Naturalist Guide

Naturalist Guides lead guests into the trail-less backcountry of Denali National Park and customize those outings to deliver the educational mission of Camp Denali in a compelling and personalized manner. Our Naturalist Guides are teachers of experiential learning, experienced backcountry hiking guides, and trained drivers.

All Naturalist Guides must bring education and experience in the natural sciences. The individuals who gravitate to this role are lifelong learners who bring endless curiosity and a deep commitment to becoming an expert on Denali National Park's six million acres. Our Naturalist Guides spend their Alaska summer season entranced by route finding, geology, bird migrations, wildflower identification, foraging, and more!

What: Naturalist Guides at Camp Denali, a remote wilderness lodge at Mile 89 on the Denali Park Road

When: Approximately May 20 - September 12, 2025

Full Job Description: Available on our website (www.campdenalijobs.com) 

Unique: Due to the road closure, we are currently operating as a fly-in lodge and have the unique opportunity to experience the west end of the park with very little human traffic. 

Room & Board: Lodging in staff cabins and all meals/snacks are covered in full as part of your employment as a Naturalist Guide with Camp Denali.

Pay: Guides start at $19.50 in their first season. In addition to your wages, employees receive a share of pooled tips (averaging approximately $500/month), a uniform stipend, free room and board for the duration of the summer season, access to pro deals, and a travel stipend upon completion of a full summer season.  

Community: The intentional community at Camp Denali is unique. It may well be the single biggest factor that makes new staff eager to work with us, and it brings staff back year after year. In 2024, 73% of our previous-season staff returned for another season. In preparation for our 2025 season, it's looking like we will have a 75% return rate. Most of our team members credit the intentional community, at least in part, for their desire to return.

Our Mission: Providing active learning experiences and fostering stewardship of the natural world through a tradition of excellence, community and place.

Our longstanding family ownership is committed to preserving and refining the fundamental elements of our mission: excellence, community, and place. Your Camp Denali experience is both personal and communal. It is a unique blend of camaraderie among fellow adventurers and staff in a wilderness environment without parallel.

At the core of our staff experience is a chance to live close to the land, live and work in community, and in exploring Denali's wilderness, to learn about its ecology and history. More than facts and figures about Denali, we hope our staff and guests return home with new ways of seeing, understanding, and taking care of the natural world in their own backyards. 

In addition, we hope that our continual improvements to the environmental sustainability of our operation will provide an opportunity for our guests, staff, and other small business owners in Alaska to learn about viable alternatives to the status quo.

Read more about our work and community at campdenalijobs.com.