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Seasonal Backpacking Guide Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Kitchen Steward

Philipsburg, MT ยท On-site

$18/hr

... guided outdoor activities. THE OPPORTUNITY: SEASONAL TO FULL-TIME CAREER PATH We are currently ... backpacking in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. From horseback riding and archery to skiing at ...

Mountain & Rock Manager

Leavenworth, WA ยท On-site

$42K - $54K/yr

This person will be responsible for managing volunteers and seasonal staff, work with government ... Guiding of student, staff trips, and recons for development * Keeping current to industry standards ...

Mountain & Rock Manager

Leavenworth, WA ยท On-site

$42K - $54K/yr

This person will be responsible for managing volunteers and seasonal staff, work with government ... Guiding of student, staff trips, and recons for development * Keeping current to industry standards ...

Seasonal, non-exempt Salary: DOE - Starts at $20 per hour Position Summary: Field Instructors at ... They introduce students to adventure-based and creative activities including hiking, backpacking ...

Field Instructor

Telluride, CO ยท On-site

$20/hr

Seasonal, non-exempt Salary: DOE - Starts at $20 per hour Position Summary: Field Instructors at ... They introduce students to adventure-based and creative activities including hiking, backpacking ...

Seasonal, non-exempt Salary: DOE - Starts at $20 per hour Position Summary: Field Instructors at ... They introduce students to adventure-based and creative activities including hiking, backpacking ...

Seasonal Backpacking Guide information

See salary details

$7

$19

$39

How much do seasonal backpacking guide jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average hourly pay for seasonal backpacking guide in the United States is $19.71, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $13.70 and $19.95 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Seasonal Backpacking Guide, you need strong outdoor skills, wilderness first aid certification, navigation proficiency, and knowledge of local ecosystems. Familiarity with GPS devices, map-reading tools, and emergency communication systems like satellite messengers is typically required. Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities help guides manage group dynamics and ensure a positive experience. These skills are crucial for ensuring guest safety, minimizing risks, and providing enjoyable, educational trips in remote environments.

What are Seasonal Backpacking Guides?

Seasonal Backpacking Guides are outdoor professionals who lead and support groups on backpacking trips during specific seasons, such as spring, summer, or fall. Their responsibilities include planning routes, ensuring safety, providing instruction on outdoor skills, and sharing knowledge about the natural environment. These guides often work in national parks, wilderness areas, or with adventure tour companies, and their work is typically temporary, aligning with peak hiking seasons. The job requires strong leadership, wilderness first aid knowledge, and excellent communication skills.

What are some common challenges faced by seasonal backpacking guides during multi-day trips?

Seasonal backpacking guides often face challenges such as adapting to rapidly changing weather conditions, managing group dynamics among participants of varying skill levels, and ensuring everyone's safety and well-being in remote environments. Guides are responsible for logistical planning, like meal preparation and navigation, while also providing education about the local ecology and Leave No Trace principles. Flexibility and strong communication skills are essential, as guides must quickly respond to unexpected situations and foster a positive experience for all group members.

What is the difference between Seasonal Backpacking Guide vs Hiking Instructor?

AspectSeasonal Backpacking GuideHiking Instructor
CredentialsFirst aid, outdoor safety certificationsFirst aid, outdoor leadership certifications
Work EnvironmentBackcountry, remote trails, seasonalTrail centers, outdoor education settings
Employer & IndustryTour companies, outdoor adventure firmsOutdoor schools, recreation centers

The Seasonal Backpacking Guide typically works in remote, backcountry environments guiding groups on multi-day hikes, often seasonally. In contrast, a Hiking Instructor usually operates in more accessible outdoor education settings, focusing on teaching hiking skills and safety. Both roles require outdoor safety certifications and share similar industry usage, but differ mainly in work environment and scope of responsibilities.

More about Seasonal Backpacking Guide jobs
What cities are hiring for Seasonal Backpacking Guide jobs? Cities with the most Seasonal Backpacking Guide job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Backpacking Guide jobs? The most popular types of Backpacking Guide jobs are:
What states have the most Seasonal Backpacking Guide jobs? States with the most job openings for Seasonal Backpacking Guide jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Seasonal Backpacking Guide jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Seasonal Backpacking Guide jobs are:
Infographic showing various Seasonal Backpacking Guide job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 12% Internship, 30% Full Time, 3% Part Time, 5% Temporary, 47% Nights, and 3% Summer. Highlights an 2% Physical, 31% Hybrid, and 67% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,987 per year, or $19.7 per hour.
Fisheries Technician Seasonal

Fisheries Technician Seasonal

GREEN DIAMOND RESOURCE COMPANY

Korbel, CA โ€ข On-site

$20/hr

Temporary

Retirement, PTO

This job post hasย expired today.ย Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

Description
Who you are: You love being outdoors, enjoy the water and have a passion for fish. Your personal hobbies might include backpacking, fishing, hunting, or other outdoor activities. You as a person and a professional are eager, have a positive attitude, strong work ethic, aptitude to learn new skills, and like working as a team.
What the job is: As a Seasonal Fisheries Technician your focus is conducting fish monitoring and assessment in conjunction with Green Diamond's California Aquatic Habitat Conservation Plan (AHCP). You will be checking and maintaining out-migrant traps for juvenile salmonids, deploying and retrieving water temperature sensors, and assisting in surveying long term channel monitoring reaches. You will conduct snorkel and electro-fishing surveys for juvenile salmonids as well. The data you collect will be entered into field tablets and downloaded into our databases for use by our research team. You should have some college course work in fisheries biology or other related programs and maybe some experience in this type of work. This position works primarily in the field using four-wheel drive vehicles and hiking to get the work done. You should be effective at using GPS, maps, and situational awareness to navigate in challenging terrain and weather conditions. Your safety is always the number one priority. You will get extensive safety training for this role before any field work begins.
Work schedule: This job is seasonal; usually working from August to October. A typical day is working Monday - Thursday 10 hour days. The crew meets to discuss the plans for the week and what the work will be. After meeting, field gear that is needed is collected and you go out to start work. We typically work in small groups, so someone is nearby for safety purposes, however, there are some tasks that require working alone and taking responsibility for your own safety.
Where you'll work: You will work on nearly 400,0000 acres of Green Diamond's privately held forest property, located in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties along the Northern California coast. Our offices are nestled in the redwood forest near the Pacific Ocean.
Compensation:
The rate for this job is $20.00 per hour. Green Diamond offers a few benefits for seasonal jobs. These include participation in the 401(k) plan with match and access to the Employee Assistance Program. Paid days off include company holidays that occur during the season, up to 2 floating (personal) holidays and 3 days of bereavement leave and 2 days unpaid bereavement. Sick leave is available to take once you start. It accrues at 3.08 hours every pay period. We provide a company vehicle for business use. More information about these benefits can be found at www.greendiamond.com/people/career-opportunities.
Who Green Diamond is: We grow and nurture forests, a renewable resource to build homes, schools, and household necessities, harnessing carbon every single day we operate. We're a family-owned company that is guided by our values of environmental stewardship and supporting our local communities. We do what's right, even when it is the harder path to follow. We focus on the health and safety of our people first - by taking care of all our resources, we plan to be here for another 130 years.