Park Ranger 1 (Cape Disappointment)
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Apply to Park Ranger 1 (Cape Disappointment) at State of Washington, WAJob details
- Location
- Oceanside, Washington
- Work type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $52,872 - $71,136/yr
- Posted
- yesterday
- Apply on
- governmentjobs.com
About this role
About the Department
Job Title: Park Ranger 1
Location: Oceanside, WA
Compensation: $4,406 - $5,928 monthly
Closes: August 7, 2026, at 11:59pm PST
Position Status: This is a full-time permanent position.
Housing is available for this position at a subsidized cost.
This opportunity is internal only and limited to current Washington State Parks employees only.
Join the Long Beach team as a PARK RANGER 1 where you're responsible for preserving and enhancing our state parks and natural resources.
This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) full-time permanent Park Ranger 1 position at Cape Disappointment State Park.Cape Disappointment State Park - Cape Disappointment is a 2,023-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean and looking into the mouth of the Columbia River. The park offers yurts and unique historic vacation homes, a boat ramp and 135 feet of dock on Baker Bay in the Columbia River, and is host to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and the North Head Lighthouse. The "Camp D" camp store is closed in 2026 and into 2027 due to construction of the new contact station.
Cape Disappointment, a destination park that brings in visitors from all over the world, sees over 4 million visitors each year, making it one of the most visited parks in the agency. As the Park Ranger 1, you will be spending a large portion of your day in the parking areas doing Discover Pass Enforcement and providing excellent customer service, as well as helping to manage the 200-site campground. This makes the Park Ranger 1 the most seen and interactive employee that our visitors engage with, effectively making the Ranger 1 the face of our park.
Park Housing is available at a subsidized cost. Please reach out to the park with questions.
As a Park Ranger 1, you will have the ability to work outdoors in a beautiful and scenic environment, while being part of a team that supports one of the most diverse state park systems in the nation. If you are a hard worker that enjoys serving the public, then this may be the position for you. We believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, so we encourage candidates from all identities and backgrounds to apply!
For more information on Washington State Parks, click here.
Position Duties
The Park Ranger 1 independently performs a variety of duties defined by the Program Manager and Area Manager. This position provides day-to-day customer service, supports rule compliance, assists area staff by working in other area parks, works with staff to maintain consistently high standards for restroom cleaning and grounds, and provides routine maintenance services that support the operation of the park area.
Further, this position protects, preserves, and enhances the park and natural resources, while ensuring the safety and welfare of the park visitors to the park area.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Performs duties of rule and regulation compliance for the park area
- Educates park visitors on rules and regulations that govern activities within the park area, including Discover Pass enforcement.
- Provides routine maintenance and stewardship functions within the park area
- Supervises and completes lower-level maintenance projects for park area, where journey level skills are not required.
- Completes, assigns, and schedules routine grounds and facilities maintenance and upkeep duties.
- Ensures priorities are adhered to and identified standards for cleanliness and sanitation are met for routine ground and facilities maintenance and upkeep.
- Inspects lower-level maintenance projects within the park area for compliance with identified standards.
- Cleans restrooms and other park facilities.
- Provides registration and customer service functions
- Directs public contact providing general information, rules & regulations, services, emergency information and assistance, and area specific information.
- Performs administrative duties
- Accurately and timely completes new employee hiring paperwork.
- Completes park's Cash Receipt Transmittals (CRTs).
- Supervises lower-level staff
- Supervises and provides oversight and instruction to staff, work groups, and volunteers.
- Follows all Agency policies and procedures, statewide rules and regulations and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Minimum Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- High school diploma or GED.
- United States citizen or legal to work in the U.S.
- A valid driver's license (unrestricted, other than corrective lenses).
- Must be 21 years old.
- Two (2) years of college (60 semester or 90 quarter credits), military experience, commissioned law enforcement experience, natural resource, or recreation field experience.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience performing minor construction and repair work.
- Grounds maintenance experience such as cutting grass, weeding flower beds, pruning, raking leaves, picking up litter, etc.
- Supervisory experience.
- Ability and willingness to effectively manage emergency situations.
- Ability to adapt to changing business needs, conditions, and work responsibilities.
- Ability to complete forms and reports accurately and timely.
- Ability to consistently enforce and follow governmental laws, rules, and regulations.
- Ability to focus on educating and influencing park users for voluntary compliance.
- Ability to interpret and represent agency policies, procedures, direction, and mission.
- Ability to maintain tools and keep workspaces organized.
- Ability to make independent decisions that achieve desired results.
- Ability to verbally communicate effectively with individuals.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office.
- Ability to work with the public, employees and other staff in a friendly, positive and approachable manner in order to create a positive work environment.
- Have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes required to effectively lead personnel.
- Ability to write clearly and succinctly.
- Knowledge of interpretive methods and techniques.
- Skilled in using logic and proven methods when facing challenges.
- Ability to learn and grow, adapts to change and applies new approaches, learns to navigate systems, processes, tools, and technology, and increases and develops knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- Takes action to meet the needs of others, collaborates with others to overcome challenges and find solutions, increases access, opportunities, and positive outcomes for others, and helps and supports people and communities from all backgrounds.
WORK CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:
Possess sufficient physical stamina and dexterity to work arduous manual tasks over extended periods.
Willing to work weekends, holidays and long and/or irregular hours.
Willing to work in inclement weather conditions.
Must not have a driving record that indicates a disregard for rules and regulations. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, hit and run, reckless driving, or an accumulation of driving violations will be evaluated.
TRAINING:
Park Ranger 1's will be required to attend and successfully pass a mandatory one-week training, which will include some in-person attendance requirements. This training will include a curriculum of defensive tactics certifications, basic first aid and adult/infant CPR (w/AED), radio communications, legal update, and other duties and responsibilities specific to the role of a Park Ranger 1, such as:
- Chain-of-command structure
- Supervision of non-permanent employees/volunteers
- Role & authority
- Discover Pass enforcement
- Issuing of infractions
- Crime recognition and incident reporting
- Lawful and effective use of pepper spray
- Tactical communications
Job Suitability Determination:
Successful applicants will have a history of law-abiding behavior and must pass a background investigation. Adverse background data may be grounds for immediate disqualification. Information obtained in this process will remain confidential.
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS:
No criminal activity while working in the criminal justice system.
No use of illegal drugs in the last three years.
No possession of illegal drugs in the last ten years.
No crime committed as an adult, prosecutable under the statute of limitations.
No intentional deception in any stage of the testing process.
No intentional deception in the selection process of any law enforcement agency.
No domestic violence convictions.
No driving under the influence within the last five years.
SUBSTANCE USE INFORMATION:
The Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission (WSPRC) drug standards for Park Rangers are:
(1) No possession or use of non-prescribed stimulant, Opium, Cocaine, Codeine, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Methadone, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, Depressants, Hallucinogenic substances, etc., as defined in RCW 69.50.201-214, within the last 10 years or no more than 3 lifetime uses of any combination (excluding marijuana/hashish). "Possession" is defined as illegal control, touching, holding, selling, or trafficking of any illegal, non-prescribed drugs.
(2) Zero tolerance for the selling or manufacturing of any drugs, as defined in RCW 69.50.201-214, including the illegal selling or manufacturing of marijuana.
(3) Zero tolerance for the illegal possession or use of any non-prescribed drugs (as defined in RCW 69.50.201-214), while employed or having been employed in a commissioned capacity by a law enforcement agency, including a military position with law enforcement powers.
If your past substance use is outside of our current drug policy, you may request a waiver to the policy by writing a letter to the screening committee that includes full details of the past substance use and provides justification of why you should be granted an exception to our policy. You can also include any evidence or letters of recommendation to be reviewed along with your letter. All waiver requests must be attached to your application and received with your application package. For questions regarding waivers and or submission please send all correspondence to: Nikki.Williams@parks.wa.gov.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Applicants will be required to successfully complete a background investigation which may include, but is not limited to: driving record, fingerprints, and criminal and employment history. Applicants will be required to sign releases of information and shall not have access to any investigative materials and files. Background investigations are part of the pre-employment selection process and are not a commitment to employment.
These positions are included in the non-supervisory bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/
Other Qualifications
HOW TO APPLY:
To be considered, your application package must include ALL of the following:
- Complete online application that includes all past work history (including current and previous supervisors' names and phone numbers) and education, going back at least ten (10) years.
- Cover Letter.
- Three (3) names of professional references including phone numbers and email addresses. These must be listed in the reference section of your application. We will be contacting your current/previous supervisors. You do NOT need to attach letters of recommendation; we will be contacting them. A professional reference is defined as an individual who has been paid to supervise your work and can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job competencies.
- Complete Supplemental Questionnaire - The answers to your supplemental questions will be initially reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure you meet our Park Ranger standards. Responses throughout the process not supported in your application will disqualify you for consideration of employment from this recruitment. If you are currently a WSPRC employee, it could also affect your current or future employment with the agency. Bottom line - take your time answering these questions, ensure completeness, and remember absolute honesty is essential!
- Veterans - Candidates with prior military experience must submit a member 4 copy of their DD214, DD256, or NGB22.
- Transcripts - Candidates with college education/credits must attach unofficial copies of all college and university transcripts that show the degree received and credits completed. International transcripts must include a foreign transcript evaluation. For a list of approved credential evaluation services visit: http://naces.org/members
- We recommend that you carefully review your entire application before submitting it, including looking at our required qualifications and standards for law enforcement. Some past actions could immediately disqualify you. Be honest when applying – it's better to disclose all information up front than have it discovered halfway through the hiring process.
- The information provided in your application must support your selected answers and responses to the supplemental questionnaire.
- Any deception found during the process will disqualify you.
- The initial screening will be solely based on the contents and completeness of all the contents in your application package, including the completeness of answers in the supplemental questions.
- A resume will NOT substitute for completing the Work or Education section of your application. Ensure each section is fully completed.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission provides policy direction for one of the largest, most diverse, and beautiful state parks systems in the country. The state park system is comprised of 124 state parks and properties covering over 138,000 acres throughout the state. The park system includes marine parks, heritage sites, historic parks, interpretive centers, retreat centers, ocean beaches and hundreds of miles of trails. The agency is also responsible for the state’s winter recreation program, boating safety and vessel pump out program and numerous contracted concession operations. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission cares for Washington's most treasured lands, waters, and historic places. Want to join a great organization? State parks connect all Washingtonians to their diverse natural and cultural heritage and provide memorable recreational and educational experiences that enhance their lives, this is a mission like no other state agency. For more information on Washington State Parks, click here.
Applicants will be required to successfully complete a background investigation which may include, but is not limited to: driving record, fingerprints, and criminal and employment history. Applicants will be required to sign releases of information and shall not have access to any investigative materials and files. Background investigations are part of the pre-employment selection process and are not a commitment to employment.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to build a workplace culture that is welcoming and inclusive in which all employees feel respected and empowered to bring their unique ideas to the agency. At State Parks, we believe that embracing diverse backgrounds and experiences is essential to growing a strong workforce. We encourage applicants underrepresented in natural resources and outdoor recreation fields to apply, including but not limited to women, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), individuals with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, disabled and Vietnam era veterans, persons over 40 years of age, and individuals who identify as a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resources office at (360) 902-8565. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
For information or questions about the recruitment, qualifications, or waiver process please contact Nikki Williams at [email protected].
For information about the position duties, please contact Caitlin Ellerbe at [email protected].
All applicants with a legal right to work in the United States are encouraged to apply.
Job Alerts to receive a list of new job postings at Parks.
Benefits
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.
Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.
Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.
Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.
Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.
The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.
Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Social Security
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Holidays
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.
Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.
Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.
Sick Leave
Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.
Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
Vacation (Annual Leave)
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.
Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.
Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
As provided in WAC 357-58-175, an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.
Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.
Military Leave
Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.
Bereavement Leave
Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.
Additional Leave
Leave Sharing
Parental Leave
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay
Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.
Updated 01-07-2026
Supplemental Questions
- Click here to proceed
- I understand untruthful responses will result in my disqualification.
- Yes
- No
- I have a high school diploma or GED, and two years of college.
- I have a high school diploma or GED, and two years Military experience or Natural Resource or Recreation field experience.
- I have none of the above.
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- I understand the drug standards used by WSPRC.
- I understand the waiver policy.
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- I acknowledge that I have read and understand that deception or appearance of deception could result in my disqualification.
- www.careers.wa.gov
- WorkSource Center or website (WorkSourceWA.com)
- Parks Talent Management Consultant
- Park Ranger
- Park Employee
- Professional/Personal Network
- College/University website/career fair
- VERG
- Craigslist
- Indeed
- Career Fair
- Other
Required Question
Agency Information
EmployerState of WashingtonAddress View Job Posting for Agency InformationView Job Posting for Location, Washington, 98504 Website http://www.careers.wa.gov