Backcountry Hut Naturalist

AMC Backcountry Hut Naturalist

Location: AMC Huts White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire.

Starting Salary:

Supervision: Huts Management

Job Dates: All seasons start with an intensive multi-day training that new staff are required to attend, and the expectation is that staff will complete the entire season. If you are not available for the full season, please consider applying for any of the AMC positions that have a season more compatible with your schedule as partial seasons are not viable in the hut jobs.

Fall season: August 5-September 23, September 30 or October 21, 2026 (higher elevation huts close earlier than others)

Hiring Timeframe and Instructions:

Please submit a cover letter and a resume. Include 2 references with resume.
When submitting an application, PDFs are the preferred file type for cover letters and resumes.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling until all positions are filled.
Huts Management will respond to viable applications within a few weeks of receiving completed and signed applications.
Candidates who are selected for an interview will be notified by email to schedule a video call.
Your patience with the rolling timeframe and application process is appreciated. Please complete your application in its entirety as soon as possible to have the best chance of being considered.

Introduction to AMC’s Hut System:

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s backcountry huts serve as a source of information, accommodation, education, and aid for many thousands of hikers recreating in New Hampshire’s White Mountains every year. The huts are a popular, public-facing resource for the AMC—one of the country’s longest-operating conservation non-profits—and play a vital role in the club’s mission: to foster the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors. Hut employees support this mission by providing an unforgettable experience for all hut visitors, from crafting homemade meals, to presenting nightly naturalist programs. Working in a hut is an incredibly rewarding experience, and we are now accepting applications to work during the 2026 Fall season!

All hut positions require excellent guest service skills, comfortability in a kitchen and food-service setting, backcountry familiarity, and a commitment to the AMC’s mission. Employees are expected to continue the traditions of High Mountain Hospitality: providing all with good company, great food, clean and comfortable accommodations, and the opportunity to connect with the outdoors. Just as important, you will be a member of a close-knit team that lives and works together for the duration of the season. This requires the whole crew to contribute to a positive, respectful, and inclusive community supported by open communication and effective group feedback discussions. Hut employees work 11 days on and 3 days off in rotation throughout a 14-day pay period. Daily assignments (such as cooking, hiking in/out supplies, regular cleaning and maintenance, and presenting educational programs) are shared and will be organized by the resident senior staff.

Hut Naturalist Job Description:

The Backcountry Hut Naturalist is responsible for leading the hut’s environmental education and research efforts, while contributing to the operation of the hut as a full-service, overnight facility for guests.

As the educational leader of the hut, the naturalist is responsible for facilitating connections between visitors and the local landscape. This goal is primarily fulfilled through the creation and delivery of daily interpretive educational programs. Naturalists also advertise programs, keep records, and perform other education-related tasks. Twice per week, naturalists will collect data on the seasonal development of plants (phenology) to support AMC research investigating the ecological impacts of climate change. Training on the creation/delivery of interpretive programs and the collection of plant phenology data will be provided before the season begins.

As a part of the hut crew, the naturalist also performs regular hut operational duties alongside the rest of the hut crew. Standard tasks include packing food and supplies to/from the hut, cleaning and maintenance, assisting with cooking and meal service, and occasionally leading meal preparation. The naturalist will function as the lead cook less frequently to ensure ample time is provided for their education and research duties.

What You'll Be Doing at AMC

Naturalist-Specific Duties:

Create and present daily interpretive programs to guests and visitors. These programs aim to facilitate connections with the local ecology, landscape, and cultural history.
Maintain the hut’s educational materials and record attendance at programs.
Collect data on the seasonal life cycle of local plants to support AMC climate research.
Function as your hut’s educational leader: answer questions; cultivate enthusiasm for the outdoors, promote hut programming and community science; and assist your crew with their educational work

All-Hut-Staff Duties:

Provide a positive hut experience for all day and overnight guests.
Share in the cooking, baking, and serving responsibilities for breakfast and dinner meals. Guest counts depend on hut placement and dates but can range from 36-90 guests nightly. Naturalists will function as the lead cook less frequently than the rest of the crew, providing additional time for their naturalist-specific duties.
Hike food and supplies to/from the hut twice a week. Pack trails are between 1.5 and 5 miles long, and pack weights heading to the hut are on average 40-60 pounds and can reach 70-80 pounds at times.
Answer questions and give trail advice at the hut information desk.
Clean public spaces, sleeping quarters, and bathrooms daily.
Greet, register, and assist overnight guests.
Handle sales transactions of retail items and basic backcountry supplies; perform basic accounting of daily hut revenue.
Support in maintenance and monitoring of hut systems on a regular basis.
Participate in search and rescue operations as available/qualified