Quiet side of Jordanelle

Photo: Inhabit Park City.

Rock Cliff Nature Center is recruiting volunteer greeters and program helpers

SUMMIT COUNTY, UT — Jordanelle State Park is recruiting volunteers to help staff the Rock Cliff Nature Center, the small interpretive hub tucked into the cottonwoods where the Provo River meets the reservoir.

Volunteers greet visitors, answer questions about the area’s wildlife and wetlands, and help run programs and activities inside the center and along its elevated boardwalks. The role is public-facing, positioned at the gateway to a 100-acre preserve that attracts birders, anglers, hikers, and families.

Rock Cliff sits on the eastern shore of the Jordanelle Reservoir, about two miles west of Francis on S.R. 32. The recreation area emphasizes low-impact use: walk-in tent camping, non-motorized trails, and a nature center focused on education and interpretation rather than the motorized recreation found at the park’s Hailstone side.

The nature center was closed for years after flood damage before reopening in 2021 through a partnership between Utah State Parks and the Wasatch Mountain Institute, a Heber-based nonprofit that runs environmental education programming at Rock Cliff. The campground and nature center reopened most recently in June 2025 following additional upgrades.

Nearly 200 species of birds have been documented at Rock Cliff, along with moose, mule deer, elk, beaver, fox, and the occasional mountain lion. Inside the center, exhibits include mounted wildlife — among them a black bear, the park calls Buddy, who appears in the park’s volunteer pitch.

Those interested in volunteering can email tackley@utah.gov for more information and an application.