Lake Valley Historic Town Site Host

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Spend a season enjoying the solitude and beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert! Apply today to be a site host at Lake Valley Historic Site in New Mexico!

The mining town of Lake Valley was founded in 1878 after silver was discovered. Almost overnight, the small frontier town blossomed into a major settlement with a population of 4,000 people. Today, silver mining has played out and all that remains is a ghost town. BLM has restored several buildings around the site, including a chapel, residence, and a schoolhouse. The restored schoolhouse provides a glimpse of what schooling in a rural area was like in the early 20th century and acts as Lake Valley's visitor center. Other buildings in the town site have been stabilized to slow further deterioration.

Lake Valley is open for visitation from Thursday - Monday. There is no public overnight use allowed at Lake Valley.

The site hosts main duties will consist of day-to-day management of the recreation area. The hosts will staff and clean the visitor center; conduct patrols of the grounds and trails; clean and stock restrooms; open and close the gates and facilities of the area. Site hosts work a minimum of 40 hours per week and are expected to be on site during their work days. Hosts will represent the BLM in a professional manner, provide information to visitors, and ensure compliance with area rules and regulations.

The site hosts will reside at the site in a covered area that includes: a 30/50 amp RV electrical system, large and shaded pad for RV, water, sewage, washer, and dryer. There is also extra storage space in the fenced-in area for use by BLM employees to store equipment and supplies. If a couple, one host will be reimbursed at $27 per day and the other host will be reimbursed at $12 per day. If only one individual, they will be reimbursed at $27 per day. Reimbursements are paid out once a month, but there can be extended delays subject to the workload/availability of employees processing it. Reimbursements are not stipends or salaries/wages. Pets are allowed.

Expect hot summers with temperatures usually in the high 90s and occasional thunderstorms during our monsoon season. Winters range from a low in the 30s to a high in the 60s. In the summer, you may encounter a rattlesnake within the developed site. We ask that you relocate or kill it in a humane manner.

Area Attractions include: White Sands National Monument, Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, Gila National Forest, Truth or Consequences hot springs.

The BLM is looking to fill the position for the following dates: October 1st, 2024 to April 1st, 2025. Couples encouraged to apply.

Start Date - 2024-10-01

End Date - 2025-03-31

Activities include: Campground/Site Host;General Assistance;Visitor Information