Our hearts are heavy from the tragedy in the Texas Hill Country. We pray for those impacted by the flooding. At all of our camps, Young Life has emergency procedures, both for natural disasters and accidents, and we regularly train on and review these procedures. The safety of every young person at camp is one of our highest priorities, and it influences our decision-making in every aspect of camp. If you have specific questions, please reach out to your local camp – contact info is at the bottom of this page – and thank you for keeping those affected in Texas in your prayers.
Guide at Wilderness Ranch
The purpose of a Wilderness Ranch guide is to, through the highest levels of safety, facilitate spiritual and emotional growth within all group members, i.e., campers, leaders and guide team partners.
Guides have a heart for serving and pointing others to the loving arms of Jesus. Guiding is a great opportunity to grow in your own relationship with the Lord while being part of a fun and encouraging community.
Guides typically spend 2 of every 3 weeks on adventure. When guides are in basecamp, they will jump into a variety of roles, wherever needed for that week. Recently, we've made the switch to allowing guides to keep their cell phones during the summer and making a less prioritized WiFi signal available to them. This allows guides to stay more connected with love ones back home while maintaining that less-distracted space.
Download the 2025 Guiding One Pager promo PDF
Requirements
- 20 years old by May 1, 2026
- 2 years, or 4 semesters, of actual ministry leadership experience-- post high school, does not have to be Young Life; does have to be active leadership, not just participation. Summer internships will be weighed and considered on a case by case basis.
- Make a 2 summer commitment, including spring training dates (March TBD, 2026 in Colorado; March TBD, 2027 in Colorado) and one week of trail training in May. For 2026, guides will arrive on May 11 and depart on August 8.
- Understand that it is a volunteer position. There are fundraising opportunities available, as well as financial assistance through a scholarship program. Ask us for more details!
- Understand that guides facilitate both backpacking and adventure camping trips.
- Understand that guiding requires a basic level of fitness and ability. There will be a pack test where you must hike 3 miles with a 45 pound pack in under 45 minutes in May at basecamp.
Hiring Process
- We start interviewing after applications are received and throughout the fall.
- Interviews and hiring decisions will continue on a rolling basis throughout the fall and into winter.
- Training begins spring of 2026 for new guides.
To Apply
The hiring process begins in the fall. All interested guide candidates must fill out these forms or call the winter office at 719-867-3622.
Read the 2025 Guide Job Description.
Submit the 2026 GUIDE INTEREST FORM to get started. Then, we will send you the full application!
Send the MINISTRY REFERENCE FORM to your references. You must submit two for your application to be considered complete.
Send the EMPLOYMENT REFERENCE FORM to your references. You must submit one for your application to be considered complete.
