Backpacking Counselor and Trip Leader
Backpacking counselors at Gold Arrow Camp are responsible for leading a group of 8-10 campers on an amazing overnight experience in the beautiful Sierra National Forest, near the famous John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails. Backpacking counselors are responsible for navigation, helping with water purification, cooking, and bear prevention. Counselors work with a group counselor to supervise the campers. Backpacking counselors are also responsible for teaching campers about Leave No Trace themes, as we are a LNT accredited program.
The primary responsibility of Gold Arrow Camp counselors is the care and safety of all campers. We are looking for counselors who are positive role models, who enjoy working with kids and being outdoors, who genuinely want to invest in the lives of young people and commit to their growth, happiness, and friendship.
Counselors live in a rustic cabin or large tent with 8-10 campers and at least one other counselor in the cabin. There will be a lack of privacy some people aren’t used to, but you will have your own bed and area to store your personal items. In addition to a lack of personal privacy, this job is 24/7 and hard work. There are other summer jobs that will be less demanding and maybe even offer higher pay. You have to ask yourself why you want to be a camp counselor – if it is to have a fun, easy job this summer, you want to rethink what you consider easy and fun.
We do structured activities at Gold Arrow Camp, which means that campers go to activities in the morning and afternoon with their cabin groups. We’ve found that campers, when faced with a challenging activity, are more likely to push themselves if they’re around people they know and trust who are going to encourage them. In each activity, our main focus is always on the camper. While we do offer a wide range of fun, challenging activities, the primary goal of each activity is the growth and development of our campers. While waterskiing is a fun activity, it’s about the life lessons they’re learning – failure hurts, attitude is everything, growth and accomplishment takes work.