Backcountry Trails Camp Supervisor
Learn more about what it takes to spend five-plus months in the remote wilderness of California building trails and community.
What is a Backcountry Trails Camp Supervisor?
A Backcountry Trails Camp Supervisor is responsible for round-the-clock management of a CCC Backcountry Trails Program crew that performs arduous trail projects in remote wilderness areas for up to six months. Supervisors are required to camp with their crew for the entire duration of the program.
The Supervisor position is unique in state service and the CCC. Supervisors have little to no direct oversight from superiors and must make critical decisions independently. Supervisors motivate, coach, and evaluate Corpsmembers; develop and facilitate a season-long curriculum; and coordinate with agency partners to complete varied trail work projects.
Supervisors must ensure the safety of all Corpsmembers, lead by example, and help build Corpsmembers’ character, work ethic, job skills and abilities, environmental awareness, wilderness ethics, and cooperative living skills.
How to qualify
The Backcountry Trails Camp Supervisor classification does not require completion of an exam.
If you answer yes to the questions below you could qualify for this position:
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- Do you have one year of experience as a Conservationist 1 with the CCC?
- Do you have two years of experience supervising crews of six or more people between the ages of 16 and 25, evaluating performance, with direct responsibility for the discipine, direction, and welfare of the persons involved?
If you answer yes to these questions you may be the type of leader we’re looking for:
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- Can you work independently, make sound decisions, and lead a team while maintaining safety and program standards?
- Are you able to motivate and guide young people toward their personal and team goals?
- Can you communicate clearly, build positive working relationships, keep projects organized and on track, and maintain accurate records and reports?
Position Benefits
The Supervisor position is a great opportunity for those looking for meaningful work that positively impacts our communities and helps make California a better place for all.
In this role you will be able to grow your career in the outdoor and land agency workforce by gaining unmatched leadership skills and inspiring the next generation of conservation workers.
Successful Supervisors consistently set the standard for their Corpsmembers with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and their natural ability to lead.
Salary Range
$5,931 to $7,366 per month
Explore The Experience
Day-to-Day
What’s a day like as a Backcountry Supervisor?
More Than Trails
We build more than just trails, we help build people, experience amazing places, and improve access to for all.
Working Conditions
The Supervisor position requires staff to live and work in the backcountry. Successful Supervisors must be willing to embrace the working and living conditions of rural, remote, tent camp living. Here are some the conditions you should expect and be comfortable with:
- You’ll live and work in beautiful but remote backcountry areas for about five months, far from towns and modern conveniences. Daily life will be simple and focused on teamwork and nature.
- Expect all kinds of weather—from hot sun to rain, snow, and freezing temperatures—while hiking and working outdoors every day. You’ll need to stay prepared and positive through changing conditions.
- Work will be physically demanding, including sometimes hiking up to 20 miles a day on steep terrain with a heavy backpack, often around horses, mules, and wildlife.
- Communication with friends and family will be limited to mail, and there won’t be access to the Internet or a reliable source of electricity while in the backcountry.
- You’ll live closely with your crew in tents, share cooking and camp duties, and follow structured routines designed to keep everyone safe, healthy, and successful in challenging wilderness conditions.
View Our Locations
Backcountry Trails Crew Supervisors spend up to six months working in remote wilderness guiding crews of Corpsmembers in trail building and maintenance and building a community.
Each Backcountry season, staff develop partnerships with California State Parks, U.S. Forest Service, and National Parks Service to host crews. These locations change year-to-year and crews may move locations and regions within the same season as project work and access allows.
Displayed here are the project partner locations for the 2025 Backcountry Trails Program season. These locations serve as an example of where Supervisors may be assigned in 2026.
Klamath National Forest
The Klamath National Forest & Butte Valley National Grassland cover 1,700,000 acres in Northern California and Southern Oregon.
Klamath-based Backcountry Trails Program crews primarily work in western Siskiyou County during the season.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is the largest National Forest in California with a diverse landscape ranging from 1,000 to 14,162 feet. The 2.1 million acre forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles of streams and rivers.
The Shasta-Trinity crew typically completes work in and around the Trinity Alps area of the forest.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Inyo National Forest
The Inyo National Forest is home to some of the world’s oldest trees, features the tallest mountains in California, and the dramatic terrain of the Eastern Sierra.
The Inyo crew typically works west and south of Bishop in the forest not far from the John Muir Wilderness and Kings Canyon National Park.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is managed in partnership with nearby Sequoia National Park. Kings Canyon, for which the park is named, is a rugged glacier-created valley more than a mile deep.
The Kings Canyon crew typically works in the rocky features of the park doing an assortment of trails rock work during the Backcountry Season.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is managed in partnership with nearby Kings Canyon National Park. It boasts 404,064 acres of forested mountainous terrain.
The Sequioa crew completes a variety of trails projects deep within the park’s backcountry.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park likely needs little, to any, introduction. First protected in 1864, the park is best known for its waterfalls and 1,200 square miles of protected lands, trails, valleys, meadows, and ancient giant sequoias.
The Yosemite crew completes trail projects across the park and in some seasons multiple crews may be assigned to the Yosemite backcountry.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews may work. Crews may start in Yosemite Valley or other front country locations before moving into more remote areas of the park as the weather allows. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is the oldest State Park in California. It was acquired in 1902. The park has miles of trails, which serves hikers and equestrians, links Big Basin to Castle Rock State Park and the eastern reach of the Santa Cruz range.
A crews in Big Basin typically spends the first part of their six month season in the park, assisting State Parks trail crews complete necessary upgrades and rehab projects.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate is Mount Tamalpais, 6,300 acres of redwood groves and oak woodlands with a spectacular view from the 2,571-foot peak. On a clear day, visitors can see the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County Hills, San Francisco and the Bay, hills and cities of the East Bay, and Mount Diablo.
A crew assigned to Mount Tam, as its affectionately called, may spend the start of its season in the park.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park stretches from the Big Sur coastline into nearby 3,000-foot ridges. The park features redwood, tan oak, madrone, chaparral, and an 80-foot waterfall that drops from granite cliffs into the The park also has a 1,680-acre underwater reserve which protects a spectacular assortment of marine life.
A crew assigned to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, located in Big Sur, may only spend the first half of its season in the park.
This map pin is a rough approximation of where the crews work. Crews change camp sites throughout the Backcountry Trails season.
Connect with us
Do you have questions about the state application process, how to take an exam, or which position in the CCC may be right for you?
Our Human Resources Talent Acquisition Team is available for one-on-one consultations to help you through your journey into a fulfilling and meaningful CCC state career.
Let us know how we can help you build your legacy in the CCC!