just above the middle of nowhere
Lake Alpine Lodge is a family-owned, warm-weather seasonal, high-altitude, well-established resort. We offer lodging, camping, dining, watercraft rentals, and retail with a focus on friendly, elevated service. During peak summer season, the newly redesigned, quick-service casual restaurant operates lakeside at high volume, serving American cuisine and drinks to hundreds of visitors per day.
Nestled between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, high atop the least populated county in California
About Lake Alpine Lodge
Our diverse staff at Lake Alpine Lodge includes life-long locals, experienced professionals, international and domestic students, and devoted leadership. Our short, fast-paced season requires dedicated, energetic employees, who are excited to be a part of a team and have a keen eye for efficiency.
We welcome visitors and locals into the remote Sierra, encouraging appreciation of the Alpine forests and waters with elevated service, accommodations, and answers.
We use this mission statement to guide our decision-making, and trust our employees to do the same. We have personally worked many hospitality jobs, experiencing the cringe-y, the mediocre, and the fantastic. We’ve lived the frustration that comes from not fulfilling a reasonable guest request only because it is against the rules, or because penny-pinching takes precedence. That’s not us. Much of our clientele returns every year, often through generations. We rely on our staff to convey a genuine, welcoming, considerate sense of "home" to our guests. Without faceless corporate overlords inspecting our every decision, our timeline is shortened and our team feels appreciated, finding true value in their contribution.
We are honest and hard-working people; no one coasts through a season with us. We value cool heads and positive attitudes, leading by example. And while we expect dedication, we also appreciate it. We keep our Lodge safe, comfortable, and fun for everyone. We appreciate that an employee gives us not just their labor, but their summer (and fall). Everyone involved should end their season happy with that decision.
The Employee Experience
Lake Alpine Lodge employees enjoy their summer in the high-altitude, remote Sierra with abundant recreational opportunities. We are considerate of a proper work-life balance, and take a special effort for our employees to be able to take advantage of the unique landscape.
We ask all staff to be prepared to work every weekend during peak season, June 15 to mid August/Labor Day if possible. We split days off only when absolutely necessary, and can usually give additional days off during the week when requested. If possible, we schedule friends off together and provide last-minute flexibility.
Restaurant staff usually has the option of AM or PM shifts, opening part of their workdays to recreation. Store and boat employees usually work longer, all-day shifts, and a 4 day work week can be implemented if desired.
With the short season, busy weekends, and the remoteness of our area, it is important that individuals are self-motivated to build their own experiences. As dedicated owners, we work all day every day throughout the season running what is basically a small temporary village. We do our best to answer questions, provide connections, and schedule adequate time off for our newcomer staff, providing the framework for staff to build upon.
We also have many employees who like to work as much as possible, saving money and spending their nights in front of a campfire. For them, we have plenty of work, and fire rings, and picnic tables lakeside.
Ideal Candidate
A successful Lake Alpine Lodge employee will be:
- high energy and sociable with a positive attitude
- willing to learn and improve
- punctual, reliable, consistent, and respectful
- comfortable at high-volume business levels
- understanding of the variable business levels of seasonal operations
- willing to step in and help any department when needed
- able to work unsupervised and find new tasks to complete on their own
- open with management about their concerns and issues
- happy in the remote Sierras, doesn’t need to go out on the town once a week
- comfortable in rustic, most likely shared, living conditions (if using our facilities)
Expanding a bit more on a positive attitude, because we regard it so highly. Many of our guests look forward to their time at Lake Alpine all year. Our staff needs to understand that sentiment and rise to the expectation, and occasionally it may be taxing. We aren't perfect and don’t expect to be. In our secluded, high-altitude, nearly one-century old location, a lot can, and does, challenge us every season. We lose power, pipes break, 100 people show up at once on a slow day, someone is irrationally unkind, supplies don't get delivered, equipment breaks when we need it most...
We are people who don't just weather these problems, we thrive on them. We love the adventure of problem-solving, adapting, and getting through a seemingly impossible day, and dissecting it afterward. And we love doing it as a team. We foster teamwork because it makes work fun. We appreciate the unique personalities, experiences, and interests of each individual, and enjoy building the relationships that take us through the season and beyond!
Room and Board
We do our best to offer housing for every employee that needs it. We do not charge a fee for our housing. We only require that all employees are respectful of the housing rules, and donate as much of their time as necessary so the units remain as clean and tidy as when they arrived. Each season we are housing more of our staff than ever before, and we are constantly expanding and improving our facilities and amenities.
We have a variety of accommodations: cabins, bunkhouses, sleeper cabins, and tent cabins. Most sleeping arrangements are shared, except possibly tent cabins and early or late season. If you need to have a private room for the whole season, it will probably be in a tent cabin. Roommates may change throughout the season (we have many more employees during peak season). Some have kitchens and bathrooms, some use a shared, public facility.
It is important to note that we are truly in the middle of the alpine wilderness. Our buildings are old, and tent cabins are 4 canvas walls with unsealed openings to outside. Forest wildlife such as spiders, rodents, and bears are just a part of life for us. If you're super skiddish around critters or deathly terrified of bears, living at Lake Alpine might not be a great fit.
All positions are open to couples and friends, though we cannot guarantee private housing if using our facilities. We do our best.
Candidates with small mobile housing (vans and small trailers) are strongly encouraged to apply, and it is possible to park on the property. Larger accommodations (RVs and large trailers) will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Please note that we do not have any RV hookups.
We are a dog-friendly property, and those bringing their own mobile housing are welcome to bring well-behaved, friendly dogs, provided they are able to remain, quietly, in the van or RV during shifts (they cannot be tethered outside, and they cannot bark incessantly).
All food from the store, which stocks many basic groceries, can be purchased at a 40% discount. Restaurant discount is 50%. Specific food desired for personal use can be ordered for delivery along with our restaurant delivery and purchased at cost (no markup from Lake Alpine Lodge).
USPS, FedEx, and UPS all deliver daily to our Lodge.
Employee Perks
Employees are able to use our watercraft rentals on their off time, during normal, non-peak business hours, free of charge (kayaks, paddleboards, rowboats, pedalboats).
Employees receive a 40% discount on all convenience store and grocery items. Apparel and souvenirs have a 20% discount applied (No discount on tobacco or alcohol).
10% discount on all packages in the Sierras with California Rock Guides!
Discounts on cabins and tent cabins for family/friends are possible during off-peak season.
Getting Here and Getting Around
Public transportation to our location, unfortunately, does not exist. Bicycles and mountain biking in the area are indeed very popular, but only in the recreational sense.
Having a vehicle is highly advantageous. We have space for employees to park their vehicles. Parking adjacent to your living quarters is not guaranteed.
We do our best to coordinate rides to those in need. We can assist personally for rides for arrival and departure, but not throughout the season.
The closest small town is Arnold, which is about a 30-minute drive. Murphys is around an hour. The closest airport and greyhound bus station is in Reno, Nevada, about 2.5 hours away. Sacramento is about the same, though the drive is more city and less mountain.
For Fun
If you're considering working a season with us, the Sierra Nevada wilderness doesn't need a hard sell.
Lake Alpine and the surrounding forests offer all the recreational opportunities you'd expect: kayaking, fishing, hiking, paddle boarding, cycling, 4x4 trails, hunting, mountain biking, backpacking, and rock climbing. We often encounter more obscure activities from our staff and clientele as well, like magnet fishing, downhill longboarding, and drone photography.
Check out our website for more details on activities in the area.
How to Apply
Please complete our online application form via the Apply button below.
Lake Alpine Lodge does not provide sponsorship for H2B visas