JOB DESCRIPTION: GOATs Motorized Trail Crew Member

San Luis Valley Great Outdoors

Address:
510 San Juan Ave
Alamosa, CO 81101

Contact Name: Ian Muñoz, Trails Program Manager
Email Address: slvgreatoutdoors@gmail.com
Contact Phone: 1-855-GOSLVGO

Job Title: Motorized Trail Crew Member

Compensation: $19.00–$24.00/hour (based on experience)
Job Type: Seasonal/Full-time
Schedule: Full-time, approximately 40 hours/week (weather permitting)

Employment Period: We are seeking to fill the position as soon as possible, with an anticipated start date in September or October 2026. The employee will be expected to commit to working through the winter field season, which will run through approximately April 16, 2027.

About Us

San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) was originally formed in 2013 as a coalition by a group of citizens, educators, and community leaders who recognized the tremendous opportunity to enhance recreational experiences, improve wellness, and connect the communities across the six-county region of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. SLV GO! gained 501(c)(3) status in April of 2018 and now has five full-time staff members and a growing list of more than 40 partners. Our professional trail crew, the Great Outdoors Action Team (GOATs), began operating in 2020. Since then, the GOATs have constructed and maintained hundreds of miles of trail across the San Luis Valley, and have helped activate community open spaces.

Minimum Qualifications for Application

• High School Diploma or GED
• Valid Driver’s License
• Experience riding motorcycles, dirt bikes, motocross, enduro, dual sport or trail bikes
• High level of physical fitness; ability to perform manual labor and fieldwork
• Ability to work safely and effectively in a variety of outdoor environments and conditions, including occasional remote or backcountry settings
• Strong conservation ethic and passion for public lands stewardship

Full Job Description

San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) seeks Crew Members for their Great Outdoors Action Team (GOATs) Professional Motorized Trail Crew. The GOATs motorized trail crew performs trail maintenance, new trail construction, and various restoration work on public lands and motorized trail systems around the San Luis Valley for government land management agencies, local community open space, qualified businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The GOATs operate under the guidance of SLV GO! and their mission, “To connect people to the outdoors by expanding opportunities for trails, parks, and public lands through community-driven initiatives.”

Motorized Crew Members will work on a variety of projects associated with land management and maintenance of primarily motorized Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service trail systems. The GOATs perform routine trail maintenance and construction on multi-use motorized trails. This maintenance will include cleaning and restoring trail drainage systems, vegetation overgrowth and corridor clearing, repair and fortification of damaged tread surface, and inventory of other maintenance needs identified in the field. Crew members are often responsible for new trail construction and are taught the process from design and layout, to the construction, as well as the workflow management. Projects are often completed alongside additional organizations and volunteers with SLV GO! leadership.

Work locations and project types will vary throughout the year. The winter field season will primarily involve front-country and readily accessible project sites, while some projects in the fall and during the summer field season may require work in more remote or backcountry settings.

Other aspects of the job as a Motorized Crew Member may include:

• Installing trail and campground infrastructure such as signage, benches, tables, fire rings, and shade structures
• Wildlife fencing construction and repair
• Construction of erosion control structures
• Repair and construction of integrated compact surface trails and parking lots (i.e. road base, gravel, crusher fines)
• Cliffside rope access rockfall mitigation and retaining wall repair
• Native and imported stone masonry structures (i.e. rock stairs, paving, walls)
• Dimensional lumber/timber trail bridge and boardwalk design and construction
• Tree planting, native plant species revegetation and habitat restoration
• Projects may incorporate volunteers or contracted youth conservation corps requiring support and oversight by Crew Members. Significant independence and interaction with the public while in the field are required.

Daily Physical Requirements

• Lifting of heavy objects as a team or individually (up to 80 lbs)
• Ability to hike with a heavy backpack over long distances
• Effective and sustained use of hand tools for excavation and materials transport
• Operation of power equipment in complex terrain (i.e. chainsaws, brush cutters, plate compactors, tracked haulers)
• Ability to work safely and effectively in a range of outdoor weather conditions, including cold, heat, wind, snow, and other variable conditions

This is a competitive hiring process where knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the following will be considered with the application:

• Carpentry skills include knowledge of wooden joinery, timber milling, and repair
• Knowledge of rockwork and dry stone masonry, including the use of come-along, grip-hoists, and rigging slings
• Understanding of or background in geology and hydrology
• Skills as an arborist or professional sawyer
• Landscaping or construction work
• Wilderness first aid and CPR certification
• Heavy machine operator or mechanic
• Previous background doing professional trail work

Work Schedule

This is a full-time seasonal position starting as soon as possible, with the expectation that the employee will complete SLV GO!’s winter field season, running approximately November 2, 2026 through April 16, 2027.

The winter field season will primarily involve front-country and readily accessible project sites throughout the six-county San Luis Valley region. Work will include physically demanding outdoor trail maintenance, construction, restoration, and related stewardship projects in a variety of weather and terrain conditions.

The typical winter schedule will be four 10-hour workdays followed by three consecutive days off (4-on/3-off), approximately 40 hours per week, weather and project schedules permitting. Some flexibility may be required based on project needs, weather, travel, or special events.

The position may occasionally require work at more remote or backcountry project sites. Backcountry work, including potential overnight field assignments, is more likely during the September/October transition period and SLV GO!’s summer field season than during the winter season.

Successful employees will have the opportunity to be considered for a separate employment agreement for SLV GO!’s 2027 summer field season, beginning May 3, 2027. Continued employment into the summer season is not guaranteed and will be based on organizational needs, performance, and available funding.

Desired Personal Skills and Experience

• Ability to work comfortably and effectively with others and independently in outdoor field settings, including occasional remote or backcountry environments
• Safe and proficient motorcycle handling skills on technical terrain
• Strong interpersonal skills for communicating with a diverse team in potentially high-stress environments
• Willingness to learn from, adapt to, and analyze new situations to effectively manage risk
• Personal accountability and motivation to work productively with minimal supervision in challenging environments
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to work collaboratively with team members toward project goals

How to Apply

To apply, please send a resume and brief cover letter to slvgreatoutdoors@gmail.com.

In your cover letter, please briefly address:

• Why you are interested in working with the SLV GO! GOATs Motorized Trail Crew.
• Your experience with motorized recreation, trail work, construction, land stewardship, or related outdoor work.
• Your availability to begin work, including whether you are available to participate in September/October field projects.
• Your ability to commit to SLV GO!’s winter field season through approximately April 16, 2027.
• Whether you are interested in being considered for a separate employment agreement for the 2027 summer field season, beginning May 3, 2027.

Please include any relevant certifications, training, licenses, or specialized skills on your resume, including CPR/First Aid, chainsaw or crosscut saw training, OHV/motorcycle training, heavy equipment operation, mechanics, carpentry, or other applicable experience.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position may be filled before the application period closes. Early applications are encouraged.

San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SLV GO! does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, genetic information, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.