing grounds properties around town. Involves lifting, bending, standing, walking, working with tools and equipment.
FALL TEE-TIMERS
THE “HELPING GOLFERS PREPARE” FUN
Sept 8 – Oct 4
4 sessions | 7 days each session Mon – Sun
4-6 hours per day
Tournament days may have split shifts with regular days being full days. Duties will include customer service, outdoor services, player prep, driving and cleaning of carts. Knowledge of golf is helpful but not required. Involves lifting, bending, standing, walking, working with tools, and repeatedly walking up and down a hill.
FALL TEE BOX TEAMS
THE “BRIGHT AND EARLY GREENS PREP” FUN
Sept 8 – Oct 4
4 sessions | 8 days each session
4-6 hours per day – 6:00am Start
Duties include moving tee markers daily, filling divots, cleaning tee areas, filling sand bottles and emptying trash. Involves driving a golf cart. Repeatedly lifting up to 10-15 pounds, bending, walking, and standing.
BULLY PULPIT GOLF COURSE TOURNAMENTS
THE “COMPETITION ABOUNDS” FUN!
April through October
Weather permitting – Tournaments are set up from April through October. Most are one day tournaments and can be on a weekday or a weekend. Tournaments are full day events. Volunteers can choose to arrive the day before a tournament depending on starting time and choose to stay over depending on when the tournament day is finished. Duties may include customer service, outdoor services, player prep, delivery and cleaning of carts and/or operating the snack bar (pop, chips, candy, etc.) and helping out in the Sagebrush Grill. Volunteers who select this option on the application form will be put into a pool to be called for availability for the tournament dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: We have a pet and it’s difficult to find someone to watch it to come and volunteer. Can I/we bring our pet along?
A: Sorry, no. Volunteering in Medora means operating on a pretty busy schedule—away from their lodging rooms for the large majority of the day. In addition, the Spirit of Work Lodge is a pet-free facility. We know your four-legged friends will be excited to see you after your volunteer time has ended!
Q: My spouse doesn’t want to volunteer. Can he or she still stay with me for free?
A: Only active volunteers may stay in TRMF-provided housing at no cost.
Q: My family is coming to visit me as I volunteer. Can they eat with me at the LSC or any of the other food venues?
A: Yes they can! They will need to pay the full guest price for meals and cannot receive the employee discount. They will also need to pay regular prices for all TRMF attractions and venues.
Q: If I/we are not selected, what are our options?
A: If you are not chosen, the option to sign up as a substitute will be given to you! We typically need to replace 50-70 volunteers who for a variety of reasons cannot accept their chosen season/date. Hopefully, those canceling give adequate advance notice. However, many are last-minute and spots are filled on a first-come basis.
Q: How will I know that my application has been successfully submitted?
A: When fully completed and submitted, you should receive an electronic “Thank You” reply within a very short time. Be sure to check your junk/spam mail folder if it doesn’t arrive. As a last resort, call the office at 701-495-3522 to confirm.
Q: I’m interested in bringing my group or company to volunteer all at one time. Can I do that?
A: We appreciate our business and community partnerships and welcome them to organize a group to spend a few days working on special projects that come up each year. These projects usually occur before or after the Medora Musical season, but these volunteer groups provide a great service to us and find their time in Medora very rewarding. To inquire about bringing a group out, contact Nicole Pinner, Director of Volunteer Services, at the number listed below.
Q: Will transportation be provided to me in Medora?
A: No; volunteers are to use their own vehicles to get to and from various venue locations. TRMF does not provide transportation for that purpose. If available, bicycles can be rented from Dakota Cyclery for the week.
Nicole Pinner,
Director of Volunteer Programs
701-495-3522
[email protected]2025 Volunteer Application Waitlist
Our 2025 applications are closed. But if you’re keen on lending a hand when the trail gets tough, hop on the waitlist by filling out the form below.