Recreation Guides

Career summary

Recreation guides are in charge of outdoor activities. They may lead outdoor trips where people are:

• Camping
• Biking
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Rafting

Some recreation guides lead rafting trips. Others operate aircraft, fishing boats, or snowmobiles. Others lead hunting parties or guide skiers or mountain climbers.

Before a trip, guides may contact clients to discuss the travel arrangements and answer questions. Guides arrange the transportation, equipment, and supplies to be used on outings.

Guides sell, rent, or provide their clients with supplies, clothing, and equipment suitable for the activity and weather. They adjust and demonstrate equipment. They teach clients techniques used in the sport. They also explain any rules and regulations that must be followed.

Recreation guides use their knowledge of the recreation area when planning trips. They determine the best routes and sites based on the interests and skill level of their clients. Guides usually do the paperwork if permits or licenses are required. They interpret the natural and cultural history of the area for their guests.

On the trip, recreation guides make sure that their customers are safe. They provide first aid to clients who become sick or injured. Guides set up camp, prepare all the food, and clean up after meals during overnight trips. They also repair damaged gear and care for pack animals. Hunting guides dress and prepare game animals for shipment.

Many recreation guides own their guiding business. They promote their business and keep track of all income and expenses.

Related careers

This career is part of the Hospitality and Tourism cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Bus Drivers
• Buyers and Purchasing Agents
• Concierges
• Meeting and Convention Planners
• Real Estate Agents
• Recreation Workers
• Reservation and Ticket Agents
• Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs
• Tour Guides
• Travel Agents

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to recreation guides.

• Greet clients and help them get settled in for the trip. Resolve any problems with services or travel plans.
• Sell or rent equipment, clothing, and supplies.
• Give first aid to injured clients.
• Pilot aircraft or boats, or drive trucks, buses, or vans to transport clients.
• Explain hunting and fishing laws to groups.
• Pitch camp and prepare meals for clients.
• Obtain or help clients obtain documents, such as licenses and permits.
• Instruct clients in climbing techniques, mountaineering, or wilderness survival, and demonstrate use of hunting, fishing, and climbing equipment.
• Check amount and quality of equipment to ensure a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for clients.
• Select camping, hunting, and fishing sites, and lead clients to locations.
• Arrange for transportation, accommodations, and equipment.
• Plan route and schedule, applying knowledge of area and destination sites.
• Scout areas for game, suitable trails, and camping sites.
• May sell travel packages. Pay any necessary bills and record checks for files.

Common work activities

Recreation guides perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Get information needed to do the job
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Perform for or work with the public
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Perform administrative tasks
• Use computers
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Think creatively
• Guide, direct, and motivate others

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, recreation guides:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social interaction with clients. They spend a lot of time on the phone, writing e-mail and letters, and talking face-to-face.
• Are somewhat responsible for the work done by others.
• Have a substantial amount of responsibility for clients' health and safety.
• May work as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Spend most of their time working outdoors, but work indoors planning trips and repairing gear.
• May work physically near other guides or clients.

Work performance

• Must make sure that all details of the job are performed and everything is completed.
• Regularly make decisions that greatly affect clients, coworkers, and their own reputation.
• Must be very exact or highly accurate in performing the job. Errors could mean endangering client safety.
• Set most of their daily tasks and goals without talking to a supervisor first.
• Work in a moderately competitive atmosphere in which they may compete for clients.
• Must meet weekly and monthly deadlines.

Hours/travel

• May work 12- to 14-hour days when guiding wilderness activities. Trips may last from a few hours to several weeks. During trips, guides usually work seven days a week.
• May work only seasonally or irregularly. The busiest months are May through October. Many guides work only during the busiest months.
• Often must travel to different areas in order to work year round. They may travel to other states or countries.

Physical demands

Recreation guides frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

It is important for recreation guides to be able to:

• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for recreation guides to be able to:

• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.

Skills and abilities

Recreation guides need to:

Communicate

• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Look for ways to help people.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Hospitality Management
• Outdoor Education
• Recreation, Fitness, and Leisure Studies

Other programs of study to consider

• Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Fisheries Sciences and Management
• Marketing
• Recreation and Parks Management
• Travel Services Management

Training

To work as a recreation guide, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• complete moderate-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

There are no formal education requirements beyond high school. Guides may take college courses in leisure studies or physical education. These programs include courses in community organization, supervision, and administration.

On-the-job training

Most guides learn their outdoor skills from having recreation activities as a hobby. However, many of them learn their guiding skills on the job from an experienced worker. Training varies by employer and your skills. In general, you spend one season with an experienced worker.

Helpful high school courses

You should take a general high school curriculum that meets the state's graduation requirements. You will be required to take both math and science classes to graduate.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Culinary Arts
• Hospitality
• Physical Education
• Safety and First Aid

Many recreation guides are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:

• Accounting
• Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Business

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Guides need a general knowledge of the outdoors, and skills to do the specific type of outfitting or guiding service. Wilderness medical and survival training is helpful. A guide's license from the state is often required.

Because of the unpredictable circumstances guides often encounter, a sense of humor is desirable.

Employers also look for workers who are dependable, friendly, patient, and outgoing. The ability to handle difficult situations calmly is also important.

Licensing/certification

Fishing guides need a license from the State of Washington. For more information, contact:

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
License Division 
PO Box 43154
Olympia, WA 98504
360.902.2464

Commercial fishing guides who carry passengers for hire must pay state licensing fees. Licensing fees vary.

There are additional requirements, both state and federal, for whitewater river outfitters. For more information on state requirements, contact:

Washington State Department of Licensing
Business Licensing Service 
PO Box 9034
Olympia, WA 98507-9034
800.451.7985

Fishing, touring, diving, and wildlife-watching charter boat captains need a license from the Coast Guard. For more information about licensing, contact:

National Maritime Center 
Regional Exam Center
888.IASKNMC (888.427.5662)

#Checked licensing; hid whitewater guide licensing as state F&W site stated no licensing required for them, 3/19/19 cj. 2/11/20

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Travel Guides 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Earnings for hunting and fishing guides differ from state to state and from one expedition to another. Pay varies with the worker's level of responsibility, hours, specialty, and type of employer. Income for some guides depends on the number of clients each month. Room and board is provided by some employers. Guides may also receive substantial tips for their services.

Few guides have regular wages or fringe benefits. Their earnings depend on their skills, and their ability to get new clients and keep the ones they have. Many work other jobs during the off-season.

Self-employed guides must buy large equipment, such as tents, rafts, boats, vehicles, or horses. They must also provide their own health insurance and retirement plan.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

About 14% of recreation guides are self-employed.

Major employers:

• Hunting and fishing outfitters or packers
• Travel agencies
• Resorts
• River rafting operators

National outlook

Growth in this occupation will be about as fast as average. The outlook for recreation guides is related to the economy. It also depends on how much money and time people are willing to spend on recreational activities. From year to year, weather, wildfires, and snow levels affect the need for guides.

The emphasis on guide work is shifting. For example, people are taking fewer hunting trips, and more trips for pleasure and sightseeing. Guides may find opportunities leading canoeing, white water rafting, rock climbing, or photography trips.

Turnover creates many job openings. Because the work is seasonal and long-term career opportunities are limited, many guides leave this occupation after a period of time.

Other resources

American Red Cross 

Association for Experiential Education 
PO Box 13246
Denver, CO 80201-4646

National Association for Interpretation 
230 Cherry Street, Ste 200
Fort Collins, CO 80521

National Recreation and Park Association 
22377 Belmont Ridge Road
Ashburn, VA 20148
800.626.6772
703.858.0784

The Travel Institute 
945 Concord Street
Framingham, MA 01701
800.542.4282
781.237.0280

Tourism Cares 
20 Vernon Street
Norwood, MA 02062
781.821.5990

Travel and Tourism Research Association 
5300 Lakewood Road
Whitehall, MI 49461
248.708.8872

United States Tour Operators Association 
345 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1801
New York, NY 10001
212.599.6599

US Travel Association 
1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 450
Washington, DC 20005
202.408.8422

Washington Recreation and Park Association 
2150 North 107th Street, Suite 205
Seattle, WA 98133
888.459.0009
206.367.8777

References

Career cluster

• Hospitality and Tourism

Career path

• Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net  occupation

• Travel Guides (39-7012.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.

DOT occupations

• Dude Wrangler (353.364-010) 
• Guide, Alpine (353.164-010) 
• Guide, Hunting and Fishing (353.161-010) 
• Guide, Travel (353.167-010) 

Holland occupational cluster

• Enterprising/Conventional/Social

COPSystem

• Service Skilled