summer positions
May 31st: Arrival Date for Backpacking Leaders, Barn Staff, Support Staff, and Ranch Lifeguard Course Participants
June 1st: Start Date for Backpacking Leaders, Barn Staff, and Support Staff
June 1-2: Lifeguarding Course for Counselors (or certify prior to arrival)
June 3-4: Wilderness First Aid Course for Counselors (or certify prior to arrival)
June 6th: Arrival + Start Date for all remaining Summer Staff
August 7th: Summer Staff early departure date
August 15th: Summer Staff end date
There are limited pre- and post-season opportunities available. If you are interested in additionally applying to work as part of our shoulder-season crew, please let us know your availability beyond the above dates during your interview.
summer Employment dates
summer positions
Camp Counselors serve as role models, leaders, and friends who, through their thoughts and actions, exemplify positive character and values and work collaboratively to bring out the best in themselves and others. Counselors build supportive, meaningful, and appropriate relationships with campers and hold their authority through maintaining positive relationships, actively managing risk, and genuinely caring for others.
All Platform Counselors live on a platform with a group of campers and are responsible for modeling and coaching positive and cooperative attitudes, good living habits, and interpersonal skills. Counselors are also responsible for fully managing daily activities in program areas. Counselors are matched with program areas based on skill, experience, and interest. All counselors share the responsibility of actively supervising campers through engaged participation and conscientious facilitation of the camper experience.
Counselors are resident staff responsible for living with and supervising campers. View Full Job Description.
Interested applicants can also apply directly to the following positions:
Platform Counselors
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Backpacking Counselors run our backpacking program, which involves trip planning, coordination, and leadership for our 4-day/3-night trips to the Trinity Alps. All Backpacking Counselors are a part of our counseling staff and live with a group of campers and participate fully in other camp activities.
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Horsemanship Counselors have experience riding and caring for horses and work in our horsemanship program to teach kids about the joys of working with horses. All Horsemanship Counselors are a part of our counseling staff and live with a group of campers and participate fully in other camp activities.
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Returning Counselors have the same job description as new counselors, but also serve as role models and mentors to less-seasoned staff, and have the opportunity to take on additional leadership roles and responsibilities.
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Returning counselors who have completed two summers at camp are eligible to apply to be a Senior Counselor. Our Senior Counselors form a cohort of seasoned staff who serve as “team captains” for the entire staff. Senior Counselors are responsible for mentoring and coaching staff, work closely with the directors, and hold additional responsibilities for overseeing a program or living area aligned with their skills and experience.
Program Assistant Counselors
Program Assistants are Counselors that hold additional program coordination and management responsibilities and live on-site in our shared staff housing, not with campers. Program Assistants have additional camper supervision responsibilities as needed, and are responsible for assisting with general camp oversight and coordination with the rest of the staff team.
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The Garden Program Counselor manages our two food production gardens and runs gardening programs for campers throughout the summer. This is a resident staff position, living on our staff housing platform. This position will also have additional camper supervision duties in our general camp program as assigned.
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The Horsemanship Program Assistant works with the Barn team to provide daily support to our horsemanship program and manage daily horse and barn care tasks. This is a resident staff position, living on our staff housing platform. This position will also have additional camper supervision duties in our general camp program as assigned.
Support Staff
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Kitchen Staff perform a variety of activities including cooking, food prep, cleaning, and dishwashing. This is a resident staff position, living on our staff housing platform.
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Laundry & Housekeeping Staff are responsible for managing camp laundry and cleaning guest rooms and bathrooms. This position can be resident or local staff.
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We offer full and part time cook and assistant cook positions. Positions can be residential or local staff.
We are currently hiring cooks for our Summer 2027 season. Please apply online or contact gretchen@bar717.com to inquire.
The Camp Operations Assistant is an all-around Camp assistant that supports various Camp management tasks including in the office, kitchen, ranch, and in program areas. We’re looking for a responsible, adaptable, and enthusiastic young professional who is eager for a dynamic position where they will gain direct experience managing day-to-day Camp operations.
Camp Operations Assistant
The Ranch Crew works with our Ranch Manager to perform various maintenance and upkeep tasks around the ranch. We have resident summer positions as well as local-staff positions available.
In addition to summertime Ranch Crew positions, we are often looking for local staff who have experience in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, architecture, ranch maintenance, land management, animal care, and gardening to work on specific projects in fall, winter, and spring.
Apply online or reach out to Facilities Director, Kent Collard, at kent@bar717.com to inquire.
Ranch Staff
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The Ranch Projects Coordinator works regularly on the Ranch Crew and is responsible for integrating ranch projects into our Camp program for campers, teaching community members about the ranch, and facilitating camper activities related to ranch work. The Ranch Projects Coordinator lives on site and works closely with the Counseling staff as well.
2027 Payscale
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION
TITLE
BASE SALARY
PER WEEK*
PLATFORM & PROGRAM COUNSELORS
Minimum age 19 by 6/2026.
FIRST YEAR COUNSELOR
$620
Counselor who has previously worked as a first-year counselor.
SECOND YEAR COUNSELOR
$650
Counselor who has completed two or more summers as a counselor.
THIRD YEAR COUNSELOR
$680
Counselor who has completed at least two summers and is invited to take on additional leadership as part of a staff support team.
SENIOR COUNSELOR
$710
SUPPORT STAFF
Minimum age 18 by 6/2027
KITCHEN CREW
$640
Minimum age 18 by 6/2027
LAUNDRY & HOUSEKEEPING
$640
NON-RESIDENT POSITIONS
Starting at CA minimum wage, dependent on experience
NON- RESIDENT STAFF
*Federal taxes computed on this amount
Benefits
Housing, meals, and laundry service are provided for the duration of our summer camp season for all residential seasonal staff
Supportive community of peers and supervisors
A rewarding summer spent outside and unplugged in a beautiful place
Counselors receive training and professional development on working with youth, leadership, and outdoor skills
Lifeguard and Wilderness First Aid training provided on-site or subsidized up to $250 per off-site course for counselors