Position type:Full time reduced, Seasonal

Season:April 7October 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, Oregons most beloved and largest state park and the ancestral home of the Kalapuya and Molalla Tribes.For bilingual guides only: Depending on the needs of your students, you may teach in English, Spanish, or both.Working with mainly 5th/6th graders over the course of 4-day, 3-night programs and day-only programs, youll teach inquiry-based lessons developed with guidance fromConfederated Tribes of Grand RondeandThe BEETLES Project. By the end of their time with you, students will strengthen their relationships with nature, the land, and each otherunderstanding 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 youll see each childs confidence growin their skills and in themselves.

What Were Looking For:

We are less interested in the titles youve held and more interested in what youve actually done and who you are. A successful candidate will have experience withsome combinationof the following:

• 1+ seasons working with youth
• 1+ seasons backcountry guiding experience
• 1+ years experience as an educator
• For Bilingual guides: Bilingual in Spanish/English
• 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
• Backcountry cooking skills
• Able to lead groups on hikes up to 10 miles with heavy packs
• Able to pass a criminal background check
• Valid drivers license

About Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center:

Our mission isto provide transformative wilderness experiences that grow a community of environmental advocates. All our work is based around one simple idea: people protect what they care about, and care about what they know. Through ouroutdoor schoolandbackpacking expeditionprograms, we bring youth and adults face-to-face with the outdoor places that make Oregon greatpristine mountain streams, uncut vistas, and old-growth forestsbecause nature is the best classroom.