Why Guide For Wildland Trekking?
Guiding is a fulfilling and meaningful career and we take great pride in fostering a professional, supportive and fun work culture. As a guide you’ll help fulfill our mission of connecting people with the natural world through powerful hiking experiences. We are looking for employees who are passionate about nature, love people, and want to work hard doing meaningful work in beautiful places.
Share Your Passion with Others
Share Your Passion with Others
If you're passionate about nature, travel and adventure; and sharing that passion with others sounds exciting to you, then guiding at Wildland could be a great choice. We are all about introducing guests to the magic of the outdoors, and we are looking for people who thrive on this mission.
Competitive Compensation
Competitive Compensation
With our entry level guides averaging $186/day in 2022, plus excellent gratuities, Wildland is a very competitive employer in terms of compensation. We also offer a 401K plan, pro-deals, paid sick leave and more. See more about benefits below.
Robust Trip Support
Robust Trip Support
With 8 field offices or 'branches' across the USA, which each have a program manager and other support personnel, we offer a unique level of support to our guides and guests. Every trip is outfitted with emergency communication devices, and we have a 24/7 line for round the clock support.
Professional Outdoor Community
Professional Outdoor Community
With so many stellar guides spread out across the country, Wildland is an incredible community of outdoor professionals. You will meet some of the most caring, fun and adventurous people through training, co-guiding, prepping and de-issuing, and at company events. Before you know, you will have the best friends around!
OPEN GUIDE POSITIONS
UPDATED 4/15/24
We have one position remaining for the 2024 season. Please see below under the Utah section. We encourage you to check back often, as it’s always possible something might pop up.
DH = Day Hike; MD = Multi Day
| Area | Base | Tour Lengths | Llama Treks | Training dates | Season | Provided Accomm. | Notes |
| New England | Jeffersonville, VT | MD | X | Jun | Jul-Sept | Pending | Fully staffed for 2024. All trips run from VT base. |
| Acadia | Acadia, ME | DH | X | Jun | Jun/Jul-Sept | X | Fully staffed for 2024. |
| Smoky Mountains | Asheville, NC | MD | X | Mar 15-18th | Apr-Jun & Sept-Oct *See Notes | X | Fully staffed for 2024 |
| Rocky Mountain NP | Estes Park, CO | DH MD | ✓ | Jun | Jul-Sept | Camping + pre/post trip housing | Fully staffed for 2024 |
| Greater Yellowstone | Felt, ID | DH MD | ✓ (required) | Jun (+ Llama training) |
Jul-Sept | Camping + guide leisure area | Fully staffed for 2024. |
| Pacific Northwest | Olympia, WA | DH MD | X | Jun | Jul-Sept | X | Fully staffed for 2024 |
| Alaska | Anchorage, AK | X | X | X | Jun-Sept | Pending | Fully staffed for 2024 |
| Sierras | Mariposa, CA | X | X | X | Apr-Sept | Guide house | Fully staffed for 2024 |
| Arizona | Flagstaff, AZ | DH MD | X | Mid-Apr | May – Oct *See notes | X | Fully staffed for 2024 |
| Utah | St George, UT | DH MD | ✓ | Mid-Apr | May – Oct | X | Hiring for a day hiking guide |
| International | As Assigned | DH MD | X | As Needed | Year Round | X | Staffed Internally – Not Hiring |
GUIDE RESPONSIBILITIES
The guides’ primary responsibility is to enhance the lives of our guests by doing everything in their power to lead and facilitate a safe, fun, positive, unforgettable outdoor adventure experience while fostering a respect and appreciation for the special places we travel in.
Multi-day trips with Wildland Trekking range from 3-7 days with mileages that range from 5-12 miles per day.
Responsibilities include (but are not limited to) guest email correspondence before the trip, gear and food preparation, pre-trip orientation meeting, assist guests in learning basic skills (backpack adjusting and putting up tents, etc), natural and human history interpretation, risk management, first aid, cooking and clean-up, gear repair in the field, meaningful post trip wrap up with guests, post trip gear de-issue and trip debrief. Some trips require guides to drive groups to and from the trailhead, possibly including pulling a trailer.
In program areas where we offer llama trips, guides are trained as llama wranglers in addition to our guide training, and assume all llama related responsibilities in addition to guide duties described above.
GUIDE QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
Job Requirements:
- 21 years old or older in order to guide and drive
- Able to pass a background, motor vehicle record check, and a drug test (CA only)
- Able to obtain a Backcountry Food Manager’s Certification
- Able to obtain a Leave No Trace certification (location dependent)
- Able to obtain WFR (Wilderness First Responder) or WEMT (Wilderness EMT)
- Please note: Wildland Trekking accepts Wilderness First Responder (WFR) courses that are 70-80 hours of in-person curriculum that include written examination and practicals. We do not accept fully online WFR courses. If you have a question on whether your certification is accepted, please email [email protected].
- Able to hike up to 15 miles per day with a pack weight up to 55-65 pounds
- 20-35 pounds for day hike only positions
- Able to attend pre-season guide training
- Willingness for multi-day guides to lead all trip styles (Backpacking, Llama/stock supported, Basecamp, Inn-based) offered in the program area one is applying.
- Willingness to get llama-trained and work llama trips for all multi-day guide positions in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho/Montana/Wyoming.
Required Qualifications:
- A minimum of 50 field days in a professional outdoor guide/leader position (touring, hiking, backpacking or other activities) and/or professional experience in outdoor education (i.e. NOLS, Outward Bound, Wilderness Therapy, etc.).
- Extensive personal backpacking experience in a variety of conditions.
- Strong back-country skills (i.e. maps, compass/GPS, route finding, river crossings, water purification, bear country, camps stove use, back-country cooking, etc.).
- Interpretation knowledge of the area one is applying or commitment to learning through self-study.
- Ability to work independently and use good judgment for decision making in a variety of situations.
- Speak and write English fluently, excellent verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills.
- Strong customer service skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 1-2 years of experience in a professional outdoor guide/leader position (touring, hiking, backpacking or other activities) and/or professional experience in outdoor education (i.e. NOLS, Outward Bound, Wilderness Therapy, etc.).
- Background in geology, ecology, biology, native and modern history or expertise in at least one of our program locations.
- Excellent outdoor cooking skills and ability to create a fantastic menu factoring food allergies, restrictions and preferences.
- Two years of commercial driving experience (any job where you had to at least occasionally transport passengers).
- Fluent in French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese a plus.
Guiding at Wildland
"Guiding for Wildland has been rewarding beyond measure. From the staggering amount of parks, monuments, and forests in which Wildland operates, to the unrivaled logistical support received before and during trips, Wildland offers a unique workspace under the stars to hone my outdoor skills, instincts and to share the wonders of nature with clientele." - Jordan D. (since 2016)
WHAT WE PROVIDE
- A multi-day, field-based guide training course and shadow trip process
- Comprehensive trip support (including satellite phones, InReach Garmin devices and access to 24/7 trained emergency staff and resources)
- Use of Wildland Trekking gear for trips (backpacks, tents, sleeping pads, trekking poles, etc.)
- Temporary, seasonal housing opportunities in select programs for pre and post trip
- Increased flexibility in scheduling as seniority is gained
- Competitive compensation
- Commission opportunities for referring non-Wildland guests to our tours
- Opportunities to guide in multiple program areas
- Opportunities for advancement/professional growth within the organization
- A fun and supportive work environment with lots of high quality people to work alongside
- Industry pro deals
Housing and travel
Lodging is provided while guides are leading a trip (room on Inn-based trips, campsite and/or permit on Basecamp, Llama, Backpacking trips, etc.). Shared housing is also provided in some of our select program areas (Mariposa, CA; Estes Park, CO; Driggs, ID). Communal housing opportunities in those select program areas for our field staff is available to all field staff free of charge while working, but is only available for pre and post trips. If you have questions on our temporary housing opportunities, please ask in the hiring process.
Guides are responsible for getting to and from our program areas, but once on a trip all expenses (food, lodging/camping and transportation) are covered.
Compensation
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 employees versus independent contractors.
Wildland pays field staff by the hour*, but Wildland guides 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 making a good living. Guide pay is included in more detail below.
*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 earned and sick leave.
BENEFITS
- 401k and/or Roth 401k Retirement Savings Plans with vested employer contributions
- Employee-Sponsored College Savings Plan: for parents, we offer a CollegeAmerica 529 College Savings Plan.
- Paid Sick Leave
- Staff Trip Discount Policy
- Staff can join domestic or international trips at wholesale costs
- Staff’s family members and significant others can join trips with a discount on a case by case basis
- Company Prodeals and Discounts
- When available, company-sponsored or access to discounted certification courses (LNT Master Course or WFR recertification courses)
FAQ’s for prospective guides
Find out more about life as a guide with Wildland Trekking through our extensive list of FAQ’s.
More Resources
Office Locations
WILDLAND TREKKING Office Locations
The Wildland Trekking Company, founded in 2005, is a premier adventure travel (backpacking and hiking) tour company headquartered in Flagstaff, AZ. Our program areas include 12 US states, 25 US national parks and wilderness areas, and 13 countries. We have been featured in Backpacker Magazine, The New York Times, Men’s Health, Sunset Magazine, Lonely Planet Traveler and the Discovery Channel. As a guide, you have the opportunity to work from any or all of our domestic office locations and associated National Parks, forests and recreation areas:
- Flagstaff, AZ: Grand Canyon National Park and Havasupai Falls, Sedona & Moab, UT area: Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park (through fall/winter 2023)
- Moab, UT: Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park (beginning spring 2024)
- Mariposa, CA: Yosemite National Park, Inyo National Forest, Lost Coast, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Sequoia- Kings Canyon National, Joshua Tree National Park
- Olympia, WA: Olympic National Park. Mount Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park
- Pleasant Valley, near Estes Park, CO: Rocky Mountain National Park and Flat Tops Wilderness
- St. George, UT: Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness, Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim), Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument
- Driggs, ID: Yellowstone National Park, Wind River Range, Jedediah Smith Wilderness, Bridger-Teton Wilderness and Absaroka- Beartooth Wilderness
- Asheville, NC: Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains
- Morrisville, VT: White Mountains National Forest and Green Mountain National Forest
COVID Protocols
COVID- 19 Protocols
Based on guidance from the CDC, WHO and World Travel and Tourism Council, Wildland Trekking developed guest and guide safety protocols designed to protect staff and guests to the greatest extent possible while continuing to provide work for our staff and show guests the majesty of the world’s wild places. Click here to read more about what we’re doing to maximize safety.
Apply Today
Candidates who don’t currently meet all our criteria are encouraged to keep acquiring more experience and submit a more complete and updated application fall of 2024/25.
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