Pali Institute is a rigorous, fast-paced, fun-filled program constantly striving to develop exciting outdoor curriculum for students in grades 4th-12th. The campus is located on 74 acres of pine and hardwood forest with views of surrounding peaks. Located in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, the region offers just about any type of outdoor recreation and endless places to explore. In the winter months you can go snowboarding in the morning and surfing in the afternoon. Within 2 hours of Pali, you can find Joshua Tree National Park, Big Bear Lake or the Pacific Ocean. While up on top of a mountain in a small community of about 5,000 you are 30 minutes from San Bernardino and a couple of hours from Los Angeles.
Pali Institute is seeking enthusiastic, outdoor-minded Instructors ready to live and work in the mountains!Outdoor Education Instructors will teach a variety of classes that focus on science, outdoor education and leadership during the day, and then take on the role of Cabin Instructor with responsibilities during meals and at night. The curriculum covers a broad array of topics and activities such as alternative energy sources, building/launching bottle rockets, squid dissection, outdoor cooking, skits, astronomy, team building sessions, low ropes course, five high ropes courses, quad zip lines and more! Positions typically run from early January to early June and mid-August to mid-December, with shorter-term, mid-season and full season contracts possible. Compensation starts at $475-$520/week plus $50 bonus pay for nights in cabin (expect 2-4 nights/week), meals when programming is running, on-site staff lounge, fully furnished off-site shared housing with free WiFi, Netflix and laundry, travel stipend, 50% of health benefits after 60 days, pro-deal purchases, most weekends off, and easy access to all that Southern California has to offer. Applicants with a Bachelor's degree or those with extensive experience in the camping and/or experiential education fields are preferred. Must be at least 21 years old, passionate about science, outdoor education and/or leadership development, comfortable and confident supervising and teaching students in large and small groups, and able to have fun with kids, laugh at yourself and be silly.
NOW Hiring Fall Season Instructors! Join a community of like-minded people ready for the next adventure! Pali is actively recruiting Outdoor Ed Instructors for the fall 2026 season. Flexible work start dates of August 17th, September 7th or October 5th through December 18th. Also check out Pali Adventures for summer camp work options!
General All Purpose Staff, Kitchen Staff, Housekeeping/Grounds Crew Leaders, Assistant Dining Room Managers, Nightwatch Relief, Office Assistants
Located five miles from South Lake Tahoe on the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake, a gorgeous Sierra lake with a breathtaking mountain backdrop. Behind the resort is Desolation Wilderness, a national wilderness area with some of the best hiking and scenery in the Sierras.
If an exciting hospitality job and beautiful mountain setting is beckoning you, the Stanford Sierra Conference Center is a place where you'll have the opportunity to work and play hard, make new friends and help guests enjoy their stay. The staff comes from all walks of life—college students, professionals between jobs, experienced workers in the service industry, travelers or people taking time off. Most first-year seasonal staff will spend their time working in housekeeping, the dining room, and/or exclusively in the kitchen; however, specialized and management positions are also available. Beyond the rewards of working and playing in a beautiful mountain setting, you'll earn a wage beginning at $17/hour (+tips), live in onsite rustic cabins, indulge in delicious and healthy meals, and have full use of the recreational facilities. Self-motivated, hardworking, and reliable people who have an excellent sense of professionalism, a warm personality, and a high level of maturity will thrive here. Positions are available every spring (plus an option for 3-season work) and the fall season.
Fall Conference Season Jobs Stanford Sierra will begin accepting applications for the fall season (early September to mid-November) beginning on July 1st. Keep an eye on the application page!
Take an aerial overview of Stanford Sierra Conference Center
As the world's #1 active travel company, Backroads is energetically recruiting Trip Leaders and Trip Prep Specialists for their luxury biking, walking, hiking and multi-adventure vacations geared for groups of families, solos or couples in destinations throughout the United States, Europe and the world. Field staff houses are located in California, Vermont, Alberta, Iceland, the South of France, Norway, Argentina and more. Explore the Backroads website to see all of the places around the world in which they have trips!
Do you have a zest for life with a passion for people, travel and the outdoors? Whether by foot, bicycle, kayak or raft, Trip Leaders are the catalyst for a fun, interesting, safe and personally rewarding experience for their group of active travelers. Leaders enrich each trip with their personality, drive, and passion for travel and the outdoors, while providing outstanding customer service and sharing their love and knowledge of the area. Backroads is also seeking to build a diverse team of seasonal Trip Prep Specialists (TPS) to work behind the scenes in tandem with Trip Leaders to ensure smooth trip logistics (bikes, vans, trailers and trip-related paperwork) before and after each departure. The TPS role is based in one of many regional hubs but does not work on trip. First year Leaders receive a competitive daily wage and gratuities, plus gourmet meals, accommodations in some of the best inns, hotels and campgrounds the region has to offer, travel costs, generous pro-deals and many other fringe benefits. At minimum, applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid driver's license and clean driving record. If you are master problem solver, effective public speaker, skilled driver, meticulous record keeper, a motivating force in group dynamics while being sensitive to individual needs, and have a passion for travel, join the Backroads.com family!
Join Backroads Next Season! Field Staff applications for the 2026 season are now closed. Backroads will begin welcoming applications for the 2027 season this October. Sign-up here to be notified when the 2027 application goes live!
Curious what it means to be a Backroads Trip Leader? Take a look at this video to meet a few of Backroad's amazing field staff!
The High Trails sites are located off Highway 38 about halfway between Redlands and Big Bear in Southern California. Deep in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest is their neck of the woods, known as Barton Flats. This area bustles in the summer with camps and vacationers, but as August draws to a close and everyone heads back to school, a peaceful quiet settles over the majestic Ponderosa Pines and high mountain streams. With this peace comes an opportunity to look past the paved roads and to explore, to see nature as it should be seen; uncrowded, untouched and beautiful.
If you're looking for a friendly, innovative and fresh approach to the world of outdoor education, join High Trails Outdoor Science School and your very own dirty classroom!High Trails is a residential outdoor education center that needs good people to teach 6th grade students. Through team building and adventure courses to plant study and astronomy, experience the magic and power of outdoor education that comes from becoming a High Trails Instructor. High Trails has three staff trainings during the school year: September is their largest training, with smaller trainings occurring in January and March. Most contracts are written for the traditional school year, from mid-September through the end of May. Check out their staff page and you'll see why they believe they're the most progressive place in the country. If you have a college degree, a healthy amount of experience both with kids and the outdoors, and the willingness to work and live in a small, close-knit staff community, give 'em a holler with questions or apply now.
High Trails Current Hiring! • High Trails is currently seeking Instructors to for the 2026-27 school year(September 14th, 2026 – May 28th, 2027).
The heart of the High Trails Instructor position? To help their group of students learn two things: the importance of nature and how to interact positively with the community around them. View the staff experience »
Located 140 miles north of San Francisco on the wild and scenic Eel River, Emandal – A Farm on a River, is a mountain home, organic farm, family summer camp, country get-a-way for art-minded folks, and purveyor of fine jams, jellies and preserves. It is also home to a wide range of livestock (with around 250 chickens, two dairy cows, nine beef cattle, five goats, four pigs, one sheep, two guard dogs, seven cats, ten geese, and five guinea fowl) and boasts more than an acre filled with fruits, vegetables, and flowers, sprawling green lawns, three miles of river access and unique amenities like a wood-fired pizza oven, a hand-crank ice cream maker, solar-powered clotheslines, and a coffee roaster right on-site!
Looking for up to four Jacks or Jills of all Trades... renaissance people who want to know/learn something about everything.Hospitality staff responsibilities include working in the garden, kitchen, laundry, barn, chicken house, bathrooms, landscaping, and on trails. Duties involve tasks such as pulling weeds, planting and harvesting vegetables and flowers, preparing coffee, serving breakfast, creating pizzas, churning ice cream, mowing lawns, washing linens, making beds, cleaning cabins and bathrooms, hauling compost and garbage, sweeping and mopping floors, washing windows, clearing trails, and much more. Work begins May 15th and ends September 23rd, 2026 (somewhat negotiable). Expect 40 hour weeks, spread among 5½ days, with 1½ days off. Compensation includes $15/hour + private room with access to kitchen and bath house, breakfasts provided (along with available farm food), WiFi access, tons of swimming holes, 1,000 acres of field and forest and a sky full of stars. Individuals who prefer being away from social media and appreciate spending time outdoors are encouraged to apply. Must be able to lift, move, sweep and dig. Candidates should enjoy activities such as writing, reading, music creation, or other hands-on endeavors. Experience in cooking and/or being in the kitchen, talking with people, and helping to make someone's day better is valued. A willingness to learn about organic gardening, sustainable living, and from-scratch cooking is essential. To apply, fill out the online application form or connect with Tamara Adams for more info.
Located at Camp Cedar Crest near the town of Green Valley Lake, ECOS Institute welcomes students, teachers and staff to life at 6,500 feet above sea level. While base camp is close to several towns and to all of the advantages of civilization, you’ll enjoy the thrill of living in a remote, natural area, with fresh air, clean water and the chance to connect with the natural world. End work in the forest at noon on Friday, then surf at the beach or camp in the desert with world-class rock climbing and starry skies.
Are you looking for life's next adventure? Work and play in the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains! Be a mentor and guide for 5th and 6th grade students from across Southern California as they experience life at science camp. With a focus on whole-child development, ECOS Institute aims to cultivate curiosity, confidence, and connection in every student.
If you have the passion and drive, ECOS can help you grow your skills and knowledge! An ECOS Institute Instructor plays the essential dual role of naturalist and counselor, guiding students through a science curriculum based in geology, wildlife biology, forest ecology and astronomy. Instructors also serve as primary support for a cabin of 10-18 students to encourage their social growth and help them develop independence. In addition to the science curriculum, a typical day includes hikes to beautiful vistas, team building activities, skits, dances, songs, and all other things camp! Positions run from September 29th, 2026 through May 28th, 2027 (full/partial season contracts available), with a Thanksgiving and winter break, and many 3-day weekends. Compensation starts at $145/day, meals at work, WiFi access, and sponsored staff outings. Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience working with kids and able to work 24-hour shifts onsite for 5 consecutive days, hike 5 miles at high elevation for more than 2 hours at a time, stand for long periods in snow, ice and rain, and lift 25 pounds from ground level (physician sign-off on physical and negative TB test required). ECOS also appreciates candidates with diverse experiences and backgrounds. If you are interested in a camp or outdoor education career, an Instructor role at ECOS is the perfect place to start or grow. To apply, watch this video to learn more about this position, then sign-up for an intro call with the ECOS team!
Academic Year Hiring • ECOS is now accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year beginning on September 29th (full/partial season contracts available).
Naturalists at Large runs programs at over 35 outdoor learning sites and lodge-based trip locations in California including Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Point Reyes, the Colorado River, Catalina Island, Coastal Redwoods, San Bernardino Mountains, and more. The Instructor position will take you to all kinds of ecosystems and introduce you to the wonder and beauty of pursuing a fulfilling career in outdoor education!
Are you a person who loves teaching students about the outdoors?Instructors lead students in 1-6 day outdoor education programs for grades 4-12, teach natural history, human history, environmental education, team building and a variety of outdoor skills (camping, hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and snow-shoeing), and assist specialists with student instruction in rock climbing, ropes course and kayaking/snorkeling. All staff are responsible for transporting themselves from site to site throughout California. For an average 4-day program plus a staff preparation day, the pay is $988.85 plus room (or tent space) and meals. A variety of specialized trainings are also offered throughout the season. Applications are accepted year-round for positions during the spring (March to June) and fall (August to November). Ideal applicants must have a minimum 1-year of related experience or a college-level education, WFA certification (WFR/WEMT preferred), previous experience working with youth in an outdoor setting, demonstrated leadership/facilitator and safety/risk management skills, and familiarity with a variety of outdoor activities. If you are an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual who demonstrates a good rapport with both young children and teens, learns quickly, and has an inquisitive nature, send an application, cover letter and resume to Alyssa Goldman.
Fall 2026 Instructors—Now Hiring! • Naturalists at Large is accepting Instructor applications for the fall season(August to November). • This could be your Monday »
Located in the scenic San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California just outside the town of Running Springs, Pali is a one-of-a-kind overnight summer camp for kids ages 8-16. A well-equipped and extensive facility offers campers the opportunity to experience many new adventures, including 29 specialty activities ranging from High Octane Action Adventure and Secret Agent Camp to creative and performing arts and everything in between. Tree top decks, paintball fields, culinary kitchens, ropes courses, zip lines, a large dining hall and an amphitheater with concert quality sound are just some of the available amenities.
Looking for a life-changing summer job?Pali Adventures is seeking Summer Camp Counselors with skills in the following activity areas: water sports, boat driving, lifeguarding, ropes, action sports, street art (spray painting), culinary, fashion/sewing, motorsports, DJing, film/broadcasting, fine arts, Hollywood stunts (high falls/stage combat), Ninja Warrior & Parkour, gymnastics, LARP, movie make up (SFX trained preferable) and rock star. Responsibilities include teaching a specialty, a variety of different electives, dressing up for the evening activity and, of course, making sure each camper is having fun and feels that you are there for them. You will also be responsible for the health and safety of campers in your group: creating a positive in-cabin experience, making sure they wake up on time, dress appropriately for the weather, eat properly, drink water, put on sunscreen, attend the correct activities, make great friends, and so much more! Training for watersports, lifeguard, and ropes starts on May 16th for a week, then transitions into general staff training beginning on May 23rd for two weeks. 2026 camp dates run from June 7th through August 17th. You'll work long hours and be asked to do wild and crazy things at any moment! Benefits include a competitive wage, room and board, paid staff training (CPR/first aid certification provided) and being able to share your passion with the next generation of aspiring adventurers. If you are a self-aware, empathetic, responsible, positive, energized, and kid focused individual who can help create the best summer experience possible for Pali campers, apply now.
Find your next adventure! Listen to Pali staff and campers talk about the impact that Pali Adventures has had on their lives and why they come back year after year.
Surrounded by magnificent vistas, valleys and meadows on 515 acres of forest in Northern California's Plumas National Forest, Sierra Nevada Journeys' Outdoor Education Camp is a modern camp that offers excellent program resources, including a challenge course, hiking trails, archery range and pond. The camp is within convenient travel distance to Lake Tahoe and Reno.
Come join a fun, dynamic, hardworking team of outdoor school educators!Sierra Nevada Journeys is committed to delivering innovative, outdoor science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship. During the spring and fall seasons, Outdoor Program Instructors (10-15 openings) are responsible for leading residential, 1-5 day outdoor science educational programs for 12–15 students primarily in 5th and 6th grades, including facilitating large group activities, leading meals, and working evening programs. All lessons are hands-on science and collaborative problem solving based with a focus on critical thinking, exploration and environmental stewardship. During the summer months, Sierra Nevada Journeys delivers a traditional summer camp and tailored programs for people with disabilities and leadership development groups. Instructors may find themselves in a summer camp leadership role and facilitate activities such as the challenge course, swimming, kayaking, and leadership programs. Compensation includes $115–$120day, off-site housing, workday meals, extensive training using UC Berkeley's BEETLES teaching techniques, and being part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community! Applicants must have experience working with youth, the ability to work irregular hours and days/nights, and a passion for working with students and making a difference through education. Instructor positions run from early February through mid-November, with mid-season start dates. Visit the career page to read a detailed job description and apply online.
2026 Seasonal Instructor + Summer Camp Counselor Jobs! • Now seeking Instructors for the 2026 season(ASAP through mid-November). Also seeking Summer Camp Counselors (June 2nd-August 7th; $575/week + room & board).
What's it like to work at Sierra Nevada Journeys? An Outdoor Program Instructor shares his life-changing journey.
Summer Day Camp Jobs — General Counselors, Lifeguards/Swim Instructors & Specialists/Activity Instructors
Nestled in the rolling hills of Agoura, California, Camp Kinneret provides children aged 4–14 with a classic, outdoor day camp experience. Camp activities include animal care, nature & ecology, wilderness play, farming & gardening, arts & crafts, performing arts, high ropes challenge courses, rock climbing, and more! Most staff ride the bus to camp each day with their campers from various Conejo and San Fernando Valley cities. Buses leave from North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, West Hills, Agoura, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Newbury Park. If your home is within 30 minutes of any of these locations, you can easily be a part of the Camp Kinneret experience this summer.
Embrace new challenges. Help campers be their best. Be a role model and team player. Camp Kinneret is a place where creativity and expression are encouraged and a community where the courage to try is celebrated and the desire to succeed is supported. Committed, supportive staff members work hard to nurture growth in each and every child, using the Kinneret Roots as their guide: Independence, Teamwork, Creativity, Friendship and Community. Working at camp is an opportunity to be part of an intentional, growth-oriented community as a role model, leader and mentor to your campers. Kinneret provides nurturing support and mentorship, and you'll gain a summer's worth of leadership development that you won’t find elsewhere! Compensation is based on position and previous experience. The range for a first-year staff member is $6,500–$7,000+ for a 9-week summer. Applicants must be college-aged or older, have summer housing available in the greater Los Angeles area, and able to make a commitment from June 8th–12th for staffing training with work from June 15th to August 14th, 2026 (MO-FR, 8:30am–4:30pm schedule). Full-time AND part-time positions are available. If you are a compassionate, motivated individual who is passionate about personal growth and development (for yourself and for others!), fill out the online application and select a group interview to attend virtually or in-person.
Each summer spent at Camp Kinneret is a whole new adventure filled with growth and development.
Live, work and play on a 1,600 acre wilderness preserve and organic farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains this summer! Summer camp at Hidden Villa will awaken each camper’s sense of awe for natural and human beauty, provide tools for multicultural community building, and create a learning environment that encourages a commitment to social and environmental justice.
Learn to milk a goat. Harvest fresh organic produce from the educational garden. Live sustainably. Backpack from bay to sea. Play on the ropes course. Swimming, hiking, storytelling, crafts and more! Be part of a positive, creative, and inclusivecamp staff that works together to welcome campers from all backgrounds to be themselves, develop self-confidence, experience a sense of belonging, and make friends in this beautiful setting. With positions including Residential Counselors, Program Heads, Backpacking Trip Leaders, Farm & Garden staff, Activity Specialists, and Lifeguards, there are over 25 summer job opportunities available in 2026. Compensation starts at $600/week with increases depending on position and certifications, plus housing and meals. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma (or equivalent), a love for working with youth, a fun-loving spirit, energetic, flexible, mature, and team oriented. A commitment from June 1st to August 1st, 2026 is required (leadership positions begin on May 26th). Apply online or email camp@hiddenvilla.org for more info.
Featured Summer Camp Job Opening • Hidden Villa is seeking energetic Teen Leadership & Backpacking Instructors with WFR certification to guide high schoolers on a two-week backpacking trip in the Santa Cruz mountains and run youth leadership training programs.
Located in the Stanislaus National Forest in Northern California, Sierra Outdoor School provides hands-on educational experiences for elementary and middle school students over a 2-5 day period. Students have the chance to experience hands-on exploration of the surrounding forest ecosystem, dive into the life of a gold miner, hit the trails on a mountain bike, or reach new heights on the high ropes course..
Are you looking for an opportunity to learn, grow, and develop your teaching skills with the forest as your classroom in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains of California? Join a dedicated staff that is committed to providing both quality outdoor education for guests as well as providing high quality training for Naturalist Interns. After a paid training period, Naturalist Interns will teach hands-on science, cultural history, and team building activities to 4th-6th grade students as well as facilitate low ropes elements, the high ropes course, and belaying on the climbing wall. Interns will also have the opportunity to learn non-releasable raptor management including feeding, handling, and teaching with the birds as educational ambassadors. The internship commitment is from August 3rd, 2026 – June 4th, 2027. Compensation includes a $2,700/month stipend, private bedroom in a shared house (you will never sleep in the dorms or supervise students overnight!), meals in the dining hall when students are being served, weekly food staples, WFA, CPR & AED training at no cost, $150 stipend towards a conference, paid trainings throughout the year, and pro-deals with select outfitters. Preference given to those who have a college degree in science, education, recreation, or related field (or equivalent training), previous experience working with children, and ability to hike up to five miles per day in all weather conditions. If you are self-motivated, positive, energetic, and passionate about teaching and playing in the outdoors and open to learning and growing both independently and as part of a tight-knit community, view the Naturalist Intern flyer, fill out the online application or connect with Emma Ervolina for more info.
Life as a Sierra Outdoor School Naturalist Intern.
Camphill Communities are dedicated to creating communities where the recognition of each individual's gifts and contributions offer a model of renewal for the wider society. Camphill Volunteers live with and engage alongside children, youth and adults with developmental and other disabilities in one of fifteen sustainable communities throughout the U.S. (California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont) and Canada (British Columbia).
Spend a year developing yourself—discover your deeper purpose and share your life and gifts in a thriving intentional community with Camphill.Live-in Volunteers grow faster than they imagine possible, build deep, lasting relationships, and develop practical and creative skills that open doors for the rest of their lives. This is a great chance to master new skills and carry them forward into your future. Biodynamic farming. Artisan baking. Woodworking. Leadership and cooperative collaboration. Mindfulness. Through a mix of structured training and hands-on practice under the guidance of mentors, you dive right in, and by the end of your year, you're not only comfortable with them, but you’re also leading others in learning. In addition to college loan support program, each community ensures that every volunteer's basic living needs are covered. This means you'll receive a monthly stipend, a private room in a beautiful environment, wholesome, mostly organic meals, medical coverage, and other essentials—from toiletries to use of community cars.
Camphill Is Actively Welcoming Live-In Volunteers! Apply for one of the 125 volunteer spots with start dates throughout the year and share your gifts in one of Camphill's 15 sustainable communities. Learn more about the volunteer experience and explore current positions here.
Guides (Educators) and Coordinators (Teacher & Manager)
Work options are available in the Bay Area (CA), Portland (OR), and Seattle (WA). The Bay Area is the ideal place to blend outdoor skills with an urban environment; Portland offers incredible natural areas and is one of the most fantastic cities to live and play outdoors; while Seattle puts you right on the Puget Sound, with waterways to explore and the Cascade Mountains looming in the distance!
With immersive programs filled with epic stories and adventure, Trackers Earth is a youth organization dedicated to igniting children's passion for real-life adventures while learning to navigate obstacles. Trackers believes empowering kids to tackle genuine challenges, fostering resilience by developing grit and character is essential for them to thrive. Educators/Guides and Coordinators are needed for summer youth camps to create thoughtful, challenging adventures in the outdoors. Prospective staff members must have the know-how (or a great willingness to learn) diverse skill sets such as wilderness survival and bushcraft, farm craft and homesteading, archery and bow making, kayaking, fishing and foraging, martial arts, rock climbing, and blacksmithing. Trackers pays more for day and overnight camps than comparable industry organizations. Training for the majority of teachers begins in early June with the summer season running through late August. If you maintain high professional standards, are able to set and communicate boundaries for youth in a positive way, think on your feet, and are creative in challenging situations, explore current job opportunities in the Bay Area, Portland and Seattle.
Adventure Treks offers multi-week outdoor adventure travel programs that help teens build life skills for future success—all while making life-long friends, exploring the most stunning landscapes, and having incredible amounts of fun along the way. Wilderness-based programs are offered both in North America (British Columbia, Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, North Carolina) and abroad (Belize, India, Norway, Peru and Slovenia).
Ready to change young people’s lives and be part of one of the best student and staff communities in the industry? Being a Field Instructor at Adventure Treks is a unique and incredible opportunity—seeing students immersed in nature, fostering a community, and building their confidence and leadership on the trail! Instructors are deeply familiar with the demands of operating on the sun's clock and sleeping in a tent for weeks at a time with peers and students relying on them. In the highs and lows of a trip, they're always engaged, bringing fun to any situation, staying motivated, and working hard. Instructors are in charge of safety, satisfaction, and success. On each adventure, the four- to six-person instructor team works together to create fun, growth-oriented, and community-minded experiences, coordinate all aspects of the trip like managing group dynamics, teaching outdoor skills, maintaining equipment, and handling medical issues, and lead activities like backpacking, rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, canoeing, and whitewater kayaking & rafting. Compensation starts at $4,200–$4,300 for the entire summer plus all-inclusive employment (accommodations, meals, outfitted activities…), travel reimbursements, opportunities to work year-round, professional development scholarships, and pro-deal access to hundreds of outdoor brands. Check out the minimum requirements, Instructor FAQs and how to apply.
2026 Instructor Openings—Now Hiring! Adventure Treks is now acceptingInstructor applications for the 2026 season! Apply today and join the adventure.
Summer Trip Leaders & Gap Semester Field Instructors
Featuring distinctive, immersive, and educational experiences to some of the world’s most stunning and rarely explored destinations, ARCC Programs offers extraordinary service and adventure programs for teens and young adults. Program destinations include Australia & Fiji, Bali & Sumatra, Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador & Galápagos, Kenya & Tanzania, Peru, Southeast Asia, Spain & Morocco, Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia, and the U.S. (Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming).
ARCC is seeking Summer Program Leaders who are enthusiastic about working with students ages 13-18 and who have strong experience working with groups. Leaders will guide groups of up to eighteen students, with a co-leader, through rigorous international or domestic service projects, cultural exchange, and adventure programs that include backpacking, rafting, SCUBA diving, surfing, snorkeling, and sea kayaking. Leaders also provide cultural history and education relevant to their location and teach curriculum designed for community service programs. Leaders must be available for staff training in Denver, Colorado from June 12th-18th, 2026, and then are contracted to lead one or two summer trips, ranging from 2-3 weeks through early August. Leaders can also transition into the Gap Semester Program (offering an educational and cultural bridge between high school and college) as a Field Instructor during the fall/spring. The first-year leader salary rate ranges from $500-$550/week (depending on trip placement) and includes all living and travel expenses on program and great pro-deals. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, WFR certified, in excellent physical condition, and have a current driver’s license and clean driving record. If you are ready to lead, teach and inspire teenagers while traveling to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, complete the initial staff application online, ensuring your resume and cover letter are uploaded. Top applicants will be invited to complete a more in-depth application. Questions can be directed to employment@arccprograms.com.
ARCC & Bold Earth have joined forces! • ARCC & Bold Earth have become sister organizations, working together to provide transformative travel experiences for young people. Although each program maintains its distinct identity, style, and community, they operate as a unified team behind the scenes. The application process now applies to both programs. ARCC is currently hiring Summer Leaders and Fall 2026/Spring 2027 Gap Semester Instructors.
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Stanford Sierra will begin accepting applications for the fall season 
Field Staff applications for the 2026 season are now closed. Backroads will begin welcoming applications for the 2027 season this October. Sign-up 
Apply for one of the 125 volunteer spots with 
Adventure Treks is now accepting 