Michael Laycock, an interpretive ranger at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, shows Western Dakota Tech Plus 50 students fossils and mineral formations. Photo by Justin Clayton for Western Dakota Tech.

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There’s a saying among park rangers: You’re paid in sunsets.

Our national and state parks – renowned for their astonishing beauty, commitment to conservation and respect for history – are welcoming folks seeking encore careers. “Across state parks right now, people are retiring in droves,” says Phil McKnelly, executive director of the National Association of State Park Directors. “There is a need in all areas, in terms of experienced, seasoned help.”

For John Kerr, 71, a ranger among the bears at Yellowstone National Park, donning the trademark Stetson was almost like a childhood dream fulfilled. “I think the seeds for what I do now were probably planted when I was a child. I was always interested in the outdoors,” says the former public television executive from Boston.

Kerr didn’t know his next step when he retired at age 65. He packed his truck and headed west. During a visit to the Yellowstone National Foundation, the park’s fundraising partner, he learned about jobs educating visitors about wolves in a remote corner of the park. He was thrilled when he landed one of the positions.

“Every morning when I get up and go in, I think to myself, I have the opportunity to elevate a visitor's experience in a direct way that I haven't had for many, many years,” he says. “And that is very exciting.”

As a seasonal worker who is on duty only part of the year, Kerr has to reapply annually. He hopes to return next summer. “There’s no such thing as retirement,” he declares. “What I want to do is to keep this adventure going.”

Kent Lauder’s thoughts, exactly. The 65-year-old resident of Burlingame, Calif., retired from his plumbing business in 2006, after 41 years in the trade. “I was looking for someplace that could utilize my expertise, which is substantial.”

Lauder called California’s park system, scored an interview and soon began working part time on the maintenance crew at stunning Half Moon Bay State Beach, near San Francisco.

“For people my age, there is that fear ... of being inconsequential,” Lauder explains. “Getting paid for working a few hours a week means that you are still needed, and that paycheck is proof of that.”

Those skilled in the trades are particularly desirable at park systems, according to McKnelly. “With a number of maintenance positions, someone with experience could be worth their weight in gold,” he says. Former park volunteers are especially prized.

Hiring managers also look for related experience. For example, a former teacher might make a fine “interpretive ranger” – an employee who interacts with visitors.

Kathy Kupper, a former ranger who serves as a spokeswoman for the National Park Service, says people often pursue park service jobs out of a love of nature, animals or other treasures woven through the system’s 391 sites. “You can have various backgrounds to become a ranger,” she notes.

To learn about openings, call (703) 724-1850 or search USAJobs.gov. Be forewarned: Federal applications are notoriously laborious. Completing an application can take hours. Reviewers can reject an application for small mistakes or insufficient answers.

Job counselors advise federal job seekers to read job descriptions and qualifications carefully and think hard about how prior experience would help meet the duties. Be precise. See “Ten Tips for Letting Federal Employers Know Your Worth.”

To introduce people 50 and older to national parks, Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City, S.D., and the National Park Service developed a "Plus 50" course that familiarizes students with skills necessary to become a park service volunteer or employee. The community college introduced the course last spring, and so far three of 10 participants have become rangers, says Kim Morey, who directs the program. The next session starts October 16 and costs $399.

Students receive instruction once a week on campus and at national park sites, including Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Wind Cave National Park. The course is part of the Plus 50 Initiative by the American Association of Community Colleges and The Atlantic Philanthropies to engage people age 50 and older in learning, training and service activities.

Morey says some people in that age group can find themselves “at a point in their lives where they want to do something more meaningful. Time and quality of experience are more important than the size of the bank account.”

An upcoming PBS documentary may inspire encore career searchers to seek jobs at parks. In The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns tours some of the system’s most beautiful landscapes. The six-part series begins September 27. Clips are available on PBS.org.