Quick Details
Full 6-day Training
$ 500
First Aid & CPR add-on
$ 65
BECOME A WHITEWATER RIVER GUIDE IN UTAH THIS SUMMER!
Join Destination Sports for our intensive whitewater river guide training program in Henefer, Utah. Spend six days on the Weber River learning from skilled professional river guides and get practice running reaches from Henefer to Morgan.
Successful completion of this course will give you everything you need to safely guide a paddle raft down the Weber River, meet the requirements of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation to carry passengers for hire on the Weber River, a class II whitewater river, and get your foot in the door for a job to start working as a professional whitewater river guide this summer!
OUR CLASS INCLUDES:
- Boat rigging
- Hydrology
- Safety
- Learn how to guide a paddle raft
- Gain experience guiding a raft
- This training program accomplishes the minimum number of trips required by the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation as a prerequisite to carrying passengers for hire on this river. However, some people need more practice. We will discuss those “more practice” opportunities during training.
- Learn how to paddle an inflatable sit-on-top river kayak
- Add-on: First Aid & CPR certification
- Valid First Aid and CPR certifications are required to carry passengers for hire in Utah. We offer this certification during one of our training days. However, you can obtain this certification elsewhere and show us the documentation to meet this requirement.
- If you do not want to work as a river guide, First Aid and CPR certifications are not required.
WHERE:
- Our Weber River Base Camp in Henefer
- Address: 913 N. Henefer Frontage Road
WHEN:
- 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. each day.
- Must attend all 6 days.
There are 2 sessions to choose from:
- Two 3-day weekends of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays: June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 in 2026
- 6 days straight, June 9 through 14, 2026
In the possible event of low water on June 5th, our contingency plan is to find another nearby river that has enough water, or bump the start date back one week.
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If I complete this River Guide Training Program will you give me a job?
Although there is no guarantee, we do hire new guides from the pool of trainees who complete this training program. Your level of enthusiasm and your physical ability are some of the key factors in being offered a job at the end of the course. First-year guides don’t always get as much work as they want, so it is best viewed as a side gig opportunity until you gain more experience.
Do I need to have prior river experience?
No. That’s what this class is for.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes. Just ask.
Do I need to have any special gear?
Appropriate cold-weather paddling gear is best, but not required. You will need to be able to keep yourself warm while we are on the river, rain or shine (and sometimes it’s really cold). A wet suit or dry suit is ideal (especially for training sessions in May), or at least be prepared with a rain jacket and rain pants as well as quick-dry clothes and a change of clothes.
*We will provide a PFD, paddle, raft, and instruction during the class.
*After the training program, to work as a river guide carrying passengers for hire, you will need to obtain some of your own gear, including PFD, throw bag, dry bag, knife, whistle, tie-down strap, and first aid kit. We will set you up with a professional guide account from a major gear supplier, so you can order these items at the pro-discounted rates.I want to learn to guide, but I’m unsure if I would like to guide professionally. Should I still take this course?
This program is the perfect place to gain knowledge and experience in safely navigating a raft down the Weber River. Some people want to learn for personal reasons, so they can take their family and friends rafting, with no intention of working as a professional guide. That’s ok. However, be warned, that many people who have taken our course just for fun and personal development, ended up loving it so much that they came to work with us after all! We are a river family!
What is the minimum age required to be to river guide?
You must be at least 18 years of age to work as a professional river guide and carry passengers for hire on rivers in Utah. If you are 17 years old and will be turning 18 during the summer, then you may take the training program. If you are younger than 18 but want to start building whitewater navigation skills, then consider inviting one of your parents to join you in the training! Also, take a look at our weekly rafting and kayak club for teens to work on building skills and making new friendships.
How old is too old to be a river guide?
There is no specific age, but the physical ability is key. River guiding is a physically demanding job and uses different muscle groups than many other types of activities.