Enjoy the Mountains of Montana
Don’t just visit Glacier National Park- immerse yourself in it.
Swan Mountain Outfitters is a family-owned company that provides interpretive horseback riding for the general public. We operate three corrals inside Glacier National Park and one location outside its West entrance that operates on USFS land. Please note: we are not a guest ranch, we are a high volume trail ride operation. Our full trail ride season runs from early May to mid October. Most of our wranglers will work 5 days a week from late May to mid September.
Employment with Swan Mountain Outfitters provides a unique, educational, and gratifying work experience in one of the most beautiful and rugged places in the world. While the work is demanding and the hours are long, our employees experience a one of a kind opportunity. Spend a season with us to make memories that will last a lifetime!
Additionally, we operate the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center, located just a mile and a half from the west entrance to Glacier National Park. We have a coffee & spirits bar, ice cream parlor, gift and outdoor gear shop, information and activity booking center and horseback riding corral trips available on the property. We are surrounded on all sides by business partners that offer hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting and lodging, making the Discovery Center the ideal one stop shop for your Crown of the Continent adventure vacation!
Considerations
- Employees must be 18 years old and able to pass a background check
- Our seasonal positions can sometimes accommodate late arrivals or early departures, but preference will be given for applicants who can commit to the full season (at a maximum, May 1st to October 15th).
- Applicants should be aware that most jobs are physically demanding and require heavy lifting, bending, standing and kneeling for multiple hours a day, five days a week
- Corral manager, packer, and trail ride wrangler applicants must be comfortable around and knowledgeable about horses
- Corral manager, packer and trail ride wrangler applicants must have-or be willing to obtain-valid CPR and Wilderness First Aid certifications
- If you plan to take advantage of employee housing, a personal vehicle is still highly encouraged as most of our locations may be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours away from amenities and places of interest. In the event that you do not have a vehicle, SMO can provide transportation to the Kalispell bus station, the Kalispell Airport (airport code FCA), or the Whitefish and West Glacier train stations
- The cost of round trip transportation to Northwest Montana is the responsibility of the employee, and should be considered before applying
Employment Benefits
- Corral manager, packer, cook, and trail ride wrangler positions are salaried and include room and board. Office or store positions are hourly, room and board may be available upon request. Pay is received via direct deposit every two weeks.
- Room and board information:
- Seasonal employees of the three Park corrals (Apgar, Lake McDonald and Many Glacier) are housed in ranch-style bunkhouses with indoor bathrooms, located within Glacier National Park. West Glacier employees are housed in “Wrangler Village” which is a traditional canvas wall tent camp with latrine. Employees will share a room or tent with fellow employees; we do our best to avoid coed quarters.
- Ingredients for all meals are provided, but employees are responsible for the preparation/clean up duties. All employees will participate in a rotational cook schedule where they will be required to cook and clean for the crew approximately once per week
- Corral staff will likely receive additional income in the form of tips from clients. Retail/baristas also may earn tips.
Swan Mountain Outfitters – Glacier Division is an equal opportunity employer.
Prepare for Employment
Interested in some of the positions we offer, but lack experience with horses? Do you just need to brush up on your horsemanship skills? Or, are you thinking about working with horses as part of your full time career? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you need to check out our Swan Mountain Wilderness Guide School.
