Posted by: Julie Block

Volunteer registration is now open for the 2026 GoPro Mountain Games, June 4-7 in Vail, Colorado. Community members and outdoor enthusiasts are invited to join the volunteer crew that helps put on the best all-around adventure sports and music festival each year. Opportunities are available across a wide range of roles with something for everyone, including the return of the NextGen Volunteer Program for high schoolers, now in its second year.

As a nonprofit organization, the Vail Valley Foundation relies heavily on volunteers to bring the event to life each June. With hundreds of crew members filling essential roles across every corner of the festival, volunteers are central to both the event’s success and its ability to remain free and accessible to the public.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Marshaling bike and run events
• Scoring whitewater or fishing competitions
• Supporting the event’s sustainability goals with the Green Team
• Creating a welcoming experience for all spectators, athletes, and families on the Spectator Services team
• Showing up for competitors as Athlete Lounge hosts
• Helping with key event operations
• And more!

Launched at the 2025 GoPro Mountain Games, the NextGen Volunteer Program is designed to create meaningful volunteer pathways for high school students ages 14-18. The program offers the next generation of community-minded leaders and outdoor enthusiasts a uniquely fun opportunity to gain hands-on experience, develop valuable skills, and build their resumes.

“Seeing the NextGen program come to life at last year’s Mountain Games was one of the highlights of the event for our whole team, and we are so excited to welcome year two,” said Deb Wautier, Volunteer Manager for the Vail Valley Foundation. “The Mountain Games simply would not be possible without our volunteers, and that is not an exaggeration. For every athlete who competes, every spectator who comes out to watch, and every moment that makes this event what it is, there is a volunteer behind it. We are incredibly grateful for this community, and we would love for you to be part of it!”

Whether you want to be close to the action on a competition course, make a hands-on environmental impact with the Green Team, or be the friendly face welcoming spectators as a Venue Greeter, there is a place for you on the 2026 Mountain Games volunteer crew.

For more information and to sign up, visit mountaingames.com/volunteer or email vvfvolunteer@vvf.org.