Work and Play in Yellowstone National Park This Summer!
The Official Service Station of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Park Service Stations, Inc. (YPSS) is a small, family-owned business, proudly operating since 1947. We offer fun summer jobs in Yellowstone at our 7 gas station/convenience stores & 4 automotive towing/repair shops. Our former employees often tell us "My season of working for YPSS in Yellowstone was the best summer of my life!"
We have seven locations spread throughout the park at Old Faithful, Grant Village, Fishing Bridge, Canyon Village, Tower Junction, and Mammoth Hot Springs. Our main office and warehouse are located at Yellowstone’s historic North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana. The Gardiner Sinclair, our sister location, is just outside the park, two miles north of Gardiner, MT.
About Yellowstone Park Service Stations Inc.
Make Yellowstone National Park your backyard for the summer! As a team member with Yellowstone Park Service Stations (YPSS), you will be living and breathing Yellowstone, along with contributing to the long-term success and viability of the park. We are on the frontline with park visitors, impacting their Yellowstone experience in a positive way.
YPSS is the oldest concessioner in Yellowstone National Park. We are a small employer and want to stay that way. We offer some of the best summer jobs working at our gas station/convenience store facilities and automotive towing/repair shops. Perspectives change when people work with us. Eyes and ears are opened. Hearts are softened by the beauty of Yellowstone. New friends become part of your lifetime Yellowstone fan club. A sense of purpose will arise daily whether helping park visitors with the best areas to see wildlife, saving a family trip by fixing their vehicle, or assisting with a purchase for their once-in-a-lifetime vacation. To live and work in the park can be a life-changing experience. Are you ready for a change?
The Employee Experience
Your YPSS employee experience in Yellowstone begins on your check-in day at our main office in Gardiner, Montana. After processing your hiring paperwork, and issuing your uniforms and employee ID, you’ll be given your work location assignment for the summer. We are always willing to accept location requests but cannot guarantee any specific location assignment. Your work location will be determined by staffing needs, housing, and availability dates.
Regardless of your new work location, you'll have access to endless adventure opportunities, and you'll make friends with people from around the nation. The foundation for your friendships often starts at work, and at YPSS we like to think that the job is half the fun of your Yellowstone experience! Visitation to Yellowstone is high during the peak summer months, so expect to keep busy. Your work weeks will consist of 8-hour shifts, 5 days per week (40 hours per week) with two consecutive days off to enjoy the park with your new friends.
We expect employees to work hard, but also have fun on the job! Work shifts may vary as well as the duties of your typical workday depending upon your position (see job descriptions). We encourage teamwork, friendship, and a positive work environment. As one of the smaller concession companies in Yellowstone, the experience of each of our employees is important to us. At YPSS we’re proud of our long history of fostering memorable summers and life-long friendships. (see our photo gallery)
Ideal Candidate
Yellowstone’s summer season runs from mid-April through early November, but most of our summer business occurs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Applicants who are available to work from mid to late May through Labor Day weekend or later are preferred. We can accommodate a limited number of positions ending in mid-August, however, longer dates of availability will significantly increase your chances for employment.
Although specifics of the job requirements vary (see job descriptions) whether you’re working in our gas station/convenience stores, auto repair/towing shops, or main office/warehouse, exceptional customer service skills are expected.
In addition to the above preferences, the following requirements apply:
-
It is vital that you can commit to the starting and ending dates provided on your application.
-
All applicants must be at least 18 years of age or older.
-
One year of college, training, volunteer, or work experience beyond the high school level is also a prerequisite.
-
All our jobs require standing for extended periods of time (up to 4 hours) and lifting/loading heavy items (up to 50 pounds).
-
Positive identification and employment eligibility is mandatory upon check-in, including possessing a valid Social Security Number and a legal right to work in the U.S.
-
Some positions require a valid driver’s license, which will require a motor vehicle record check.
-
Our service locations in Yellowstone are located 6,000-8,000 feet above sea level.
-
Ability to work in a wide range of weather conditions. It can snow in Yellowstone any month of the year.
-
A spirit of helpfulness, courtesy, and hospitality toward Park visitors without regard to the race, religion, color, age, sex, veteran status, national origin, or handicap of the visitors.
-
Compliance with YPSS company policy and National Park Service regulations is required of all employees, both on and off duty. Possession or use of drugs, excessive use of alcoholic beverages, and vulgar or boisterous conduct are prohibited and are grounds for discharge. Employees may be subject to random and/or reasonable cause drug and alcohol testing.
-
Employees are expected to be considerate of others and comply with all rules in dormitories and dining rooms.
YPSS currently does NOT accept international applications with a J-1 visa or sponsorship. All international applicants will need to contact a respective sponsorship agency about other employment opportunities in Yellowstone National Park. International applications will not be accepted nor responded to.
Room and Board
Working with YPSS you will enjoy the benefits of highly subsidized housing. Living in the dorms is only $7.50 per day and is charged via a payroll deduction. This also includes utilities such as electricity, heat, and water.
You may also participate in an employee meal plan. You can get three meals a day at the employee cafeteria for $12.20 per day. This is also handled as a payroll deduction.
Our dorms are all within walking distance of the work location. (see our locations) This makes for a nice stroll in Yellowstone to get to work. Private dorm rooms are limited and sharing a room with another awesome employee is a strong possibility. All housing (including work location) is assigned by YPSS. (see our housing locations)
Quick list of dorm benefits:
- Highly subsidized
- Meal plan option
- Walking distance to work
- Free laundry facilities
- Free utilities (electrical, water etc.)
- Free Wi-Fi Internet Hotspot for employees
- Making friends you may have for a lifetime
- Living in Yellowstone National Park!
YPSS does not permit pets, including Emotional Support Animals, in our dormitories due to the shared living space in our dorm facilities. Those who provide their own housing (RV/trailer) and/or live in the Government housing areas may have pets as allowed by NPS policies.
YPSS does have a limited number of RV/trailer sites. The daily charge for these sites is $17.50 per day including utilities (water, sewer, trash, and electricity). Propane is not included in this cost, but is available in the park. Please contact us to check on the availability of these sites and for further details.
Employee Perks
Working a seasonal job with YPSS you’ll be living inside the world’s first national park - Yellowstone National Park is your backyard! In addition to this unique experience, you’ll have access to many other benefits as a YPSS employee. Employee perks include:
- Discounts on fuel, retail items, and auto repairs at YPSS stations and shops, as well as at some other stores in the park and at some gateway businesses.
- Potential for advancement opportunities for interested and motivated employees.
- Building your resumé. A summer working in Yellowstone is often a talking point with future employers.
- A personal identity. At YPSS you are a name, not a number.
- Highly subsidized housing, and some of the best dorm facilities in the park.
- Two consecutive days off per week to explore Yellowstone and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
- Making connections and friendships with people from all around the country.
- Helping and interacting with park visitors from all over the world.
- Wildlife watching, geyser gazing, and scenic sightseeing.
- Unlimited recreational activities from hiking and mountain biking to fishing and rock climbing.
- Volunteer opportunities to make an impact from trail maintenance to fisheries to wildlife management.
- Supplemental health assistance through the Seasonal Employee Health Care Program.
- Free access to the Yellowstone Co-Op Employee Recreation Program – the largest employee recreation program in any national park.
- Having a summer adventure you will never forget!
Getting Here and Getting Around
If you have the means to bring your own vehicle, we strongly encourage it. Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is larger than some states! There is so much to see and do. We do, however, have multiple employees every year who fly out to the area, and they still have an amazing summer even without having their own vehicle. They usually get around the Park with their new co-workers and friends. Regardless of how you get here, you are responsible for all lodging, food, and travel costs prior to your check-in day.
Our work locations are all within walking distance from your housing location. Even if you have a vehicle, we encourage you to walk to work as part of being a good steward. Bike paths are present in some developed areas. However, we typically don't encourage the use of bikes on the narrow/high-traffic main roadways due to safety concerns.
If you decide to take public transportation (plane, bus, or train) to Yellowstone to begin your new adventure, please talk to us and we will walk you through your options. There is no public transportation within the park.
Don't worry! We will guide you through the process. Just ask if any questions arise.
For Fun
A seasonal job with Yellowstone Park Service Stations is a passport to the many wonders of Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. At YPSS, we believe in providing a healthy work/life balance. We have high expectations when you are on the clock with us, but we are HUGE advocates of playing in your backyard as much as possible.
With set, consistent days off, employees get ample time to explore the many wonders of Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres and beyond:
- Take in the awe-inspiring sights like Old Faithful geyser, Grand Prismatic spring, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
- Hike and backpack the more than 1,000 miles of trails in the park.
- See free-roaming wildlife in their natural settings -- including wolves, bison, elk, bears, and nearly 300 bird species.
- Take advantage of the many Ranger-led educational programs in the park.
- Explore the vast national forests surrounding Yellowstone where you can go mountain biking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, camping, off-roading, ziplining, or rock climbing.
- Fish world-class streams, rivers, and lakes. Yellowstone has some of the best fly fishing streams anywhere in the world.
- Paddle a canoe or kayak along the shores of Yellowstone Lake.
- Watch Old Faithful and hundreds of other geysers erupt. Yellowstone contains the largest concentration of hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots, and geysers on earth with over 10,000 thermal features.
- Find unlimited inspiration for both landscape and wildlife photography.
- Drive some of the most scenic highways in the country including the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways.
- Experience the Western charm of our gateway communities of Gardiner, Cooke City, West Yellowstone, Cody and Jackson.
- Visit Grand Teton National Park (just south of Yellowstone), and Glacier National Park (only a 6-hr drive).
- Participate in the free Yellowstone Co-op Employee Recreation Program. Activities include group hikes, educational seminars, gear rental, talent shows, and park-wide leagues in basketball, volleyball, and softball. To see what they provide, you can visit their website, http://ycerp.org.
- Volunteer! Every summer a few of our employees volunteer their time with the National Park Service, enhancing their knowledge of the park, gaining valuable experience, and making connections that often lead to future employment opportunities in the National Parks.
Whether you want to sit by a quiet stream and write in your journal, hike to the peak of a mountain, see a rodeo in a nearby town, or just hang out with new friends, the possibilities are endless! Yellowstone has an adventure for you.
How to Apply
Want to increase your chances of being a successful applicant? Please make sure that you have read all the information on this site before applying. Submit a thorough and complete application. Take your time. Remember this will be the first impression we have of you. Provide work and personal references. References will be checked so provide accurate information, including full names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Give us your maximum dates of employment. Our peak season is early June through the end of September. The longer you can stay, the better your chances are to obtain employment.
Please contact us with questions or concerns.