Mountain Camp sits on 25 acres on the shore of Ice House Lake in the beautiful and wild Eldorado National Forest, just 45 minutes from Lake Tahoe. We live among the pine and cedar with our 225 campers and 60 counselors, building a world of creativity, connection, joy, and growth.
Our counselors develop leadership skills and build lifelong friendships in the rewarding and sometimes challenging role of supporting our wonderful campers. We operate by the mantra Help Kids Grow. It is important that our team sees each camper as their own person and connects with them, creating a sense of belonging and safety that allows each child to play, experiment, and grow. Our counselors are role models for our campers.
Most of your day will be spent outside in the summer elements, enjoying activities in nature. The job requires a lot of energy, movement, and dynamic engagement.
Our enormous menu of activities ensures that there is always something new and exciting to try. We offer sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, tubing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, archery, a ropes course, theatre, yoga, arts & crafts, newspaper, video, guitar, fort building, fencing, overnight camping, radio, LARPing, photography, dance, parkour, cooking, sports, and much more!
Staff Training is mandatory and we run 10 weeks of camp in 1 and 2-week sessions (2023 season: May 28th-August 12th). On a daily basis, counselors spend about half their day with their cabin, and about half the day leading activities with groups of campers from other cabins. The day starts at 7:30 am and curfew is 11 pm.
Counselors get 2.5-3 hours of time off each day as well as a 24 hour period off each week. In-between sessions, time off stretches to 29 hours with an additional night of rest at camp while “on-duty” but without campers to supervise. Counselors cannot have their cell phones with them at all while on duty (not even in pockets or bags) and phones cannot be kept in the cabins overnight.
It is recommended that staff bring a personal vehicle.
If you are ready to join us at Mountain Camp for a summer of amazing memories, submit an application!
Take it from our staff:
Wish I could give the management a 6/5. The culture there was absolutely incredible. So friendly! There is nothing I would change about that incredible summer. I learned so much about children and learned new skills myself such as mountain biking and sailing.
Camp Counselor, 2016
This is a great place to break into the camp/outdoor education industry. You are living where you work, with 2.5-3 hours off each day and a 24 hour period off each week. You build such a tight community with your co-workers here, but this job is ultimately about working with kids, so be ready for the stresses of that, but also the massive rewards.
Camp Counselor, 2021
Benefits & Activities:
- Use of mountain bikes, SUPs, kayaks, and sailboats during time off
- Staff tent for lounging
- Access to sports courts
- Hiking
Meals: We can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free diets. Breakfast includes a hot option and cold cereals with a variety of milks, juices, yogurt, and fresh fruit and berries. Lunch and dinner include a hot meals and a salad bar.
Housing: Cabins are shared with campers. (Usually 2 counselors and 10 campers.) Cabins have bunk beds, and bathhouses are a short walk away. Windows are mesh and remain open to the summer breeze. Laundry is off-property.
Seasons: Summer
Positions:
- Cabin Counselor and Activity Leader ($525.00 – $575.00 / week)
Staff must be able to arrive to camp by May 27th and work through August 12th
Apply: Submit your application to Mountain Camp online
Contact: Dave, dave@mountaincamp.com
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