Echo Canyon River Expeditions

UPDATES: Hiring for 2025!

Hiring:

No experience, no worries. We’ve been training some of Colorado’s finest river guides for over 47 years, and we are in search of hard working, fun loving individuals to join our 2025 guide training. Prior rafting experience is not needed to train and work with us as a full time guide. If you are committed your training at Echo Canyon will be comprehensive to say the least. Our goal is to exceed the state minimum requirements by quite a stretch, and we train more extensively than any other raft company in the state of Colorado. Training typically lasts four to five weeks. Guide training is both physically and mentally demanding and will require an unfaltering commitment from you. You will be training and guiding on various sections of the Arkansas River, located about two hours southwest of Denver, Colorado. Guide Training typically begins the third week of May and lasts approximately four weeks. 

We will teach you most of what you need to know but there are a few necessary qualifications. We are looking for good people with excellent customer service skills and a passion for working in the outdoors! You need to be physically fit with reasonably good swimming ability. You must be 18 years old to guide in Colorado and you will need to have valid CPR and First Aid prior to the start of training.

We are stoked to see that you are interested in working with the Echo Canyon team! Our guides are a work hard, play hard group of whitewater loving individuals. When we are not working we can often be found rafting, kayaking, surfing the local play waves, mountain biking, climbing, or any number of activities. To be a good fit you will need to be a good human with a strong work ethic, good judgment, and have a love of whitewater!

Typically we like experienced guides to have worked on whitewater for a couple seasons and have experience on both paddles and oars. If that is not the case we can provide training in those areas for those willing to learn. Trip Leader experience is nice but not required.

Additional Information About Echo Canyon River Expeditions

Echo Canyon has been running the Arkansas River since 1978 and we are currently the largest family owned outfitter in the state of Colorado. Our team has around 40 full time seasonal guides. We are committed to safety, conservation, and providing a fun working environment that will provide you with a unique set of skills you can utilize long after your time as a river guide is done. Echo strives to exceed each guest’s expectations and provide a truly memorable rafting experience for them, and you will play an important role in that mission. We place an emphasis on technical guiding skills as well as knowledge of the Arkansas River including local geology, history, plants and animals.

Room and Board

While training with Echo Canyon you are welcome to camp on property as our guest. Once hired as a full time member of our team, you are more than welcome to continue camping at our on-site guide camping area at a cost of $350 per summer, plus a $50 refundable deposit. We have guide bathrooms and showers that are included in the cost of camping for the season. High speed internet is accessible from most areas of the property and there is a power station available to charge devices. Echo also has an on-site restaurant but most guides stock up on groceries in town. For the most part food is not provided during training or employment. Most guides live on property but if you prefer to rent a room or apartment Canon City is just 8 miles away. Although all of us at Echo love dogs, we do not allow them to live on-site due to a variety of factors – you will need to find other lodging if you must bring your dog to the area.

Employee Perks

Professional growth is important to all of us. Echo offers onsite opportunities to get both Swiftwater and Wilderness First Responder certifications and we contribute significantly to the cost of the courses. Planning for your future is important, we offer an optional employee retirement program with employer contributions to help you save. It may sound silly but a big perk for our guides is the use of company equipment for after hours rafting and private trips.  Additionally, as an employee of Echo Canyon you also have opportunities to take part in activities with our tourism partners for free or minimal fees – those activities include ATV and zip line tours, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, Royal Gorge Route Railroad, and biking down Pikes Peak. If that isn’t enough, we are centrally located in one of the most scenic regions of Colorado. When you aren’t working there is always something to see and do – kayaking, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, bouldering, and so much more!