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National Park Guide Jobs (NOW HIRING)

FL · On-site

$65K/yr

These positions are located in Everglades National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, in the ... guide or tour leader; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical ...

FL · On-site

$65K/yr

These positions are located in Everglades National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, in the ... guide or tour leader; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical ...

Fly Fishing Guide

Moran, WY · On-site

$17.75/hr

Provide guided fly fishing excursions on the Snake River within Grand Teton National Park and make every effort to help customers catch fish, while teaching and informing them of the ecology of the ...

Provide guided fly fishing excursions on the Snake River within Grand Teton National Park and make every effort to help customers catch fish, while teaching and informing them of the ecology of the ...

Provide guided fly fishing excursions on the Snake River within Grand Teton National Park and make every effort to help customers catch fish, while teaching and informing them of the ecology of the ...

Spanning 6.2 million acres, Denali National Park & Preserve is home to Denali, the highest peak in ... The Guide will typically get their assignment on the day before the hike is scheduled.  

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National Park Guide information

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$7

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$29

How much do national park guide jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for national park guide in the United States is $17.27, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $12.98 and $21.15 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by National Park Guides, and how do they overcome them?

National Park Guides often encounter challenges such as unpredictable weather, managing diverse groups of visitors with varying interests and abilities, and ensuring safety in remote or rugged environments. Guides overcome these challenges by staying well-prepared, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of park regulations and conditions, and developing strong communication and problem-solving skills. They also receive training in first aid and emergency response, which helps them handle unexpected situations effectively while providing a memorable and safe experience for all guests.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a National Park Guide, and why are they important?

To thrive as a National Park Guide, you need in-depth knowledge of natural and cultural history, interpretive skills, and often a background in environmental science, biology, or education. Familiarity with GPS devices, first aid certification, and visitor management systems is typically required. Strong communication, enthusiasm, and the ability to engage diverse groups are critical soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure visitor safety, foster appreciation for the park, and enhance the overall visitor experience.

What Does a National Park Guide Do?

A national park guide provides information and tours to guests in national parks and other visitor or recreation areas cared for by the federal government. Your specific job duties vary, depending on your assigned location and the season. Those who work in a national park describe the various plants and animals that live within the park to visitors. You explain park rules and safety protocols, as well as provide tips on how to enjoy the park without damaging any part of the landscaping. Some park guides lead tour groups down specific paths through the park while recounting the history of different events that occurred there. Spring and summer seasons are usually busy with campers and hikers; in the winter, you assist with maintenance and inspect areas that may need repair. National park guides at other visitor centers have similar roles, except their primary focus is a monument or other recreation area.

What is the difference between National Park Guide vs Park Ranger?

AspectNational Park GuidePark Ranger
CredentialsMay require guides' certifications, interpretive trainingTypically requires law enforcement or conservation certifications
Work EnvironmentTourist-focused, guiding visitors on trails and attractionsEnforcement, conservation, and visitor safety in parks
Employer & IndustryTour companies, national parks, private guidesNational parks, government agencies, conservation organizations
Search & Comparison IntentVisitors seeking guided tours, educational experiencesIndividuals interested in park management, enforcement, conservation

While both roles work within national parks, a National Park Guide primarily focuses on leading tours and educating visitors, often requiring interpretive certifications. In contrast, a Park Ranger has broader responsibilities including enforcement, conservation, and ensuring park safety. Both roles are essential for park operations but serve different visitor and management needs.

What does a National Park Guide do?

A National Park Guide leads visitors through national parks, providing information about the park's natural features, wildlife, history, and regulations. They conduct educational tours, answer questions, and help ensure the safety and enjoyment of guests. National Park Guides often tailor their presentations to different audiences and may lead hikes, nature walks, or interpretive programs. Their role is to enhance the visitor experience while promoting conservation and responsible behavior in the park.
What cities are hiring for National Park Guide jobs? Cities with the most National Park Guide job openings:
What states have the most National Park Guide jobs? States with the most job openings for National Park Guide jobs include:
What job categories do people searching National Park Guide jobs look for? The top searched job categories for National Park Guide jobs are:
Infographic showing various National Park Guide job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 44% Full Time, 30% Part Time, and 26% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $35,919 per year, or $17.3 per hour.
Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL) Park Guide

Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL) Park Guide

National Park Service

Cheyenne, OK • On-site, Remote

$40K - $52K/yr

Full-time

Posted 5 days ago


National Park Service rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 97 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

130th of 274 rated public sector bodies


Job description

Summary
This position is located in Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, in the Interpretation and Education Division.
This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL). See below under Additional Information for further eligibility guidance.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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At the full performance level (GS-05) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Staff information counter at visitor center.
  • Answer questions on a variety of subjects.
  • Guide small groups and provide services to visitors.
  • Present limited and repetitive pre-established talks, including: introductions to films, map talks, static exhibit interpretation, etc...
  • Interpret park values for visitors with varying interests and backgrounds.
  • Preforms duties including programs that contain live demonstrations and/or audio-visual devices.
  • Guide small parties (up to 50 people) on short or long walks, presenting pre-established programs which require the application of a broad range of subject matter knowledge.
  • Orient hikers to conditions and equipment needs.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program..
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications
Requirements Continued...
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.
Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/11/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.
To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups. Examples of specialized experience could include park guide or tour leader, naturalist, environmental educator or teacher, or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successfully completed four years of study above high school (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, such as American History, science, public speaking, parks and recreation, education or communications. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of experience and education as described above. To combine experience and education, first take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12. Multiply the resulting decimal by 100. Then take the number of credit hours completed beyond 60 and divide by 60. Multiply the resulting decimal by 100. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).
Education
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Additional information
This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is within 50 miles of Washita Battlefield National Historic Site 18555 Hwy 47A, Ste. A, Cheyenne, OK 73628. Residency will be verified during the hiring process.
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Physical Demands: The work requires standing for long periods of time, walking for long distances, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs.
Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors resulting in exposure to a variety of weather conditions.
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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