Being an outdoor instructor is challenging, but it’s always worth it to see students immersed in nature, fostering a community, and building their confidence and leadership on trail! Our instructors know the demands of operating on the sun’s clock and sleeping in a tent for weeks at a time with peers and kids that rely on them. In the highs and lows of the trip, they’re always present, creating fun, staying motivated, and working hard. Instructors are in charge of safety, satisfaction, and success. It’s not easy, but it’s so rewarding!

Why work for Adventure Treks Video

What is Adventure Treks?

Adventure Treks operates 13 to 30-day wilderness-based programs for teenagers in British Columbia, Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, and North Carolina. Our instructors lead activities like backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, canoeing, sea kayaking, whitewater rafting, and ice climbing. On each adventure, the six-person instructor team works together to coordinate all aspects of the trip like managing group dynamics, planning logistics, teaching outdoor skills, maintaining equipment, and handling medical issues.

Benefits
Personal and professional skills learned at Adventure Treks are applicable to many experiences for years to come:

• Leadership and Responsibility: responsible for 24 teenagers and all aspects of running a safe and fun trip
• Communication: with your students, co-instructor, trip leader, regional director, parents, and Adventure Treks office
• Resilience and adaptability: positively overcome adversity and creatively solve problems
• Decision making: confidence in safe, quick, and intentional decisions
• Strong work ethic: the hardest job with the biggest rewards and fulfillment
• Relationship building: a role model to students, creating strong connections with students, instructor team, and building a strong community
• Feedback: continual opportunities to provide and receive feedback to students, co-instructors, and trip leaders

Compensation

• We’re pleased to offer a competitive salary with the average for first-year instructors being $2,800 for the full summer season.
• Adventure Treks offers travel reimbursements to help instructors travel to and from Staff Orientation
• Accommodations, meals (and coffee!) on your trip, outfitted activities, equipment, transportation to and from the trip’s locations are provided by Adventure Treks.
• Pro Deal accounts with access to discounts on a wide range of outdoor brands.
• Reimbursement for Wilderness First Responder Certification for returning instructors.
• Focus on year-round personal and professional growth which include career resource webinars and reimbursements towards professional development
• An opportunity to work both Adventure Treks summer programs and Fall outdoor education programs.

Meet the faces of Adventure Treks and view the Instructor Orientation from last season.

Qualifications

Applicants must be 21 (college graduate/degree in progress preferred), have a valid WFR & CPR certification, clean driving record, several years experience working with youth and leading outdoor programs, and the ability to maintain positive energy levels with little/no time off and very limited personal time