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.
Current Hiring @ Pali! Pali is actively recruiting full-time, seasonal Outdoor Ed Instructors for spring 2025(January 5th to May 30th).
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!
Summer 2025 Employment—Hiring Now Open! 2025 is going to be HUGE. It's an exciting time to work at Backroads with loads of opportunity! Backroads is now accepting applications for U.S., Canadian and European Trip Leaders and Trip Prep Specialists who can work from April through October 2025 (flex start/end dates). Speaking a foreign language is welcome, but not required.
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 CYO Camp & Retreat Center is located amidst 215 acres of towering redwood forest and open meadow in historical western Sonoma county, just six miles from the Pacific Ocean and a short walk away from the town of Occidental. The Russian River winds through valleys to the north and the San Francisco Bay Area lies tantalizingly close, 60 miles to the south.
Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to be a mentor and educator, gain valuable experience, and make a lasting impact in the lives of youth?Caritas Creek is a comprehensive, 5-day residential environmental education experience for students in the 5th-8th grades. Teacher Naturalists live and work in a community of 20 fun-loving individuals dedicated to holistic education, making a difference in kid's lives and changing the world. Duties include delivering an innovative science curriculum and facilitating an experience that deepens your group's connection to self, others, nature and God. Positions are available during the spring season (mid-January through May) and fall (late August to early December). Compensation includes $535/week, one paid week off each season, housing in a private room, meals while programs are in session, and a $250 medical reimbursement. Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree (or comparable and amazing life experience), experience in working with children, and the ability to support and deliver academic, social and spiritual goals. If you are a dynamic, fun-loving individual dedicated to connecting students to one another and to the natural world through science and exploration, learn more and apply!
Spring 2025 Season Jobs at Caritas Creek • Actively hiring Program NaturalistsANDSite Directors for the spring 2025 season(late January through the end of May).
Guides (Educators) and Coordinators (Teacher & Manager)
Work options are available in the Bay Area (CA), Denver (CO), Portland (OR), and Seattle (WA). The Bay Area is the ideal place to blend outdoor skills with an urban environment; Denver offers access to stunning natural features to explore as well as adventure sports like climbing, kayaking, and hiking; 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, Denver, Portland and Seattle.
Incredible Adventures is an environmentally conscious outdoor travel company specializing in small group tours from San Francisco — with destinations including Yosemite National Park, Muir Woods, Napa & Sonoma Wine Country, Big Sur, and Lake Tahoe! The team is an adventurous group who thrive on being in a casual and laid-back workplace that is offset by challenging and dynamic jobs. All guides can expect to become experts in popular travel destinations and build a career in the outdoor travel industry.
Now seeking enthusiastic Tour Guide/Drivers who are reliable, safety-driven, organized, and desire adventure. On single day trips, Guides will pick-up and drop-off passengers at San Francisco hotels and provide informational narrative throughout the tour. On multi-day adventures, Guides will arrange daily logistics, outdoor and evening activities, sightseeing excursions, and teach sustainable travel, camping etiquette and cooking skills. Guides for the 2025 season will either be based out of San Francisco (day or short multi-day trips with ideal work availability from March/April through October) or SF-based remote (Overland Guides— experience required, with ideal availability from May/June through October). Wages are per trip, with half-day wages starting at $85 and full-day wages ranging up to $300/day, not including tips. Wages for overnight, multi-day tours are per trip and range from $275-$525, plus tips. Additional daily bonus provided to German-speaking guides on select trips. A seasonal performance and safety bonus is available for all guides who complete a full season. Applicants must be at least 23 years of age, have or be willing to obtain a Class C Commercial Driver's license with Passenger Endorsement (training provided for the right candidates), a clean driving record, high energy, excellent people skills, and be available to work weekends and holidays. If you have a customer-service-oriented disposition, a fun and outgoing attitude, and enjoy interacting with people from all over the country and the world, read through the Guide FAQ or fill out the online application!
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 finish out the 2024/25 school year (January and March start dates).
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 »
Work and play in the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains! 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? 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. 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 10-15 campers 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 mid-September through the end of May (full/partial season contracts), with a Thanksgiving and winter break as well as many 3-day weekends. Compensation starts at $145/day plus up to $750/year in bonuses, weekday meals, reduced housing at $250/month, WiFi access, professional development subsidies, and sponsored staff outings. If you are interested in a camp or outdoor education career, an instructor role at ECOS is the perfect place to start or grow. Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience working with kids and ECOS appreciates candidates with diverse experiences and backgrounds. If you have the passion and drive, ECOS can help you grow your skills and knowledge! Apply here to start your application or contact Kirsten Grotz with any questions.
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 Ally Littell.
Spring AND Fall 2025 Instructors—Now Hiring! • Naturalists at Large is accepting Instructor applications for both the spring AND fall seasons.
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 17th for a week, then transitions into general staff training beginning on May 24th for two weeks. 2025 camp dates run from June 8th through August 18th. 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.
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 $112.20–$117.20/day, 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.
2025 Instructor Jobs! • Now seeking Instructors for the 2025 season(February to November). Applications for summer camp staff opens up in March.
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 pony riding, 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 9th–13th for staffing training with work from June 16th to August 15th, 2025 (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 2025. 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 2nd to August 2nd, 2025 is required (leadership positions start a week earlier). Apply online or email camp@hiddenvilla.org for more info.
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 and work 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 imagined possible, build deep, lasting relationships, and develop practical and creative skills that open doors for the rest of their lives. Begin 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, the community ensures that every volunteer's basic living needs are covered. This means you receive a monthly stipend, a private room in a beautiful environment, wholesome, mostly organic meals, medical insurance, 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.
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, and North Carolina) and abroad (Scotland, Norway and Peru).
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 $4,000–$4,200 for the summer plus all-inclusive employment (accommodations, meals, outfitted activities…), travel reimbursements, fall opportunities to work in North Carolina, professional development scholarships, and pro-deal access to hundreds of outdoor brands. See the qualifications page to learn more and apply!
2025 Instructor Hiring Adventure Treks is now acceptingField Instructor applications for the 2025 season!
Summer Trip Leaders & Gap Semester Field Instructors
Come join ARCC Programs exciting and informative staff training in Bend, Oregon before you travel to the far corners of the world leading and inspiring teenagers while seeking adventure and immersing in communities. Program destinations include Australia & Fiji, Bali & Sumatra, Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador & Galápagos, Kenya & Tanzania, Peru, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Spain & Morocco, Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia, and the U.S. (Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming).
For over 40 years ARCC Programs has offered extraordinary service and adventure programs for teens and young adults in some of the world’s most spectacular locations. 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 Bend, Oregon from June 12th-18th, 2025, and then are contracted to lead one or two summer trips, ranging from 2-4 weeks through early August. Leaders can also transition into the Gap Semester Program as a Field Instructor during the fall/spring. The first-year leader salary rate ranges from $1,700-$5,000 (depending on the length, location, and number of trips led), and includes all living and travel expenses on program and great pro-deals. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, WFR certified by mid-June 2025, 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, fill out the online application. A resume, cover letter, and three references are required for a complete application.
ARCC Program Hiring! • ARCC Programs is currently seekingTrip Leaders for the summer 2025 season! • Gap Semester Programs offer an educational and cultural bridge between high school and college. Gap Semester Instructor hiring for fall 2025 AND spring 2026 is now underway! View the ARCC Gap experience »
Pali is actively recruiting full-time, seasonal 
2025 is going to be HUGE. It's an exciting time to work at Backroads with loads of opportunity! Backroads is now 
Apply for one of the 125 volunteer spots with 
Adventure Treks is now accepting 