Become a Shoulder Season Guide

1. Fastest start: virtual guiding

A paid video or phone consult for itinerary, gear and logistics — with no meeting on the trail or river — is consulting, not commercial outfitting on public land. You typically do not need a USFS special-use permit, BLM SRP or NPS CUA for the call itself.

• Still form a business, get an EIN if useful, and use a clear client agreement + disclaimer (planning advice only; client makes field decisions).
• Professional liability / E&O is smart; commercial general liability still helps if you later add in-person trips.
• Apply on the Guides hub and list “Virtual” as an activity.

2. Step-by-step checklist (in-person)

1. Decide activity + geography (which forests, BLM field offices, parks, rivers, resorts).
2. Confirm land authority: USFS special use, BLM SRP, NPS CUA, state park / state land, or private / resort.
3. Get required state licenses (Utah commercial boating, Colorado river outfitter, Idaho OGLB, etc.).
4. Buy outfitter/guide CGL (often $1M+ per occurrence; name the United States as additional insured when a federal permit requires it).
5. If you shuttle paying passengers: commercial auto + for-hire authority as required (see Shuttles).
6. Earn relevant certs (WFR/WFA, AIARE, PMBIA/BICP, swiftwater, CPR) — often required by permits or outfitters.
7. Have adult liability waivers reviewed for your states; know minor-waiver limits.
8. Form LLC (or other entity), get EIN, open a business bank account, plan for self-employment tax / 1099 income.
9. Apply to Shoulder Season with permit + insurance details. We request copies before listing in-person trips.
10. Do not advertise or collect fees for a federal land trip until that authorization is in hand.

3. By activity

Mountain biking

• Public land: paid guiding on NFS / BLM / NPS usually needs the matching commercial authorization for that unit.
• Bike parks / resorts: teaching or guiding inside a resort almost always needs a contract or authorization from the resort — independent “show up and coach” is not allowed.
• Certs often expected: PMBIA or BICP; first aid / WFR; CPR.
• Shuttles: separate transport rules (below) if you move clients for hire.

Rafting / whitewater

• Land + water: commercial river trips often need both a land-agency river permit (USFS/BLM/NPS) and state outfitting / CPFH registration where the state regulates it.
• Utah: register as a commercial outfitting company; guides meet CPFH trip-leader/guide quals. Start at Utah commercial boating / boating.utah.gov.
• Colorado: CPW River Outfitter License; guides work under a licensed outfitter (CPW guides & outfitters).
• Idaho: Idaho Outfitters & Guides Licensing Board (DOPL); rules PDF IDAPA 24.35.01.
• Certs: swiftwater rescue, first aid/CPR; outfitter SOPs often require more.

Ski & backcountry / ski touring

• Resort instruction: you need authorization from the ski area / ski school. Independent teaching on resort terrain without that deal is not OK.
• Backcountry guiding on public land: USFS/BLM/NPS commercial authorization for the zones you use; many forests limit temporary O&G permits.
• Certs: AIARE or Avalanche Canada curriculum; AMGA programs for pro track; WFR; CPR. Avy education is not a permit substitute.

Car shuttles (summary)

For raft, MTB and ski touring: the operator picks up the customer's vehicle at the start and leaves it at the end so the car is waiting when the group finishes. Nobody rides with the shuttle driver. Full checklist: /guides/shuttles/ and Car shuttles deep dive.

• Business entity, garagekeepers / hired & non-owned auto / GL (personal auto often excludes commercial use of customer cars), driver MVR checks, key handoff, condition photos, customer waiver.
• Plan how drivers return (second chase vehicle, bike/e-bike, carpool) without turning the job into for-hire passenger transport.
• Carrying paying passengers is a different, heavily regulated business — Shoulder Season does not book passenger shuttles.

Virtual guides

• No land-use permit for remote planning calls.
• Still: business entity, clear scope (“advice only”), and optional E&O.
• Best on-ramp while you wait on federal permit seasons.

4. Land & jurisdiction permits

Congress’s CRS overview of federal guide permitting: Guides and Outfitters on Federal Lands (CRS R46380). Contact the local office before you apply — capacity and seasons vary.

USFS special-use (outfitting & guiding)

• Forms hub: USFS Special Uses forms.
• Temporary O&G application: FS-2700-3f (PDF) — temporary permits are short-term, often in 50 service-day increments, not a permanent business entitlement.
• Expect: operating plan, map, qualifications, insurance naming the United States, fees. Many districts only open applications in windows or to prior holders.

BLM Special Recreation Permits (SRP)

• Program: BLM Special Recreation Permits (EXPLORE Act Title III categories as of 2026).
• Apply / pre-consult in RAPTOR (portal can be intermittently unavailable — retry or call the field office).
• Do not advertise, collect fees, or operate until you have written authorization.

NPS Commercial Use Authorization (CUA)

• How to apply: NPS Applying for a CUA · online system cua.nps.gov.
• Park-specific opportunities, insurance minimums (often at least $500k; many ask more), fees and reporting.

State land / state parks

Each state park or state trust land office has its own commercial use rules. Start with the managing agency for that parcel — Utah State Parks, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Idaho Parks, etc. Federal permits do not automatically cover state land.

5. State licensing (examples + pointers)

6. Resort authorization

Ski and bike resorts control commercial instruction and guiding on their private and permitted terrain. Being a great instructor is not enough — you need a job, lease, or written authorization from the resort or its ski/bike school. Shoulder Season will not list “freelance lessons inside Resort X” without proof that Resort X allows it.

7. Insurance

• Commercial general liability (CGL) for outfitters/guides — $1M per occurrence is a common federal permit floor; some activities need more. Name the United States as additional insured when the permit says so (exact endorsement language is on the COI).
• Specialty markets: Outdoor Insurance Group · K&K / Markel outfitters & guides · ask an outdoor broker.
• Shuttles: commercial auto; FMCSA passenger-carrier minimums if interstate for-hire.
• Virtual: E&O / professional liability recommended.
• Shoulder Season will ask for a current certificate before listing in-person trips; we may ask to be listed as certificate holder / additional insured when our broker requires it.

8. Certifications (common, not universal)

• Medical: Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR); CPR/AED.
• Avalanche: AIARE (US) or Avalanche Canada courses.
• Mountain bike: PMBIA / BICP.
• Whitewater: swiftwater rescue (Rescue 3 and similar); state CPFH exams where required.
• Mountaineering / climbing / ski guiding: AMGA pathways where relevant.

Permits and outfitters set the bar. Match certs to what your land manager and insurer ask for.

9. Waivers

• Use a written liability waiver / assumption of risk appropriate to the activity and state.
• Utah generally enforces clear adult waivers of ordinary negligence; they do not cover gross negligence or willful misconduct, and parents often cannot waive a minor’s own claims.
• Have a lawyer in your operating states review the form. Waivers do not replace insurance or permits.

10. Business setup & taxes

• Entity: many guides form an LLC; see SBA: choose a business structure.
• EIN: free from the IRS — Apply for an EIN.
• Independent status: on Shoulder Season you are an independent business, not our employee. You set your methods and availability. We facilitate bookings and take a booking fee. Classification rules still vary by state — get your own advice if you hire helpers.
• Taxes: track income; expect self-employment tax if you’re a sole prop/LLC disregarded entity; we may issue Form 1099-K or 1099-NEC once payments are live, depending on thresholds and law. Collect sales/tourism tax if your state requires it on guided trips.
• Banking: separate business account; keep COIs and permits with renewal calendar reminders.

11. Apply to list with Shoulder Season

Apply on the Guides hub Also: Rent a Guide (outfitter day-hire board) Email [email protected]

When booking is live: travelers pay via Stripe; Shoulder Season retains a 15% booking fee from each booking. See the cancellation policy. No charges on applications. Outfitters hiring day guides: see Rent a Guide.