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Wilderness Aware Rafting

Rafting Jobs in Colorado

Wilderness Aware Rafting is now accepting rafting guide applications for the 2012 summer river season. Previous rafting experience is NOT necessary. We provide all the necessary training needed to turn you into a high quality professional river guide.

Having been twice named Colorado's Company of the Year, we believe a quality staff is the key to helping us accomplish our goals. Rather than looking for folks with established river skills, we are simply looking for physically fit men and women that learn quickly, aren’t afraid of hard work, are fun outgoing and people oriented, and have an eye for detail.

We also have openings for customer service representatives and shuttle drivers.

Wilderness Aware Rafting

Our 5-Day interview trip puts you at the helm of a raft on the whitewater of Arizona’s Salt River.

Our Jobs

Customer Service, Raft Guides, and Shuttle Drivers

Sleep and Eat

Wilderness Aware offers subsidized housing within biking distance from work. Rent is $480 per summer including utilities. While guiding, all meals are included. For the frugal employee, leftover trip food from the “guide fridge” can cover most remaining meals. Hosted dinners by Wilderness Aware and local groups offer a nice variety of free food as well. A full kitchen in guide housing is shared by up to 4 roommates.

Other Perks

First year guides can expect to gross approximately $2300 (plus tips) from mid-May through late August. Experienced guides can expect to earn up to $8,500 (plus tips) a season.

Wilderness Aware Rafting

We will teach you everything you need to know to be a guide including rigging a boat for a wilderness expedition.

Getting Here and Getting Around

Many of our guides drive to Colorado. Others will fly or take a bus into Denver. We can arrange to pick you up in Denver if needed. Once in Buena Vista, those without a car can catch a ride to work from employee housing, walk, or ride a bike. You may elect to buy a cheap bike locally and we can store it for you between rafting seasons.

For Fun

We are located in a relatively dry valley surrounded by snow-capped 14,000’ peaks along the continental divide.

One of the benefits of working at Wilderness Aware is free use of our rafting equipment. Our staff will often get together to raft in the evenings or on days off. Many of our new guides learn to kayak. A world class kayak play-park is located just minutes from your home. Biking and hiking trails begin just blocks from your home as well.

Trout fishing is as easy as walking across the street to the stocked trout pond or as hard as hiking to one of many high mountain lakes. Float fishing from a raft is also popular.

How to Apply

Apply Now

The hiring process involves filling out an online application , a short phone interview, and participation in a 5-day interview trip on the whitewater of Arizona’s Salt River during the month of March. See photos of the trip .

Learn more about Wilderness Aware Rafting, guiding jobs, and our application process on our website.

Applications will be accepted until March 1st, 2012.

About our Company

Since 1976, Wilderness Aware Rafting and Colorado Adventures operate on six Colorado and Arizona rivers including the Arkansas, Dolores, Gunnison, Salt, North Platte, and Upper Colorado. Trips range in duration from ½ days to 10 days in length and range in difficulty from class III to Class V. Our main office is located in Buena Vista, Colorado in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. We offer a variety of rafting opportunities including day trips on world-class whitewater, extended multi-day wilderness trips as well as guided downhill mountain biking.

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