About the Division

Visitor Services Rangers serve the public in the tradition of "park keepers."  The idea was conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture, whose firm is responsible for the design and development of numerous Passaic County Parks, to include Garret Mountain Reservation, Weasel Brook Park and Goffle Brook Park.  Recognizing the importance of the historic idea of “park keepers” and as an effort to increase safety and enhance the visitor experience at our county parks, the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners created the Visitor Services Ranger Division, which tasks seasonal and full-time employees with patrolling the parks and educating patrons on the history and amenities each of our parks has to offer.  Ranger duties also include park safety, deterring prohibited behavior on park property, maintaining cleanliness, monitoring special use permits, and offering educational insight.  Rangers are not law enforcement officers but do educate the public regarding park rules and regulations.  Rangers observe and report applicable violations to the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, which is the agency responsible for law enforcement and security for the Passaic County Park System.  Rangers are trained in first aid and are equipped with AED units in their patrol vehicles.  Numerous rangers have advanced training in a variety of areas, to include degrees in park management, recreation, environmental studies, and professional certification as emergency medical technicians.

The Passaic County Department of Parks & Recreation manages one of the largest county park systems in the state of New Jersey, encompassing 16,000 acres of public land.  Our parks range from urban locations to remote mountainous regions.  Rangers conduct proactive patrols of all county park lands, serving as goodwill ambassadors to our visitors, providing education about the historic and environmental features of the county park system, monitoring park lands and facilities for maintenance concerns & environmental impacts, conducting environmental education and Junior Ranger programs, assisting with search and rescue incidents and working directly with local police, fire, EMS and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office as part of a combined effort to protect the millions of visitors who use the Passaic County Park System on an annual basis. 

Customer Service

Visitor Services Rangers serve as customer service agents for the Passaic County Park System, ensuring that the hundreds of permits that are issued by the park system each year are professionally coordinated and managed at parks throughout the county.  Permits are issued for various events, to include but not limited to pavilion rentals, athletic fields, cross county races, sports tournaments, and community festivals.  Visitor Services Rangers are primarily available between the hours of 9 a.m. and sunset, from April through November.  We also employ a smaller year-round staff, which provides limited hours of coverage during the winter months. 

Environmental Education / Community Liaison

Visitor Services Rangers provide environmental education and community liaison services for the Passaic County Park System.  The division routinely schedules public hikes and environmental education programs for various age groups.  To view a list of public programs and register for events, visit PassaicCountyRec.org.  If you would like to schedule a ranger led hike or program or wish to have a ranger speak to your community group about the Passaic County Park System, please contact the Department of Parks and Recreation at (973) 881-4833. 

School Programs

Visitor Services Rangers are available to conduct environmental education programs to all public and private schools and home school groups within Passaic County.  These programs are provided free of charge.  Ranger led environmental education programs are primarily designed for an elementary school-based K-5 science curriculum.  Special request programs are also available for middle and high school level students, the design of which will be coordinated with the requesting official.  Programs can be conducted at school or within a county park.  Rangers are also available to participate in other various school-based events such as career day presentations, book readings and environmental based activities projects.  For summary descriptions of current elementary school-based program options, please consult the link below.  To schedule a program, please contact the Department of Parks and Recreation at (973) 881-4833.

2023-2024 In-School Ranger Programs

Junior Ranger Program

Visitor Services Rangers coordinate the Passaic County Park System Junior Ranger Program.  This program provides an opportunity for youth ages 5 - 12 to learn about the environment and become an official Passaic County Parks Junior Ranger.  The program entails the completion of a workbook and various home and/or field-based activities led by ranger staff.  For more information, please visit PassaicCountyRec.org.

2024 Junior Park Ranger Booklet

Employment

The Passaic County Department of Parks and Recreation employs both seasonal and permanent full time Visitor Services Rangers.  Most of the division is comprised of seasonal employees, who are limited to six months of employment in a calendar year.  Seasonal positions are available on an annual basis, with most seasonal employment opportunities occurring between mid-March and December of each year.  Most seasonal employees work 40 hours per week; however, part time seasonal positions are also available.

The primary duty of this position is to provide proactive visitor services patrols within the 16,000-acre county park system, which ranges from urban locations to remote mountainous regions.  Patrols are conducted by vehicle, foot, bicycle, and ATV.  Foot patrols may entail extensive trail hiking, where rangers routinely walk 5 plus miles per shift carrying a backpack with various first aid and trail maintenance supplies.

Rangers interact with visitors daily, provide information on county parks, programs, and facilities, educate the public regarding park rules and regulations, facilitate the efficient operation of the special use permit program, provide first aid services, work with police, fire, search & rescue and EMS agencies, assist with traffic control and parking of vehicles during special events, inspect park properties for hazards, assist with trail maintenance, coordinate volunteer work projects and ensure excellent customer service to our park visitors.  Rangers also conduct public programs related to environmental education, group hikes, recreation, and Junior Ranger activities.

Preferred qualifications include academic coursework and/or professional training in Park Management, Recreation, Outdoor Adventures, Forestry, Wildlife Management, Environmental Science, Conservation Law, Fire/EMS, or a related field. 

Preferred qualifications include professional experience working in park/recreation operations, natural resource management, outdoor adventures, educational programming, trail management, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical services and fire services.  Examples of such experience are professional work as a park manager, outdoors guide, recreation leader, naturalist, tour guide, park ranger, conservation officer, police officer, trail steward, visitor services assistant, teacher, search and rescue technician, fireman, EMT, and park maintenance operations.

For more information about employment opportunities as a Visitor Services Ranger, please contact the Division Manager at (973) 881-4357.