We're looking for the most engaging, smart, trustworthy, kid-loving, outdoor camp counselors who are looking to have the best 11 weeks ever! Is this you?
There are lots of summer jobs out there. So, what is the big deal about being a Camp Backcountry counselor? Being a counselor at Camp Backcountry is a demanding job. In fact, it might be one of the most demanding jobs you’ll ever have and comes with a whole host of big responsibilities. You will spend 55 days being the target of every camp game and water balloon fight, hearing your name called 1,023 times in a day, working hard on a lesson plan only to ditch it at the last second, baking under the hot summer sun, singing ridiculously silly songs, being cried on, and corralling cats … we mean campers. But it’s a job that comes with countless rewards, real impact, and unforgettable memories. After all, you get to spend 55 days breathing the fresh summer air, laughing, making new friends, playing games in the woods, cuddling with goats, roasting s’mores, going on countless adventures, and making memories you’ll remember long after the summer sun sets, all while making a real difference in the lives of hundreds of campers. We guarantee one thing … It will be the best summer of your life. Here’s why: 1. You’ll make great friends.
While our staff comes from a variety of backgrounds and locations, our team is joined by a passion for nature and outdoor recreation. In a camp setting, this spirit connects all kinds of people. Camp Backcountry counselors are known to go on backpacking trips together, host movie nights, have dinner parties, and continue to go on adventures together long after the sun sets on a summer at Camp Backcountry.
2. Your “office” looks something like this:
3. Your work uniform consists of a t-shirt, shorts, and boots.
If you spend your summer working in an office or doing an internship, you’re going to have to dress up every day. At camp, it’s t-shirts and shorts. Every. Single. Day. Comfort over fashion.
4. You work hard. Very hard. But at the end of the day, you do get paid to play capture the flag, hike, paddleboard, raft, ride horses, explore the woods, paint your face, stomp in mud puddles, and spend your day searching for the elusive Backcountry Bigfoot! Sometimes I think the staff have more fun than the campers. After all, we’re all just big kids.
5. Your schedule will look something like this:
Ring in the morning with camp circle, bushwhack through the forest, teach science lessons on topics from water rockets to animal scat, race campers through the field at Coyote Cove, play camouflage in the forest, investigate a skull you stumble upon, and hang out with the barnyard critters. This sure beats the standard wake up, work, repeat.
6. You’ll get an extensive amount of experience, in all areas of work.
Working as a camp counselor at Camp Backcountry will teach you skills that all employers desire—including good communication, responsibility, problem-solving, and innovation, and patience. Heck, we could probably list patience here twice. If you can successfully work as a camp counselor, we believe you can do anything you put your mind to.
7. Camp Backcountry is a safe and welcoming place for all.
We care about each other and we pride ourselves that our culture is welcoming and supportive for all. All COVID-19 precautions are taken to protect our campers and staff.
8. You’ll try new things and expand your horizons.
Whether it’s your first time trying archery or the first time you've ever stopped to lay in the grass and examine it from a bug’s perspective, we constantly challenge our counselors to try new things. Real growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.
9. You get to do—and teach about—what you are most passionate about.
Whether your passion is horses, insects, birds, geology, music, art, hiking, camping, or even unicorns, you will get oodles of opportunities to share your passion(s) with the campers.
10. You’ll make a difference.
On top of all the fun, being a counselor at Camp Backcountry is a very rewarding job. You will play a part in shaping the lives of each of the campers you work with. You will help teach them confidence, communication skills, how to be self-sufficient, and how to challenge themselves. And ultimately, you will help spark that lifelong love for nature and the outdoors. As our favorite quote says: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” -Dioum
Sound like how you'd like to spend Summer 2021? Check out all of our Camp Backcountry opportunities here! We're hiring now!
AnnaKate Hein is the Backcountry Wilderness Area Programs Supervisor. She is a Georgia alum—once a dawg, always a dawg—where she was a member of the marching band and on the crew team. She worked for Save the Bay in Rhode Island before moving to Colorado. She and her husband can be found in the mountains or the desert chasing their next big adventure—mountain biking, skiing, hiking, climbing, camping, and, most notably, living the river rat life on their SUPs all summer.