Adventurous jobs at Alaska's remote Taku Glacier Lodge near Juneau
The Taku Glacier Lodge was built in 1923 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The lodge is located about 30 miles east of Juneau, accessible only by boat or seaplane. It sits on the bank of the Taku River directly across from the Hole-in-the-Wall glacier. It is truly a one of a kind spot with amazing views, and opportunity to live, work and play hard in the wild Alaskan wilderness.
Beautiful Southeast Alaska!
About Taku Glacier Lodge Inc.
We are a day lodge that serves the cruise ship passengers that visit Juneau every summer day. Tourists arrive on 10 passenger turbine powered sea planes. Up to 50 people will arrive at one time. They then have the next 2 hours to enjoy the lodge and everything that encompasses it. More than anything we are a restaurant. Each group guests enjoys a home cooked meal including a fresh piece of wood fire grilled salmon. After the meal folks are welcome to join in on a guided trail walk, explore on their own, or just sit back and take in the scenery. When the 2 hours are up the planes will return with a new group of tourists ready to partake in the adventure.
5-6 days of the week we are very busy (10-12 hour days). Depending on the time of the season, the other 1-2 days of the week are a bit lighter usually consisting of 6-8 hours of work. After the work days, especially on the lighter days, we are able to get out and explore the stunning Taku River valley.
Season Dates:
We would love to have employees who can work May 1st through mid September.
The Employee Experience
Working at Taku lodge is a fantastic experience. You wake up in your own room with your own bathroom to a glacier in your front yard. It is easy to build positives attitudes in the work place when everybody wakes up to these views and fresh mountain air. I work hard to build a team of compatible staff so that everybody here can work and play in this incredible environment as peacefully as possible. You can expect to work with great people in a beautiful environment.
The work itself is repetitious enough that it is easy to learn and do, but there are enough variables that it doesn't become too mundane. Meeting new and interesting guests always adds to the variety of the day. We also try to keep the work experience fresh by allowing staff to cross train and learn other rolls around the lodge.
Days off and slow evenings provide for adventures unmatched as we are able to explore the Taku River valley. We often take the boats to one of the infinite places that we can explore. Adventuring around the changing glaciers, streams, meadows, mountains, lakes, slews, sandbars, and much more is always a new and unforgettable experience.
In summary, if you bring a good attitude yourself, you can expect to work and adventure hard in an incredible environment with great people.
Ideal Candidate
We are looking for adventurous, good-natured, and hard working people. An ideal candidate will be able to work well through long hours while maintaining a positive attitude. Living and working with the same people requires patience and the ability to maintain a courteous and productive attitude. We of course also need employees who pride themselves on the good quality of work and putting out an excellent product. It will also be important to you that you are adventurous.The main perk of living out here is that we get to explore many aspects of the Alaskan wilderness. If you don't love that as a perk then you may find lodge life difficult. You must be 21 years old to apply! Couples welcome!
Room and Board
Living accommodations and basic amenities are provided on the grounds at the lodge. Every employee gets their own private quarters complete with bed, bathroom and living space at no charge. The rooms are all heated, comfortable and are maintained well.
In addition to your room, meals are also provided. Most evenings a home cooked dinner is prepared by one or more of the crew members. It will often be your responsibility to prepare your own breakfast and lunch. We have a fully stocked pantry that is available to all employees at any time. Special dietary needs or food preferences are generally easy to accommodate as you can request these specific foods or ingredients on the weekly shopping list.
Employee Perks
As stated before the major perk of working out at the Taku Lodge is having the opportunity to explore this wild landscape. We often go on boat trips exploring the different areas of the river. Whether we are checking out glaciers, creeks, lakes, meadows, sandbars, or more there is always a good time to be had in this stunning scenic landscape. If a boat trip is unavailable, there are plenty of options to explore the land beyond the lodge property. On foot from the lodge you can explore the forest, a large meadow, or trek up the mountain for elevated views of the river.
Time off is almost always granted at your request. You will be able to travel back and forth between Juneau at no cost. When in Juneau you can get on many other tours at little or no cost. Some of the tours we can do for free include whale watching, and glacier trekking or dog sledding via helicopter. There are also other adventitious tours like zip-lining or ocean kayaking.
Taku Lodge has all the ingredients that create great friendships. Our employees often connect with other like-minded co-workers as they share a unique experience living, working and playing together in the wilds of Alaska. Nothing creates a bond like sharing adventures together and working together to accomplish common goals. Every year here strong friendships are formed that have proven to last.
With the creative cooking staff out here, we are often treated to excellent meals made from phenomenal ingredients including fresh Alaskan seafood and wild game.
We have a newly remodeled kitchen and bar and are happy to have all new appliances and a more efficient, functioning space.
Getting Here and Getting Around
Once you arrive in Juneau (via airline or ferry service) transportation back and forth to the lodge is free. There are many daily flights that travel back and forth between the lodge and Juneau, and quite often they have empty seats that we can fill. When you initially arrive in town we can most likely provide transportation to the float plane docks to catch a ride out to the lodge.
Juneau has an excellent city bus service, even though most of what you need will be within walking distance from the float plane docks. Of course, Taxis, Lyft and Uber all function within Juneau as well.
For Fun
Juneau has some 60+ tours to offer, many of which we are able to join for little or no cost. Some of the tours we can do for free include whale watching, glacier trekking or dog sledding via helicopter.
Juneau also boasts some 120+ trails of all skill level that put you into the beauty of the Alaskan back-country if you want to get out and explore on your own.
Downtown Juneau has a really fun nite life scene in the summer time. There are several great restaurants and bars with live music. The locals are generally very friendly and accommodating.
How to Apply
Please email Mike at takulodge@yahoo.com
You will not be considered unless ...
In your initial contact, please confirm that you are 21 years or older and that you are able to work the entire season (May 1st-mid September). Please include your resume and a couple sentences about yourself and why Taku Lodge has your interests.
Please also be aware that we will conduct background checks at the final stage of hiring.
We are looking forward to hearing from you. Thank You!
Contact Info
- Mike Ward
- Takulodge@yahoo.com
- takulodge.com
