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Step into the world of Oregon River Experiences (ORE), where adventure meets opportunity. Since 1978, we’ve been leading the charge in whitewater rafting, offering exhilarating half-day to nine-day trips on ten rivers across Oregon and Idaho. As one of the Northwest’s premier outfitters, O.R.E. prides itself on immersive experiences that foster experiential learning and personal involvement.
Our guides embody the true spirit of whitewater expertise. They’re not just raft guides—they’re skilled navigators who thrive on the diversity of our rivers. From mastering the art of reading water to navigating dam-controlled and free-flowing rivers, our guides are always honing their craft. With our close proximity to Portland, our team is as diverse as the rivers we traverse, ensuring a rich array of skills and experiences.
What sets O.R.E. apart is our commitment to exploration and discovery. Operating on ten rivers grants our guides unparalleled opportunities to delve into the diverse landscapes of Oregon. From classic overnight trips on iconic rivers like the Rogue and Lower Salmon to exploring lesser-known gems, our extended season from April to October ensures endless possibilities for adventure and growth.
Most work will be as a shuttle driver/photographer on the Clackamas, North Santiam & Deschutes Rivers, for day trips. Other work may be available.
Season length varies, but typically runs from early or mid-May through mid to late-September, and occasionally into early to mid-October. The peak season for shuttle/support guides is Memorial Day-Labor Day.
Specific Responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:
Work Schedule:
Compensation:
Benefits
The O.R.E. day trips manager oversees the daily operation of all half-day/full-day trips. This includes being the primary point of contact for day trip guides, guide scheduling, trip plans/rosters, trip logistics, daily permits, shuttle scheduling/transportation, gear management, warehouse/shop mgmt., and effective communication/collaboration between office support staff and management/ownership.
This role also includes a strong on-river component that includes leading trips, assisting in teaching new guides, driving the shuttle, and other duties as assigned.
Schedule:
Compensation:
Full-time guides typically work most weeks of the season. Part-time guides may be scheduled in a variety of ways, including weekends only, 2 weeks on/2 weeks off, 3 days per week, or on an occasional basis. Multi-day trip guides will work mostly on our longer trips but may be asked to fill in on an occasional day trip as well. Similarly, day-trip guides may be scheduled for occasional multi-day trips. Season length varies, but typically runs from early or mid-April through mid to late-September, and occasionally into early to mid-October.
General Responsibilities:
Specific Responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:
Benefits:
Work Schedule:
Compensation:
Please download and complete the O.R.E. Employment Application and attach it to the form below. We will be in contact to set up an interview and see if you and O.R.E. are a good match. We start accepting applications in January and are generally done with hiring by May.
Fill out the items below and press submit. We'll reach out with any next steps in the process!
There’s no simple answer to these questions because many things affect your chances. But here are a few general guidelines. Professionally guided rafting trips run when guests buy spots on a company’s trips. Government rules and water levels come into play to some extent, but ultimately it is our guests who determine our trip schedule. And because they sometimes make their decisions at the last minute, we often do not know very far in advance when we’ll be on the water and how many guides will be needed. Guides – particularly new guides – need to cultivate attitudes of patience and flexibility, and trust that work will come their way.
If you are brand-new to guiding it often happens that your employment will be closer to part-time than to full-time. This is in part a seniority issue, but also, new guides need to spend considerable time in training – whether to develop skills or to learn new rivers – and this takes time. In some cases even experienced guides who are new to O.R.E. will end up with less work than at their prior company, for similar reasons. So if you absolutely must be 100% certain that you landed a full-time work schedule, then river guiding might not be for you, especially if you are new to the profession.
Most of our new guides work primarily on our day trips, and most of our day trips are run on the Clackamas River, near Portland. So that is where most of the work opportunities are found. On occasion, experienced guides may be offered work on our more distant and longer river trips such as the Rogue in southern Oregon and the Salmon in Idaho, but this is not guaranteed. Brand-new guides should not expect to work the longer river trips in their first year, although they may be offered the opportunity to train on these rivers.
As a new guide to O.R.E. you don’t need to live near Portland, but it is helpful. (We’re based outside of Estacada, which is east of the Portland metro region.) Living near our headquarters will mean much less driving for you, and will enable you to more readily respond to last-minute opportunities for training or work. O.R.E. does not offer housing for guides.
This can be difficult to predict. Our season runs from mid-April through mid-September. But we are busiest during the height of the summer, from approximately mid-June through late August, with mid-July to mid-August generally being the busiest time of all.
At this time we do not have employee housing available. Guides can stay the night at the O.R.E. shop with prior notice for early morning trips and returning late from trips. The town of Estacada has some options, but there are lots of nearby towns as well.
Our office is open 7 days a week during the months of April–October from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We are available for reservations and customer support during these hours. During the months of November-March are open Monday through Friday.
Oregon River Experiences offers trips launching from various points across Oregon. Detailed departure information for each river trip can be found on our individual trip pages.
1978-2024 Copyright © Oregon River Experiences. – All Rights Reserved. O.R.E. is an equal opportunity recreation service provider. O.R.E. operates under special-use permits granted by the U.S.F.S., B.L.M, O.S.M.B & I.O.G.L.B