Raft Guide
American Adventure Expeditions
Buena Vista, Colorado
Become a Whitewater Rafting Guide on Colorado's most popular river! No experience required.
Seasonal
Job Starts: May 19, 2025
Now hiring 1st Time & Experienced Guides, Office Staff & Drivers. Top Pay, Great Incentives, Free Housing! Work on Colorado's #1 River with Colorado's #1 Outfitter!
As the experts in 'Whitewater Hospitality' American Adventure Expeditions has been providing guided raft trips on Colorado's most popular river for over 30 years! We pride ourselves on safety, professionalism and excellent customer service, and our goal is to connect with each of our guests and exceed their expectations whenever possible.
Based out of Buena Vista, CO we are blessed to be located at the base of the Continental Divide surrounded by some of the tallest peaks in the US! Not only does this provide awe-inspiring views but countless outdoor recreation opportunities abound as well.
Jobs in the Spotlight
About American Adventure Expeditions
As the experts in 'Whitewater Hospitality' American Adventure Expeditions has been providing lifelong memories on Colorado's most popular river for over 30 years! We pride ourselves on safety, professionalism, and excellent customer service. Our goal is to connect with each of our guests and exceed their expectations whenever possible. We're committed to an inclusive company culture where everyone is encouraged to grow individually and as a part of a family-owned organization!
Each one of our employees is a trained professional in his or her field and has an extreme passion for sharing their love of the outdoors with others. We employ approximately 4 year-round positions at our company and over 30 summer seasonal staff. Throughout their employment all of our team members will have access to top notch training programs, industry leading equipment and technology, and growth opportunities within this organization and within the industry.
The Employee Experience
As a company we're dedicated to the experience of our staff just as much as the experience of our guests. We feel very strongly that our employees shouldn't have to sacrifice in order to pursue a career that they love. Driven by this belief we've been industry leaders in increasing guide wages, paying for overtime, providing additional certification training free of cost or at reduced rates, offering continuing education events, and opportunities to grow professionally and personally.
We feel that an excellent work/life balance creates happy employees and happy employees provide amazing experiences for our guests! This is why we're the #1 Ranked Outfitter on the most popular river in CO!
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate for employment at American Adventure Expeditions is someone who loves the outdoors and is motivated to share their passion with others. We strive to create authentic connections through hospitality focused outdoor adventures! Whether it's a connection with your guests, your fellow guides, and/or the outdoors, that's what we're all about.
We're looking for:
- Hard Workers who thrive in challenging, fast-paced environments
- Problem Solvers who are flexible and enjoy variety in their workplace
- Leaders who strive to enhance the experience of everyone around them
- Team Players who understand the importance of collaboration
Room and Board
The most popular choice of living accommodations for our employees is the FREE Camping option that we offer at our Riverside Outpost. We allow tent camping, car camping, or small pop-up campers (space dependent). Not only is this an excellent option for financial reasons, but it's a huge part of creating the family-like culture at our company! Our staff works together, they live together, they recreate together, and they build bonds that last well beyond the summer season and your time on the river!
Camping at our Outpost includes access to:
- Restrooms
- Potable water
- Electricity
- Free wi-fi
- Guide Lounge with Fridge and Freezer
In addition to camping at our location there's the option of renting apartments or homes in one of the surrounding mountain towns. Just ask and we can point you in the right direction.
Employee Perks
In addition to all of the amazing natural wonders that this area of Colorado has to offer, our employees receive numerous benefits including but not limited to:
- Competitive pay, gratuities on top of base salary, incentive based bonus programs
- FREE housing available (on-site camping)
- Complimentary & discounted advanced training opportunities (Swift Water Rescue, Wilderness First Responder, etc.)
- Pro-deal pricing on a wide range of outdoor equipment and clothing
- Access to company equipment on days off (rafts, trailers, vehicles, etc.)
Getting Here and Getting Around
We're located at the headwaters of the beautiful Arkansas River Valley in the town of Buena Vista, CO. Nestled at the base of the Continental Divide with 14,000-foot peaks all around, we're conveniently located 2 hours from Denver, 1.5 hours from Colorado Springs, and just about 1 hour from Breckenridge and many other popular mountain towns!
For Fun
From family fun to white-knuckled adventure, the Arkansas River Valley has any and everything you could ask for. Encompassing three counties (Chaffee, Fremont, and Lake), the Ark Valley is considered by many to be the capital of whitewater rafting in North America. However, the area is also popular for backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, ATV’s, mountain biking, horseback riding, soaking in the hot springs or just relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
How to Apply
If you're interested in becoming a whitewater rafting guide for American Adventure Expeditions and are not already a certified river guide please visit the employment page of our website to learn about our guide training program, completion of which is required for anyone without previous guiding experience.
If you have previous guiding experience or are interested in one of our other positions, please visit our job listings page and complete an application.
Foreign workers may apply with the proper J-1 Visa paperwork.
For more info visit https://j1visa.state.gov/
Unfortunately, we will not be applying for any H2-B Visas for the 2025 season but we would consider an extension for a current H2-B visa.
Contact Info
- Casey Harper
- raftinginfo@americanadventure.com
- (970) 903-3266
- www.americanadventure.com
