Prospective Guide FAQ’s

Our team is made up of people who love what they do, love what Wildland stands for, and are committed to our shared vision. Our employees are passionate about nature, love people, and want to work hard doing meaningful work in beautiful places to help fulfill the Wildland mission. Our guides are selfless, taking pleasure in creating ‘a trip of a lifetime’ for guests, catering to each person’s unique needs, skills, and goals. Some of the top reasons guides cite loving working for Wildland are the like-minded people and friendships created, excellent branch managers, working for an organized and professional company to call home, and having a 24/7 emergency response team available if necessary.

Many of our guides come to us from Wilderness Therapy, Commercial Guiding, Trail Crew, thru-hiking plus customer service, and education backgrounds and return year after year. We are proud to boast a 70% guide retention rate and find that our guides enjoy working with us because we offer flexible guiding schedules, off-the-beaten path hiking trips, and a great community.

We employ over a hundred guides each season, spread across our US branches (California, Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Greater Yellowstone region, Utah, Arizona, Smokies, Northeast, and Maine). Our exact numbers vary by branch and season. Some branches have 35+ guides working for them, others have far fewer. We are proud to have an average of a 70%+ guide return rate year over year.

Our guests come from a variety of genders, ages, interests, location, backgrounds and hiking ability levels. More than anything, they are looking for inspiration outdoors and are excited to learn from our team of expert guides. Exact guest demographics vary by the intensity of the trip and the trip cost. Our typical guest age is 40-60 years old, however we get folks of all ages (including teens and active guests in their 70s).

Many guests return to travel with us after their initial amazing experience. They tend to appreciate our high-quality itineraries, small trip sizes, personalized services, food support, and love learning about natural spaces in a supportive and safe manner.

Here at Wildland, we understand that we are nothing without the precious lands we guide on. To date, we’ve donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to on-the-ground conservation groups. To find out more about the organizations we support, please visit here. We also participate in volunteer days throughout the year and encourage all employees to participate or find additional/ alternate organizations they are passionate about.

When guests register for a trip, they have the option to donate $25 to one of the organizations Wildland operates in or the one that directly supports the land they’ll be walking on! This money amounts to thousands of dollars in donations each year.

We receive hundreds of applications each year! Our goal is to hire dedicated, thoughtful, experienced, and inspiring outdoor leaders. To learn what makes a qualified applicant, click here.

Our applications open in early fall each year and we usually begin the interview process in November. Our hiring process lasts until all positions are filled. All applications are carefully reviewed by our hiring team, and we respond to every fully completed application we receive.

The first step in the application process is for candidates to fill out an application form. The application serves as an initial written mini-interview. From our applicant pool, a select number of candidates are invited to interview with us and fill out a skills assessment. Our interviewing process continues with an hour-long-get-to-know-you interview with a member of our hiring team. Qualified applicants are advanced to a second interview and three references are contacted. Occasionally, a brief third phone interview may be requested.

Guides are required to have advanced first-aid training targeted towards situations with potential extended patient care time. These courses are extensive and lengthy and can take your career to the next level. They are also extremely useful, hands-on, and fun. A WFR (Wilderness First Responder) is the industry gold standard for a backcountry medical certificate.

You do not need to have a WFR/WFA prior to being hired; however, if hired, you will need to get one prior to the first day of training. It’s important to note that WFA/WFR courses can be costly, lengthy, and only operate in certain locations. For this reason, we ask that you have a plan in place for obtaining your WFR/WFA prior to accepting an offer with us.

Multiday hiking guides are required to have their WFR (Wilderness First Responder) or higher (WEMT or EMT) certification. EMT certifications are accepted in place of WFR as they are a higher level of care. We do not accept OEC certifications in place of a WFR. For WFR’s we accept courses that are 70-80 hours of in-person curriculum, which includes written examination and practical’s (or hybrid as long as at least 50% is in-person hours).

Day hike only guides are expected to have their WFA (Wilderness First Aid) or higher (WFR, WEMT, or EMT) certification.

Obtaining the initial WFR/WFA is the guide’s responsibility to schedule, finance, and keep up to date. Wildland Trekking DOES NOT accept fully online WFR/WFA courses. Failure to obtain a WFA/WFR by the start of training is grounds for dismissal. Recommended organizations to get your certification through include NOLS, WMI, SOLO, and WMA.

If you have a question on whether your certification is accepted, please email [email protected]

Guides are required to obtain the following certifications (at their own cost) prior to their first day of training:

-A WFR/WFA certification (WFR for multi-day trips; WFA for day-hiking trips) including CPR and epinephrine auto injector

-A Backcountry Food Handlers Certification (approximate cost $55)

-Grand Canyon, California & PNW Guides only: A Leave No Trace Trainer Certification (Wildland provides these free-of-charge throughout the year)

Training is mandatory for all guides. It is conducted regionally once per year and is pass/fail. If we offer you a space at training, it means that we believe you have the skills and attributes to be an excellent Wildland guide. Training is not a competitive process with a limited number of spaces. It is a confirmation of skills, abilities, and attitude as well as an opportunity to learn about what makes the Wildland brand and trips so special.

Our training process is broken down into 3 phases:

Phase 1 (Remote Training): In the weeks leading up to training, guides are expected to complete 10 hours of remote (online) self-paced training.

Phase 2 (On-site Training): On-site training is conducted regionally and guides are expected to be on-site for this training. This portion lasts 4-5 days and includes 1 in-town day, and 3-4 days in the field (reviewing hard skills*). Please note: guides who have been hired to lead llama trips will have an additional, 3–4-day, llama training component and added online self-study training materials. *On-site training incorporates hard skills (backpacking, stove set up, meal prep, tent/tarp set up, etc.), driver training, soft skills (customer service, leadership, etc.), and everything in between.

Phase 3 (Shadow Trip): After the successful completion of the pass/fail training, guides are assigned to a shadow trip, where they join a seasoned Wildland Trekking guide on a tour.

After guides have successfully completed all 3 phases of training and have scouted all trails on their own (see Scouting Q&A below), they will be scheduled to trips of their own.

Yes, all phases of training are paid at an hourly rate and include overtime where applicable. The shadow trip is also paid; however, new guides are not eligible for tips during their shadow trip. After the successful completion of their shadow trip, guides are assigned to trips of their own and become eligible for guest tips. Food and camping are provided during the training and shadow process while in the field.

That’s a great question. Continuing to develop up-and-coming leaders is important to us. For those starting out or building on some experience, we recommend looking into outdoor education programs such as outdoor/science schools, trail building/conservation crews, outdoor teenage leadership programs or summer programs with significant backcountry trip components, wilderness therapy, park ranger, and other commercial guiding opportunities. Outdoor industry specific web-based job sites/FB groups can be very helpful in seeing what’s out there and what may be a good fit.

An alternative avenue is to start out by leading day trips (hiking, glacier guiding, raft/sea kayak guiding, zipline tours, climbing/canyoneering, etc.) and to transition into multi-day job opportunities from there. Many of these companies will train the right people with little prior experience while others require some specific knowledge/skillsets.

Keep in mind the more personal outdoor experience, leadership and customer service experience you have, the easier it’ll be to get a job. Spend as much time outside adventuring as you can and know companies recognize transference of skills from past employment/personal achievements requiring similar skills.

We encourage you to keep searching for positions that will be the best match for your current experience and life goals!

Our goal is to hire locally-based guides for the regions we operate in; however, we are flexible on this for the right candidates and are willing to hire guides who can relocate to their assigned region for the season. We understand many of our guides are seasonally nomadic. If you are willing to return to the same branch location for several years and know there will be extra time spent on your end learning interpretative information, scouting, and becoming the expert your guests will expect, it’s workable to be hired into an area you are new to.

Trip assignments are completed by our staffing department and vary based on the region and role guides are hired into.

On average, full-time day hiking guides can expect to work 2-4 days/week. Day hikes are generally assigned to guide 7 days in advance but can be assigned up to several months in advance. Additional trips may be offered to guides (not to exceed 5, day hikes/week).

On average, full-time multiday hiking guides can expect to work 2-4 trips or 13-21 days/ month) during the busy season (varies by location) and can expect to have their trip schedules 1-3 months in advance. Additional trips may be offered closer to the departure date.

As an incoming guide to Wildland Trekking, the key to getting all the work you want is leaving your schedule open. Last minute staffing needs are a near constant in our busy seasons, and if your schedule is clear we’ll get you as much work as we can. Work varies based on individual contracts and location, so it’s important to review the specifics of the position you are being hired for during the hiring process.

There is a considerable amount of work that happens before and after guides arrive to meet their guests. Prior to their trip departure, guides must review their guest materials (health history/dietaries/etc.) and email guests to arrange a meeting time, clarify any last questions, and introduce themselves. Multi-day guides receive their trip packet 21 days before departure and must email guests a minimum of 14 days before the trip starts. Day hike guests must be emailed at least 7 days before the trip unless it’s scheduled in a shorter timeframe.

The day prior to a trip departure, guides are expected to meal plan/prep and shop for all meals. Guides must also prep gear (backpacks, poles, group gear, snacks, dry goods) at the warehouse. On the prep day, guides also lead a pre-trip meeting for guests. For most trips, this is an in-person meeting (where not practical, it’s held via conference call).

Wildland strives to deliver delicious, high-quality meals in the backcountry. Rather than serving commercially-dehydrated meals and protein bars meal-after-meal (as some of us might take on our own trips), we go above and beyond to surprise and delight our guests with creative and satisfying meals – prepared on backcountry stoves.

Our guides take responsibility for meal-prep, menu planning, and cooking. They often enjoy the freedom that comes with designing the perfect backcountry feast (think curries, quinoa bowls, burritos, eggs and hashbrowns, etc.) and the ability to stick with tried-and-true favorite meal plans or shake it up throughout the season. Wildland guides also take care in crafting meals that accommodate dietary restrictions as necessary.

Our guide training includes opportunities to practice Wildland recipes, fine-tune cooking skills, and learn to maximize the wow factor within a food budget. Carefully prepared, visually appealing and delicious food is a big part of the Wildland Trekking guest, and therefore guide, experience. Learn a bit more about food at Wildland.

While out in the field, lodging and/or campsites are provided for guides. For example, on lodge-based trips, guides receive a lodge room (to be shared with a co-guide if applicable). On backcountry trips, llama trips, and basecamp trips, guides camp with the guests. While on tour, all food/lodging/camping/transportation are covered.

For pre- and post-trip nights, housing options vary by branch location. In select locations (California, Colorado, Utah, and the Greater Yellowstone area) Wildland offers communal housing options for field staff to use (some accommodations are camping, and some include an indoor bed with shared rooms). Priority is given to multiday guides, but day hiking guides can take advantage of overnight stays too. All guides have access to showers and bathrooms at our warehouses for those living out of their vehicle.

For “off time” in between booked tours, guides are responsible for securing their own housing. Due to the nature of Wildland’s shorter trips (3-7 days, with an average trip length of 4-days) and the sustainable workload of 12-21 days of field work a month, there are ample days off compared to some other seasonal jobs. Because of this, many guides opt to rent a place seasonally or year-round in the area. Others choose to live out of their vehicle. In many branch locations this is quite possible given the right time of year and set-up.

For location-specific housing information, we are happy to provide additional details during the interview process.

Yes, within reason! We are open to working with individuals to meet their personal and professional commitments outside of work with Wildland. We are happy to accommodate small breaks, other part-time work commitments, family needs, and personal commitments if the dates off do not overlap with mandatory training or peak booking windows.

It’s best to have time-off requests handy during the application process so that we can have a conversation about what would work.

Unfortunately, if you have 10 weddings planned during the peak season, plan to be gone for weeks at a time to hike the AT, or have a big time-off request during our peak season, it might not be the best fit this year – but feel free to reach out to us and ask if unsure!

We understand that getting to work in different locations is a perk for many guides and are always open to working with qualified guides to get them where they want to be. Typically, guides stay in one branch for the duration of a season. However, there is room for mobility from season to season.

Certain branches are more competitive to work in than other branches, and openings in coveted locations are assigned based on reviews and seniority within the company.

For example, it would be rare for a first-year guide to start out in Alaska or California, but provided there are openings, we do our best to promote from our existing guide pool for returning guides (based on seniority, interest, and reviews) and get them where they want to be.

Guides are responsible for getting themselves to their branch/training location for the season.

This depends on the trip and the location where they are guiding. In most locations, it would be very difficult to guide for us without owning a personal vehicle. Day hike guides are often required to use their personal vehicle to get to the trailhead (where they meet guests). A gas stipend is provided for this drive. For all multi-day trips, WTC provides a van, and guides/drivers are responsible for transporting guests and their luggage.

In order to comply with CUA requirements and guest expectations, Wildland requires guides to scout all applicable trails before leading trips. Exact scouting requirements vary by region. The Grand Canyon has the strictest rules. For example, our Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) for GCNP requires that guides hike each trail twice before guiding guests. Other National Parks and destinations within the U.S. require our guides to hike the route at least once prior to leading guests.

Scouting involves researching and hiking a trip or trail without guests prior to leading it. Scouting is unpaid but can be completed with friends/other guides and at your own pace. You can read more about our scouting requirements in materials offered through the interview process.

As employee’s vs independent contractors, Wildland provides all necessary gear and supplies to run a trip – think group gear. For example, we provide: a first aid kit, satellite texting device, trowel and TP, kitchen setup, tarps, bear spray/canisters or critter sacks where appropriate, water filters, etc., etc. As a full-service guiding company, Wildland provides guests with trekking poles, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and pads. Guides are welcome to use this gear for trips as needed. Guides will need their own toiletries, headlamp, clothes, water carrying capacity, etc.

We find over time, most guides will purchase their own tent, sleeping bag, pad and backpacks to fit their specific needs/comfort and especially to save weight and space in their packs for additional group gear items that guides often end up carrying.

In short, all you really need is the knowledge and experience to excel at the job, personal items, and ideally some key items to make your ‘office’ a bit more comfortable and lightweight.

Our guides report to their local program manager. They meet with their program manager for pre-trip and necessary post-trip briefs. A Wildland internal blog site and a Facebook group provides leaders with resources and connections to other experienced guides.

While in the field, guides carry Garmin In-Reaches and Wildland has a well-trained 24/7 support team always available in case of emergencies.

No. We are open to this and often support guides in getting a second job when needed to balance their schedules (for example in the winter).

In the off season, common winter jobs that pair well with the seasonal nature of hiking guiding are ones like ski/snowmobile/snowshoe instructing, ski patrol, tech shops, etc.; other jobs are found in winter retail, the food and beverage industry, UPS, substitute teaching, utilizing skills from previous career in a seasonal way and on and on! Plus, don’t forget the perks of taking some additional time off that seasonal guiding jobs allow with some attention to budgeting and planning.

Our hiring team’s focus is on domestic (US) trips. Occasionally, there are opportunities for internal senior leaders to help us out abroad.

While the volume of trips slows during the late fall and winter seasons, we continue to operate trips and have limited opportunities for guides to work throughout the year. This is most frequently a perk gained after a few years of guiding.

One of our goals at Wildland Trekking is to create a home for outdoor professionals who want to make a living guiding. It continues to be our focus as regulatory and practical considerations alter the landscape of what it means to be compensated as an outdoor guide in today’s world. We hire our field staff as W2 employees versus independent contractors.

Wildland pays field staff by the hour* including overtime. Additionally, Wildland guides can receive a significant portion of their income from guest gratuities. With an annual average of 10,000 guests and an average field staff schedule of 15 days working a month, our guides have the potential to make a good living. Guide pay is included in more detail throughout the hiring process.

*The Wildland hourly pay system complies with all federal and state laws. Historically most outdoor adventure companies paid by the day. Regulatory changes at the federal and state levels have changed, making the practice of daily rates illegal for most companies. Paying by the hour allows employees to accrue overtime and sick leave.

Tipping is left to the discretion of the guests and should not be solicited by guides. The guest-facing recommendation (included on all guest paperwork) is 10-20% of the trip cost; however, tips can vary significantly from trip to trip. We have found that tips contribute to a significant source of income for guides each season – though these can never be guaranteed.

Wildland pays for all expenses during training and while guides are out on a tour (lodging/camping/food/transportation).

Guides pay for their WFR certification, Food Handler’s License, transportation to/from training/their region/worksite, and all other personal living expenses, gear, clothes, etc. while not on tour.

We hike rain or shine! Trips are rarely cancelled due to the weather, but it does happen due to wildfires, landslides, floods or other natural disasters. If this happens, all efforts will be made to reroute the trip to an equivalent itinerary before canceling it.

If a trip is canceled due to guest cancellation or the weather, whenever possible, guides will be rescheduled, but it is not guaranteed. If a trip is canceled within 30 days, there can be opportunities to make up hours at the local branch doing work around the warehouse or other needed work.

401k and/or Roth 401k retirement savings plans with vested employer contributions, employee-sponsored college savings plans (for parents), paid sick leave, staff trip discounts, company pro-deals and industry discounts are all part of the benefits package available to eligible guides. Additionally, guides can attend LNT Master Courses for free and discounted WFR recertification courses when offered.

Yes, Wildland is always looking to promote from within! Following a successful season (and rave reviews), there are ample opportunities for guides to grow at Wildland. Whether you want to guide in a new location, move into a manager role, or join us in our (remote) office – we are frequently looking for ways to advance hard-working individuals.

We typically hire local manager positions in the winter/spring and admin positions as needed. We will hire qualified, exceptional external applicants for these jobs as well so please apply if applicable.

You can check our admin/management jobs page to see if we have any available positions.