Unique opportunity to join the team of world-renowned Minam River lodge located in the beautiful Eagle Cap Wilderness
Nestled in the heart of Oregon’s spectacular Eagle Cap Wilderness, Minam River Lodge offers a unique escape in one of the state’s most beautiful natural areas.
The Eagle Cap Wilderness is part of Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains, a magnificent range of evergreen forests, wild rivers, alpine meadows and granite canyons.
About Minam River Lodge
This is a unique and exciting opportunity to join the team of a world-renowned Minam River lodge located in the beautiful Eagle Cap Wilderness in Eastern Oregon.
The Lodge is an intimate, off-grid resort located deep in Oregon's treasured Eagle Cap Wilderness on a historic property that overlooks the wild and scenic Minam River. Guests enjoy refined wilderness cuisine featuring the bounty of our own garden and local farms and ranches. Lovingly hand-built log cabins and a beautiful modern Lodge provide accommodations for 36 people. A live-in staff provides a luxurious level of service with a cozy family feel. The Lodge has been named by various publications as a premiere backcountry lodge. We pride ourselves on providing a superb guest experience with personable, authentic, and professional service.
The generosity and good nature of our guests make working at the Minam an enjoyable, rewarding experience. Guests hike in or horseback 8.5 miles, or fly a small airplane to our grass airstrip. After an immersive stay in nature, away from TV and Wifi, they leave our Lodge feeling refreshed and restored, and often come back year after year. The common thread among guest feedback is their memorable experience with our amazing staff.
The Employee Experience
Working and living at the Minam River Lodge means you will be part of a close-knit staff. We work together and support each other as a true team while enjoying the experience of living in a beautiful, remote wilderness setting.
By working closely as a team, we are energized and able to provide a genuine and unique experience for our guests. We aim to create a relaxed and personable, yet professional atmosphere. We love this place and show it in our work and interactions with guests.
Our short 4-month guest season means we work hard, sometimes long days. All positions are carefully scheduled to include one full day off per week. Most staff are happy to get away from the hustle and bustle of civilization and choose to enjoy the river, property amenities, and surrounding wilderness on their off.
Ideal Candidate
We are seeking experienced, enthusiastic, service-minded individuals with excellent attention to detail for a variety of positions. Friendly, exceptional service, and maintaining an attractive, clean, and orderly environment are essential to the guest experience at the lodge. The ability to work as a team and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty when necessary makes our Lodge a unique place to visit and work. Be prepared to embrace a wide range of tasks and enjoy the diversity it brings to your summer! While our team is carefully put together to ensure there are enough staff to get the job done, if you've ever said, "That's not my job," then this job isn't for you. The ability to live cooperatively and courteously in a communal environment is a job requirement.
Our ideal candidates have:
- Passion for customer service and authentic guest interactions
- Positive attitude, flexibility, an excellent work ethic, and an outgoing personality
- Desire to live and work in a remote wilderness setting, an adventurous and outdoor-loving spirit
- Respectful and mature behavior in a communal living environment
- Physical stamina to work long hours
- Minimum 2 years of relevant experience
Room and Board
All meals, room, and board are provided to staff free of charge.
Staff accommodations include shared (2-person) rooms in our 4-room staff house, or shared (2-person) large canvas wall tents with wooden platforms in a 4-tent camp area. Staff house has electricity, full kitchen with gas stove and oven, wood-burning stove for heat, 2 full bathrooms with showers, living area, and outside deck. Wall tents do not have electricity and have detached shared bath (outhouse) and outdoor shower. All staff is welcome in the staff house shared areas. All beds are XL twin-sized with pillows, linens, and blankets provided. Staff is equipped with laundry baskets, a storage bin, a toiletry caddy, a bedside table, and a lamp with a USB plug upon arrival (staff house only). A washer and dryer are available for staff use.
The staff enjoys a wide variety of food and beverages with weekly grocery orders (items requested by staff) and local farm produce. Generally, staff prepares their own breakfasts and lunches with the food provided, while family meal dinner preparation alternates between on your own, shared between staff members or provided by kitchen staff. Be prepared to share dinner duty with another team member every couple of weeks. Also available to choose from is a seemingly endless supply of gourmet leftovers from the kitchen. While vegetarian and gluten-free choices can be provided, we are unable to cater to stricter dietary concerns. Employees are responsible for anything beyond what is provided. Any specialty supplements for dietary restrictions can be ordered via amazon or weekly grocery orders (paid for by the employee).
Staff do have limited access to the Wifi. Staff are not permitted to be on their phones/WiFi in the Lodge, but can freely use the Wifi in the staff house.
Employee Perks
Additional perks include:
- Scenic wilderness flight in and out of the lodge, plus opportunities for flights during the season when scheduling allows
- Substantial guest tips shared among all lodge staff
- Variety of food from Lodge kitchen, local farms, and staff choice in weekly grocery orders
- Generous discounts on beverages from the bar
- Use of sauna and wood-fired hot tub in off time
- A chance to save money on living expenses and end the season with a substantial amount for your next step
- A season commitment (through October 9th) comes with 5 paid days off.
- Opportunities to enjoy the surrounding 500 square mile Eagle Cap Wilderness Area and its endless trails through the diverse, stunning landscape
Getting Here and Getting Around
The lodge is accessible by an 8.5-mile hike or a flight to our wilderness airstrip.
Should the employee choose to fly into the lodge (most do), they are responsible for transportation to and from the Enterprise, OR airport. The lodge will provide an initial incoming flight into the Lodge, and an outgoing flight back to Enterprise at the end of their employment. Employees can leave their own personal cars at the airport for the duration of the season at no additional cost for the season. You also have the option to hike in and leave a car at the trailhead.
Because the lodge is surrounded by a wilderness area, no vehicles (including bikes), are allowed outside of the lodge property.
For Fun
Our main perk is that we get to live in the spectacular wilderness of the Wallowas. Spending a summer at the Minam is a special chance to disconnect from the hustle and noisy distractions of the outside world. Your morning commute becomes a quiet stroll down a wooded path. Nighttime entertainment becomes relaxing around the fire, gazing at stars, or enjoying a chat with interesting guests.
Enjoy the feeling of satisfaction after an honest day of hard work. Jump or cast a line in the river on your afternoon break, explore a long hike or overnight camping trip on your day off. Take a foraging bag for mushrooms just in case...
Our lodge is situated in the gorgeous Minam River Valley; the river is a short walk down the hill. During off-time, employees are free to have sessions in our wood-burning sauna (located footsteps away from the river), and our wood-burning hot tub. Building relationships with the lovable local pilots and watching planes come and go daily on our wilderness airstrip is a unique activity that never gets old. Spending time in our wilderness garden is a unique part of the experience as well as enjoying the bounty of the harvest and local farm produce throughout the season. Team members are welcome to attend yoga classes free of charge. The wilderness setting leads to spectacular photography and stargazing opportunities. The miles and miles of trails on and off property offer endless opportunities for exploring, from river valleys to alpine altitudes! While all this sounds amazing (and it is) please keep in mind our primary reason for living in this setting is that we are there to work. Ultimately we are seeking people who enjoy hard work and are not intimidated by a 50+ hour work week.
How to Apply
Please send a resume with references and cover letter to Margaret Smith at info@minam-lodge.com with a subject heading stating the position for which you're applying.
Please note: At this time we are unable to accommodate the H2B and J1 Visa programs.
Applicants must be able to work the full season, June - mid October.