A Unique Way to Make Money & Travel: How We Lived + Worked In a National Park 🏞️
What if you could earn money, get a discounted campsite, and spend an entire season living near one of the most beautiful national parks in America… without traditional work camping? 👀
That's exactly what our family did!
This summer and fall, we called the Acadia National Park area of Maine home while my husband worked a seasonal job driving the Island Explorer shuttles around Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. 🚌🌲
We explored rocky coastlines, hiked beautiful trails, watched the seasons change, and experienced the kind of fall foliage that makes you want to pull over every five minutes just to take another picture. 🍂 (Maine really understood the assignment!)
And we got to do all of this while earning an income and keeping our full-time RV lifestyle going.
But here's the thing… this wasn't some perfectly planned adventure where we had every detail figured out from day one.
In fact, about a year ago, our life looked completely different.
I'm sharing how we made this season happen because I want other families to know that there are ways to earn money while traveling full-time. You don't necessarily have to wait until retirement to start building a life you love. ❤️
🚌 The Seasonal Job That Brought Us to Acadia National Park
While we were spending the spring in Utah, my husband finally pursued something he'd talked about doing for years: getting his CDL.
The process took some planning, especially since Florida is our driver's license state. He had to fly back a couple of times to finish the DMV paperwork. Because apparently, even when you're living your best nomadic life, the DMV still gets a vote. 😂
His CDL training cost us approximately $2,000 and took about three weeks of schooling. The timeline and cost can vary depending on the training program, license class, and state requirements.
He also obtained his passenger endorsement allowing him to secure a seasonal position with Downeast Transportation driving the Island Explorer shuttles around Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine.
The Island Explorer connects visitors with destinations throughout the Acadia region, including areas around Bar Harbor, giving travelers another way to explore without driving and parking everywhere.
That job gave him an opportunity to earn income while doing work he genuinely enjoyed, and it allowed our family to spend the summer and fall living near Acadia.
🌟 HUGE BONUS: We got a discounted camp site with a local campground due to the association of working for the shuttle service!
Interested in getting a CDL yourself? Start by researching the jobs you're hoping to qualify for before investing in training. Commercial driving generally involves obtaining a commercial learner's permit, completing required entry-level driver training where applicable, and passing the necessary knowledge and skills tests. Passenger-driving positions may also require a passenger endorsement.
You can find official information through the FMCSA's CDL guide and its Training Provider Registry.
A CDL can open doors to some interesting seasonal opportunities, but it's definitely not a requirement for most seasonal jobs near national parks. There are plenty of other ways to earn money while traveling.
💰 Let's Be Real About the Financial Side
I want to be transparent about something because I don't want anyone watching our journey to think we're pretending this lifestyle is effortless.
We have a financial advantage: we're debt-free.
We don't have a monthly payment on our truck or our fifth wheel.
And that makes a BIG difference in how much income we need to bring in every month.
Full-time RV living still comes with plenty of expenses. There's fuel, campground fees, groceries, insurance, maintenance, and all the everyday costs of raising a family.
Not having truck and RV payments doesn't make those expenses disappear, but it does give us more flexibility.
I also know that what works for our family won't necessarily work for everyone else's circumstances.
A seasonal job that provides enough income for one household might not cover another family's expenses. Your numbers, your rig, your travel plans, and your financial commitments all matter.
Before taking a seasonal position, consider:
💵 Your income: What will you actually earn based on the hours and pay offered?
🏕️ Your campsite/housing options: Is there a discount, and what will your actual monthly cost be?
⛽ Your travel expenses: How much will it cost to get to the destination and move on afterward?
🛠️ Your ongoing expenses: Don't forget insurance, fuel, maintenance, food, and those inevitable RV surprises.
📅 The length of the season: How will you support your lifestyle before and after the job?
For us, the goal wasn't to find just any job.
It was to find work that could support the lifestyle we wanted without giving up the freedom that made us choose full-time RV living in the first place.
🌎 Can You Really Travel Full-Time and Work Seasonally?
Absolutely! Seasonal employment is one option worth exploring if you're looking for ways to fund full-time RV living and traveling (without an RV).
Depending on your experience and qualifications, opportunities may exist in tourism, transportation, hospitality, campgrounds, resorts, recreation, and other industries that need extra help during their busiest seasons.
Some jobs last a few weeks, while others may offer several months of work.
In our case, seasonal shuttle driving created an opportunity to work in Maine during the warmer months and move on when the season ended.
And no, you don't necessarily have to work at the campground where you stay!
Traditional work camping often involves working at a campground or RV park in exchange for a campsite, compensation, or a combination of benefits. But you can also find a seasonal job in a destination and arrange your own campsite separately.
That's the route we took.
Here are a few possibilities worth researching:
🚌 1. Seasonal Transportation Jobs
If you enjoy driving and meet the necessary qualifications, look into shuttle driving, tour transportation, and other seasonal driving opportunities.
Some positions require a CDL and passenger endorsement, while others have different licensing requirements.
🌲 2. National Park and Tourism Jobs
National parks and surrounding gateway communities often have seasonal tourism activity that supports a range of jobs.
Look into transportation companies, tour operators, recreation providers, and other local employers.
🏕️ 3. Campground and Resort Employment
If you'd enjoy working where you stay, campgrounds and resorts may offer seasonal positions in hospitality, maintenance, guest services, and other areas.
Ask whether the employer offers a campsite, discounted accommodation, or any other benefits.
🌊 4. Seasonal Work in Destinations You Want to Explore
Think about places you'd love to experience for an entire season.
Maybe it's a coastal town in Maine, the mountains in Colorado, a national park gateway community, or a warm-weather destination for winter.
Instead of asking only, "Where do we want to travel next?" you can also ask, "Where could we work for a season and enjoy living?"
It's a little shift in perspective that can open up some interesting possibilities!
🔎 How to Find Seasonal Jobs as a Full-Time RVer or Traveler
If you're sitting there thinking, Okay, this sounds amazing, but where do I even start? — let's break it down.
Step 1: Choose your destination. 📍
Think about where you'd like to spend spring, summer, or fall. Consider the weather, cost of living, campground availability, and what you'd enjoy doing in your free time.
Step 2: Figure out what work fits your skills. 🧰
Look at your existing experience, professional licenses, certifications, and interests. You don't necessarily have to start from scratch or pursue an entirely new career.
Step 3: Research employers directly. 🔍
Search transportation companies, tourism operators, resorts, campgrounds, and other local businesses. Check official careers pages and confirm that positions are genuinely seasonal.
Step 4: Ask questions before accepting. 💬
Find out about pay, expected hours, start and end dates, benefits, and whether any campground discounts or employee accommodations are available.
Step 5: Run the numbers. 🧮
Estimate your expenses before committing. Remember to account for getting to the destination, staying there, and moving on when the season ends.
Step 6: Plan your next adventure. 🚐
Think about what happens when the job wraps up. Will you travel to another destination, take a break, pursue remote work, or find another seasonal opportunity?
The beauty of seasonal work is that it may allow you to earn income during one part of the year while preserving the flexibility to do something different afterward.
Of course, every job is different, and you'll want to make sure the arrangement works for your family before jumping in.
🔎 Where to Find Seasonal Jobs
If you'd like to try this approach yourself, these are a few places to start looking:
CoolWorks: A useful resource for seasonal jobs in national parks, mountain towns, resorts, lodges, and outdoor destinations. Some listings include housing information.
USAJOBS – National Park Service opportunities: Search for seasonal federal positions with the National Park Service. Review each listing carefully for qualifications, location, and employment dates.
National Park Service careers: Learn more about applying for jobs with the NPS.
Workamper News: A resource specifically focused on work opportunities for RVers, including campground and RV park jobs.
Campground and resort career pages: If you know where you want to spend a season, check employers directly. Smaller local businesses may advertise on their own websites or social media, too.
My biggest tip? Start searching MONTHS in advance before the season begins. Popular destinations have limited seasonal openings, and RV + housing options can be even more limited. Ask questions early, confirm the dates and compensation in writing, and make sure the arrangement works for your family's budget and travel plans.
🍂 Could Seasonal Work Make Travel Life More Sustainable?
For us, this season in Maine was about more than finding a job. It was about finding a way to support our family while giving our daughter experiences we couldn't recreate by staying in one place all year.
We got to explore Acadia National Park, spend time outdoors, experience the changing seasons, and build a temporary home in a place we might otherwise have only visited for a few days.
Was it a perfect, effortless arrangement? Of course not. There was planning, training, budgeting, and a whole lot of figuring things out along the way.
But it reminded us that full-time RV life doesn't have to mean relying on one remote job, working at a campground in exchange for a site, or waiting until retirement to travel.
Sometimes it means finding a seasonal opportunity that fits your skills, choosing a destination where you can earn an income, and building your travel plans around the work.
And sometimes, it means taking a chance on a new skill — like getting a CDL — that opens a door you hadn't considered before.
As we pack up Maine and get ready for our next adventure, I'm reminded that you don't need every step figured out before you begin. You just need to start exploring what's possible. ❤️
Have you ever considered seasonal work while RVing? I'd love to hear what kind of opportunities you've found — or what questions you have about making this lifestyle work.
🚐 Follow Along With The Roamsteaders
We're The Roamsteaders, traveling the United States full-time in our Brinkley 3610 fifth wheel, exploring national parks, discovering family-friendly destinations, and figuring out how to make this lifestyle work along the way.
From campground reviews and hiking adventures to RV life tips and creative ways to fund our travels, we're sharing the real-life version of this journey - the beautiful moments, the challenges, and everything in between.
If you're dreaming about a life with more freedom, more adventures, and more time together, we'd love to have you along for the ride. ❤️
Follow The Roamsteaders for more full-time RV living, family travel, and adventures across the USA.
Because life doesn't have to wait until retirement.
Sometimes, the adventure starts when you're brave enough to do things differently. 🌎✨
