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River rafting guides seem inseparable from the river. They know everything about the local wildlife and move their raft like it’s a part of their body. Unfortunately, rafting season only lasts for three months out of the year. In their off time, most river guides do something else entirely.

Ski the Slopes

A surprising number of river guides also work in the winter sports industry. River guiding requires a love for the outdoors that doesn’t go away when the weather gets cold. You’ll find river guides teaching beginner skiing and snowboarding classes, working for ski rental shops, or providing maintenance services for their favorite winter trails.

River guides need to have Wilderness First Responder training to be qualified for the job. This training is also a necessary qualification to work on emergency patrol teams for popular ski resorts. The two professions have complementary off-seasons; as the snow starts to melt, the guides head back to the river.

Work for the National Park Service

There’s always outdoor work to do for interested and qualified professionals. Some river guides are permanently retained by the national park that they guide for; in the offseason, these guides handle office work, perform park maintenance, and attend conferences.

The National Park Service offers jobs for both the summer and winter seasons. The summer season is packed with tourists, but the winter season typically involves maintenance and conservation. These jobs are limited, but some lucky guides are able to stay outdoors all year long.

Pursue an Education

Many river guides are college students; summer break is the perfect time to spend on the river. When the cold weather starts to creep in, these guides hit the books to pursue their higher education.

Some river guides are interested in wildlife management, geology, or environmental studies. Others are pursuing an entirely unrelated career but just can’t shake that love of the outdoors. River guiding lets these students earn money over summer break doing a job that they absolutely adore.

Provide Freelance Services

Many river guides have another talent as an artist, photographer, consultant, designer, or developer. After the short summer months are over, these guides return to the city to work as a freelancer. Some guides consult for the corporate sector; others develop websites for a variety of different clients.

Freelancers often have the ability to telecommute. River guides often use this flexibility to earn a living while they travel the world or return home to their families.

Create Art and Media

Although it might not be their paying job, many river guides use the offseason to pursue their natural talents. They might play music, write books, or paint the nature scenes that captivated them on the river. Other guides make unique artisan goods; some might even run an online store.

These aren’t the only jobs a river guide can have in the offseason; the only requirement is that the position lets them return to the river for three months out of the year. River guides can come from any part of the world and might work in any field. But all river guides share one thing in common: every summer, they return to float down the river once more.