CoolWorks
1 / 25

Join the PROs at Rafting in the Smokies for our 46th Season on the Big Pigeon River! Train to guide adventurous Upper Pigeon Whitewater rafting and Lower Scenic Float trips.

Rafting in the Smokies

Recruiting for May 15th, 2024 to October 31st, 2024.

Current Job Openings

    Whitewater River Guide

    Hartford, TN

    Working for Rafting in the Smokies means being a leader, having a flexible schedule, living in beautiful surroundings, making a difference in people’s lives while gaining skills and experience. Rafting in the Smokies’ employees are self-motivated, adventurous and hard-workers. It is a great community and a fun place to work!

    NOW HIRING Summer River Guides!

    We are proud to introduce you to Rafting in the Smokies and sincerely hope you consider working with us. On and off the river, we emphasize good “river-guide behavior” where we treat each other with respect, honesty, and support.

    Our FREE Guide Certification Training for the 2023 rafting season will be held April 24th - 28th and May 15 - 19: (CPR & First Aid Certification classes are available, and are required in order to guide commercial trips). Spaces for the classes are limited, advance registration is required.

    We provide training as a professional river guide to gain working knowledge of boat control and customer relations.
     

    • All skill levels accepted
    • No experience needed
    • Full and part-time positions available
    • Housing option available
    • On-site guide training (April 24-28 and May 15-19)
    • Enjoy your summer in the Smokies!


    Rafting in the Smokies has a growing staff of approximately 50 river guides and 20 zipline guides from all walks of life, from all around the world. Workdays usually start at 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m., depending on your rotation, and the last trip of the day leaves at 5:40 pm. Trips travel about 5.5 miles and last about an hour and a half each. 

    You will "check-in" at our outpost in the morning for a quick meeting and to assign trips for the day. Then it's time to blow up rafts and load them on the bus. You will assist customers with getting dressing in their gear and help explain safety procedures, give them instructions on your commands and how to sit in the raft. Then it's time to go hit the rapids! Guides usually work 3-4 trips a day, working 4 days a week. (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday)

    At the end of the day we relax riverside at guide housing, cook meals, play music and games.  Working on the river is a unique experience as you rely on each other in ways that are just not common to the everyday workplace.  We live together, work together, and play together. We are confident you will develop deep friendships that will last you a lifetime. 

    We want our staff to have an amazing work experience, with plenty of opportunities for exploration, adventure, and growth.   

    Please fill out an application by clicking on the "Apply Here" link below. 

    Apply Here.                                     

    Zipline

    Zipline Canopy Tour Guide

    Hartford, TN

    Zipline Canopy Tour Guide

    Working for Rafting in the Smokies means being a leader, having a flexible schedule, living in beautiful surroundings, making a difference in people’s lives while gaining skills and experience. Rafting in the Smokies’ employees are self-motivated, adventurous and hard-workers. It is a great community and a fun place to work!

    NOW HIRING Summer Zipline Guides!

    We are proud to introduce you to Rafting in the Smokies and sincerely hope you consider working with us. 

    For the 2023 season, Rafting in the Smokies will have positions available for Zipline Canopy Tour Guides and High Elements Ropes Challenge Course Guides. *(CPR & First Aid Certification are required and must be presented to the Outpost Manager). Free training provided on all equipment and procedures for guides. 

    Zipline guides are responsible for providing instructions to customers about the equipment, ensure that they are fitted properly into their gear, and helping the customers safely transition the towers and ropes course. The workday starts at 9:00 a.m. and the last trip of the day is at 5:40 p.m. All skill levels, no experience necessary, onsite housing is available. 

    Rafting in the Smokies is family owned and operated. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and we seek to employ and promote the best-qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability.

    Please fill out at application online by clicking the "Apply Here" link below:

    Apply Here.

    Bus

    Bus Driver

    Hartford, TN

    Working for Rafting in the Smokies means being a leader, having a flexible schedule, living in beautiful surroundings, making a difference in people’s lives while gaining skills and experience. Rafting in the Smokies’ employees are self-motivated, adventurous and hard-workers. It is a great community and a fun place to work!

    The Rafting in the Smokies River Outpost is in Hartford, TN, right on the banks of the Pigeon River. We have customer relations & reservations offices in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN.

    NOW HIRING BUS DRIVERS!

    Bus drivers are required to possess their CDL with passenger endorsement, as well as the TDOT Medical Examiner's Certificate.   

    Bus drivers are responsible for transporting guests the 5.5 miles from the outpost to the put-in to go rafting. Each day the drivers will arrive at 10:00 a.m. in order to prepare the bus for the first trip of the day which starts at 11:00 a.m. Drivers are responsible for the "bus checklist" in order to make sure the bus is ready to transport customers. (e.g. checking fluid levels, emergency equipment, lights, breaks, etc.) Drivers will typically drive 5 or 6 trips a day, with the last trip leaving at 5:40 p.m. 

    Rafting in the Smokies is family owned and operated. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and we seek to employ and promote the best-qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability.

    Please apply online by clicking the "Apply Here" link below:

    Apply Here.

     

     

About Rafting in the Smokies

Working for Rafting in the Smokies means being a leader, having a flexible schedule, living in beautiful surroundings, making a difference in people’s lives while gaining skills and experience. Rafting in the Smokies’ employees are self-motivated, adventurous and hard-workers. It is a great community and a fun place to work!
The Rafting in the Smokies River Outpost is in Hartford, TN, right on the banks of the Big Pigeon River.
More about Rafting in the Smokies

Rafting in the Smokies embraces the adventurous nature people are drawn to when working an outdoor job. While white water rafting and scenic family float trips are our main attractions, we also offer zipline canopy tours, high element ropes challenge course and rock climbing wall. All located on our 10-acre Family Adventure Island. Fun fact is people organize entire vacations around whitewater rafting, while a lucky few get to call this their dream job. Adrenaline, sunshine and cool waters are only a few of the perks to your future employment at Rafting in the Smokies.

NOW HIRING!

  • Whitewater River Guides
  • Zipline Canopy Tour Guides
  • Bus Drivers
  • Hartford Outpost Check-In/Retail
  • Gatlinburg Call Center

(CPR & First Aid Certification classes are available, and are required in order to guide commercial trips). 

We provide FREE training as a professional river guide to gain working knowledge of boat control, water features and customer relations. Employee housing is available to all staff. 

  • All skill levels accepted
  • No experience needed
  • Full and part-time positions available
  • Housing option available
  • Enjoy your summer in the Smokies!

Working Here

The Employee Experience

Rafting in the Smokies has a growing staff of approximately 60 river guides and 20 zipline guides from all walks of life, from all around the world. Workdays usually start at 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m., depending on your rotation, and the last trip of the day leaves at 5:40 pm. Trips travel about 5.5 miles and last about an hour and a half each. We work 4 days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, which are the guaranteed water release days from the dam. 

You will "check in" at our outpost in the morning for a quick meeting and to assign trips for the day. Then it's time to blow up rafts and load them on the bus. You will assist customers with getting dressing in their gear and help explain safety procedures, give them instructions on your commands and how to sit in the raft. Then it's time to go hit the rapids! Guides usually work 3-4 trips a day. 

At the end of the day we relax riverside at guide housing, cook meals, and play music and games.  Working on the river is a unique experience as you rely on each other in ways that are just not common to the everyday workplace.  We live together, work together, and play together. We are confident you will develop deep friendships that will last you a lifetime. 

We want our staff to have an amazing work experience, with plenty of opportunities for exploration, adventure, and growth.

Ideal Candidate

Ideal candidates are physically fit, self-motivated, adventurous and hard-workers. They possess positive attitudes, willingness to learn and enjoy being part of a team.

Employee Perks
  • Complimentary Gatlinburg Attractions Passes. We also participate in employee exchange programs with many tourism companies in the area. 
  • Employee rafting trips to different rivers scheduled during season.

Living Here

Room and Board

Housing is available to all guides. Comfortable accommodations including air conditioning, full kitchens, bathrooms and washer and dryer. Volleyball court on site. 

Getting Here and Getting Around

Employee parking is available and most of our employees bring their own vehicle. Once you arrive at the Hartford Outpost, vehicles are not necessary. Guide housing, the local convenience store, post office and food options are all within walking distance. Some employees bring bicycles or scooters to get around. The closest restaurant chain or supermarket (Walmart) is located in Newport, TN, which is about 15 minutes from the Outpost.

If you are planning on flying in or coming by bus: McGee Tyson Airport (TYS) and Greyhound Bus Station, both located in Knoxville, TN, are the closest. (45 min to 1 hour from the Outpost.)

For Fun

Rafting in the Smokies is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, it's a short scenic drive from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC.

For the outdoor nature lovers, The Great Smoky Mountains offers plenty of hiking, biking, water falls and swimming holes. We are less than a mile from the Appalachian Trail, and there are over 900 miles of hiking trails inside the National Park, also located just up the road. Be sure to bring your camping equipment, kayak, hiking equipment, mountain bike and fishing pole.

Ripley's Attractions, Dollywood and Splash Country are located in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area along with many other exciting shows and attractions. Too many to list!

Employees typically plan group outings on their days off. We hike all over the park to places like Mt. Sterling and Mt. LeConte. We ride our bikes on the trials, and take "fun runs" down the river. We also travel to different rivers like the Nolichucky, Ocoee, French Broad, New and Gauley River. You will have plenty of opportunities to paddle some of the most sought after whitewater on the planet.  We also have employee passes that we use to take trips to Gatlinburg, TN and visit the Aquarium, Skylift, Anakeesta, laser tag, and mini-golf, etc.  With over 50 guides planning different activities, there is no shortage of things to do, places to see or fun to be had! 

Loading video...
Loading video...

How to Apply

Please fill out our online application by clicking the APPLY HERE link below.

Apply Here.

Apply Now
About CoolWorks

Since 1995, CoolWorks has connected adventure-seekers with job opportunities in amazing places—from national parks to ski resorts, summer camps to dude ranches. We help people trade screen time for real time—meaningful experiences that spark connection and growth. Your next great adventure is waiting. More About CoolWorks

Need Help?
Check out our Help Center for FAQ's and helpful articles on how to use CoolWorks. For more in-depth information on how to navigate the world of Jobs in Great Places®, whether you're a Job Seeker or an Employer, visit our Resources page.
Scroll Less. Live More.