The truth about working in the outdoor industry after a hike

TOAre you thinking about becoming a guide after your hike and wondering what it’s really like to work in the outdoor industry? You have come to the right place.

When I completed the AT in 2021, I knew I wanted to create a new life that better aligned with the values ​​I discovered during my hike. A big part of that was a career change. After experiencing months of freedom, I knew I didn’t want to work behind a desk again, so I started looking for less traditional roles.

Eventually, I got a job as a backpacking guide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I then worked three seasons as a guide for a local company, leading tours throughout the Southeast and interacting with guests from around the world. My experience is not unique; Many hikers seek meaningful work in the outdoor industry after their hikes.

At first glance, the outdoor industry seems like the perfect place for hiker trash to land without having to sign up for the traditional 9 to 5. Certainly, these jobs have advantages, but also disadvantages that can make this style of work unsustainable for many.

Here’s a look at the good, bad, and ugly side of the outdoor industry, based on my experience.

Advantages of working in the outdoor industry

More time outside

The biggest draw to guiding was that Mother Nature became my office. After AT, I worked remotely for a couple of months and quickly realized that I wasn’t cut out for a desk job. After experiencing the freedom of life on the trails, being at home all day felt stifling. When I went out, I rarely had the energy to go out and do what I really enjoyed.

Guiding meant making money while spending time outdoors. I literally got paid to walk around and teach people about the natural wonders I love.

Sharing my passion for the outdoors quickly hooked me. Watching guests climb mountains and learn skills like how to pitch a tent, start a fire, and filter water made the work seem meaningful. I loved watching guests’ confidence grow throughout a trip and watching bonds form between people who had just met. It reminded me of the community that hikers often experience and how easy it is to connect with strangers when working toward a shared goal.

Rain in the Smokies is common. The guides tried to keep morale high and teach guests to «embrace the blowjob.»

Flexible schedule

Depending on the company and position, hours can vary greatly. Most of my trips were from Thursday to Sunday, leaving Monday to Wednesday free. However, during peak season, it was not unusual to have only one day (sometimes even less than 24 hours) between trips. Some companies use a one week on, one week off model.

The schedule may be sporadic, but if a traditional 40-hour work week isn’t for you, the outdoor industry offers alternatives that may be more appealing. I enjoyed having random days off during the week to go shopping, schedule appointments, or visit less-crowded trails. The downside is that most weekends are spent working.

Professional offers

A widely publicized advantage of outdoor jobs is access to career offers. Brands like Kuhl, Black Diamond, NEMO, prAna and Big Agnes offer discounts to outdoor professionals. There are even entire sites dedicated to professional offerings, like Outdoor Prolink and ExpertVoice.

Signing up is simple and easy; Simply completing a form and providing proof of employment is usually sufficient. Discounts usually start around 25% and can reach 50% or more.

One downside is that many ultralight and DIY gear companies don’t offer professional deals. However, it never hurts to email customer service and ask. Sometimes you will get lucky and get a discount.

A highlight of the trips was teaching guests about the local trail systems.

Building a community of like-minded people

One of my favorite parts of guiding was the people. From co-guides to guests, the outdoor world tends to attract people who truly love being outdoors and share similar values. My coworkers quickly became close friends and we often spent time together after trips.

Most guests fell into three categories: 1) experienced backpackers who wanted someone else to handle the logistics, 2) people who wanted to go backpacking but couldn’t get their friends and family to go with them, and 3) complete beginners looking to learn skills in the backcountry. Whatever their reason for signing up for the trip, they were usually excited to be there. Occasionally, there was a difficult personality in the mix, but most of the guests were enthusiastic, curious and eager to challenge themselves.

Introspection and growth

Guiding constantly incited reflection. Guests regularly asked questions like, «Why do I have to pack up my trash?» or «Why do I need to dig a well?» Explaining the principles of Leave No Trace forced me to articulate my own values ​​around stewardship.

There are often opportunities for continuing education, such as naturalistic programs, Master Leave No Trace certification, and more. Many companies require guides to be Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder certified, and some employers subsidize these credentials.

For example, the company I worked for wanted a yoga teacher on staff and paid for half of my 200-hour yoga teacher training. They also fully covered my wilderness lifeguard training and recertification. I still rely heavily on what I learned through these trainings.

It wasn’t hard to get guests excited about views like this!

Tips

The company I worked for paid by the hour, although some guide companies pay per trip. If you’re lucky, the base rate is close to a living wage, but this career path is not known for its high salaries.

Tips can significantly increase income. On good trips, I took several hundred dollars and once even raised more than $1,200 for a four-day trip. Other times, I made less than $200. I worked the same amount of work each trip, but tips varied wildly. I’m including this as a pro because large tips can help offset inconsistency in payments, but the variability is extreme and worth noting.

Cons of working in the outdoor industry

Inconsistent schedule

The other side of flexibility is instability. Most outdoor work is seasonal. My guiding season ran from March to November. Many co-workers got winter jobs at ski resorts, while I struggled to get a part-time job at home.

Outside of peak season, when we sometimes worked six or seven days a week, work could dry up completely. No travel meant no pay, which made budgeting difficult. It often seemed like a constant cycle of feast or famine.

Guiding allowed me to share my love of the flora and fauna of the Smokies with guests on backpacking trips.

Housing instability

Short-term housing can be one of the biggest challenges. Some seasonal jobs provide accommodation (often dormitory style), but many do not. Many guides arrange temporary arrangements through Facebook groups, short-term rentals, couch surfing, or even sleeping in their cars between trips.

Lack of insurance

It is rare for counseling companies to offer benefits. Many guides are classified as independent contractors (1099) rather than employees (W-4), meaning they do not have insurance or employer-provided benefits. Given the physical demands of guiding, this is a major drawback. Many of my coworkers and I relied on government health care plans. Others simply went without insurance and paid out of pocket for routine care or skipped annual appointments altogether.

Working as a guide provided a unique opportunity to share the beauty of the Smokies with guests from around the world.

A glorified customer service job

As glamorous as guiding may seem, it is fundamentally customer service in the field. Sometimes it may seem like you are constantly acting and need to always be «on.»

My main responsibility was to keep guests safe and happy. As much fun as it was to walk for work, it wasn’t there for my own enjoyment. I couldn’t choose the routes; our pace was dictated by the group and was usually slower than I would prefer, and we had to stop every hour to take breaks. Making sure paying customers had a good experience sometimes meant sacrificing mine.

For the most part, it was easy to connect with the guests and I thoroughly enjoyed the work. I was deeply involved in creating the best experience possible and worked hard to convey my passion for backpacking and the natural world.

Because I put so much of myself into each trip, it was hard not to take negative reviews or critical comments personally. Often, guest frustrations arose from things beyond my control, such as the weather or dissatisfaction with their equipment.

Helping guests cross streams, setting up their tents, and preparing food were all part of a day’s work as a backpacking guide.

While these experiences are my own, I’ve heard similar opinions from guides across the outdoor industry, from hiking and rafting to biking and canyoneering tours. These shared challenges are likely contributing to the industry’s high turnover.

Even so, I remember my years as a guide with deep affection and gratitude. I met some of my closest friends in this role and spent countless days walking in the sun instead of sitting in an office. I’ve seen guests cry happy tears on trips, watched their eyes light up at the first sight of fireflies, and celebrated everything from a perfectly pitched tent to the first time someone poops in the woods. Creating a safe, supportive, and fun environment for guests to learn about the outdoors was the highlight of my guiding career.

While working as a backpacking guide wasn’t sustainable for me long-term, it was an invaluable bridge back to the “real world” after my hike. If you’re not sure what to do after the tour, guiding it for a while can provide you with valuable respite while you figure out what’s next. No matter how many seasons you log, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Cover image: Photo via Anna McKinney Smith. Graphic design by Zack Goldman.