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.

Front Country Cook

West Glacier, MT

Seasonal

Glacier Division

Mid Level

Position
Our front country cook works out of our West Glacier horse corral in West Glacier, MT. They prepare daily meals for our West Glacier wranglers as well as dinners for our guests on our cookout ride. The cook is also responsible for inventorying supplies, managing food waste, communicating grocery needs to management, and maintaining a clean camp to prevent wildlife encounters.

This position is seasonal from May 1-October 15.

Current CPR, First Aid, and Food Handlers Safety certifications preferred.

Primary Functions and Responsibilities
The cook works 5 days a week, 12-14 hours a day.

Daily tasks include:

Preparing breakfast and lunch for 6-10 people, served family style
Prepare dinner for our guests and staff on our cookout ride, up to 20 people
Maintaining a clean kitchen (washing dishes, properly storing and using leftovers to reduce food waste, cleaning appliances, etc.)
Maintaining a clean cook tent (general tidying up, storing food to prevent wildlife encounters, etc.)
Keep inventory of ingredients to plan meals and make grocery orders
Prepare snacks/desserts/other goodies for wranglers to eat throughout the day or as a special treat

Facilities and Job Details
For breakfast and lunch, our front country cook shares a kitchen with our commercial restaurant located inside the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center, our check in location for the West Glacier Corral. The cook must be respectful of the shared space and communicate with the kitchen staff so that everyone may work together effectively. Cooks may plan well-rounded meals of their choosing and must be able to modify dishes to cater to individuals with specific dietary needs (ie. diabetics, vegetarians, allergies, etc.).

Dinner is a set menu prepared at our cookout site and served to guests and the staff members on the cookout ride. The cookout site is outdoors and features a fire pit and propane grill. The cook will prepare the food so it is ready when guests arrive from their horseback ride, then enjoy sitting around the fire and spending time with our guests. The cook and wranglers on the cookout ride eat with the guests. Gratuity from the cookout ride is shared with the cook.

The staff cook tent is used by the wranglers and cook after hours and on off days. The cook tent is a canvas wall tent equipped with electric appliances, a propane grill, an outdoor fire pit, and cold running water.

The ideal applicant:

Loves cooking for others
Loves the outdoors
Enjoys sitting down to dinner with new people every night
Has excellent customer service and communication skills
Understands how to create a well-balanced meal with staple ingredients
Prioritizes food safety and cleanliness
Is a self-starter excited to take on the challenges of cooking in a rustic setting

Compensation

$2,000/month + tips
Room and board (housing is a rustic setting in a canvas wall tent)
Glacier National Park employee vehicle pass
Opportunity to enjoy our horseback offerings

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Are you 18 years of age or older?*

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