Outdoor School and Expeditions Guide

Position type: Full time reduced, Seasonal
Season: April 7–October 23, 2026 
Location: Outdoor School: Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, Oregon/Expeditions: Wilderness Areas across Oregon 
Compensation: $168/day; 9 days PTO
Perks: Meals provided for trainings and when students are on-site/Basic housing on site and/or staff housing in Salem area/Required certifications sponsored (WFR, lifeguard)
Programs: Opal Creek Outdoor School (spring/fall); Opal Creek Expeditions (summer/fall)
Work schedule: Outdoor School: Tuesdays-Fridays (no overnight), averaging 8 hrs/day; Expeditions: alternating trip schedule with 4-Day & 7-Day trip lengths.

The Guide Opportunity:

As an outdoor school guide, your classroom will be the forests, creeks, and waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s most beloved and largest state park and the ancestral home of the Kalapuya and Molalla Tribes. Working with mainly 5th/6th graders over the course of 4-day, 3-night programs and day-only programs, you’ll teach inquiry-based lessons developed with guidance from Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and The BEETLES Project. By the end of their time with you, students will strengthen their relationships with nature, the land, and each other—understanding that these relationships exist within an interconnected system.

As an expeditions guide, you lead educational, fun, and safe backpacking trips via our Opal Creek Expeditions program. Small groups of youth ages 10-17 traverse miles of backcountry trail, summit ridgelines and peaks, and visit subalpine lakes and streams, all with you and one other guide as their leaders. As you teach the ins and outs of  backpacking you’ll see each child’s confidence grow—in their skills and in themselves.

What We’re Looking For:

We are less interested in the titles you’ve held and more interested in what you’ve actually done and who you are. A successful candidate will have experience with some combination of the following: 

• 1+ seasons working with youth
• 1+ seasons backcountry guiding experience
• 1+ years experience as an educator
• Strong group leadership and management
• Clear and adaptable communication skills
• Experience with a diversity of communities and cultural backgrounds
• Local ecological knowledge
• Backpacking experience, personal or professional
• Navigation skills (mapping systems/apps)
• Backcountry medical experience
• Able to lead groups on hikes up to 10 miles with heavy packs
• Able to pass a criminal background check
• Valid driver’s license

How to Apply:

Please submit an application by visiting the employment page of our website. The application includes a series of questions and asks you to upload a detailed resume in PDF format. Be sure to include any relevant experience and certifications, both professional and personal.

Positions open until filled, with priority for those that apply by February 1st when we begin reviewing applications. Two rounds of video interviews will be conducted for each candidate, in mid and late February. We anticipate hiring four guides, and the start date is April 7, 2026.

Please contact hiring@opalcreek.org with any questions and to request any accommodations needed during this hiring process. We’ll do our best to respond to all queries and to keep all applicants up to date on how the process unfolds.