Every photo on WildWork is a real photo of real outdoor work, most of them by photographers at the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and USDA. This page credits each one and links to the original.
Public domain photos by U.S. federal employees are free to use; we credit them anyway. Photos under a Creative Commons license are used under that license, and the link shows its terms. Photos an employer uploads with a listing belong to that employer. To report a credit that is wrong, email hello@wildwork.io.
Site photos
- Fishing Guide jobs: Fly fishing on the Madison River (e59f9587-ed79-4f30-9e83-933e1acec384) by Neal Herbert, National Park Service, Public domain.
- Hunting Guide jobs: Pack Trip AB (52362515113) by T. Jones, USDA Forest Service Northern Region, Public domain.
- Ranch Hand jobs: 20220524-FPAC-PJK-0134 TONED by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDAgov), Public domain.
- Cowboy jobs: Rancher Moving Cattle (8120018344) by USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain.
- Wrangler jobs: Gila Wilderness Turns 100 (20240516-FS-PJK-0399) by USDA Forest Service, Public domain.
- Wildland Firefighter jobs: BlueRidgeHotShots-Lassen-Sept2021-368 (51539926433) by Cecilio Ricardo, USDA Forest Service, Public domain.
- Rafting Guide jobs: Day 8- Gulkana Wild and Scenic River (36573209282) by Robben Taylor, Bureau of Land Management, Public domain.
- Deckhand jobs: Alaska fishermen working with net by Doug Knuth, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Fishing Crew jobs: 1 Challenger Seine Net gf769 by Gillfoto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Dude Ranch jobs: OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch (48234201117) by Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service, Public domain.
- Backcountry Cook jobs: Cooking Dinner ET5A6483 (29836683812) by Charity Parks, USDA Forest Service, Public domain.
- Trail Crew jobs: Idaho Conservation Corps (29172962211) by USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Public domain.
- Caretaker jobs: Crevice Mountain Patrol Cabin- fall sunrise after a snow storm (53375702524) by Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service, Public domain.
- Packer jobs: Packing at Granite Park 5 (27859780974) by Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service, Public domain.
- Lodge Staff jobs: Paradise Inn Annex 10-2018 – 32644782787 by Mount Rainier National Park, National Park Service, Public domain.
- Homepage employer section: Deer Hill Trail National Public Lands Day 2017 (37623426676) by Coconino National Forest, USDA Forest Service, Public domain.
- Outdoor Job Pay Report header: -TravelTuesday with My Public Lands (24566244726) by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management, Public domain.
- Job pages without their own photo: Oxbow Bend (48915261003) by Bonney, National Park Service, Public domain.
How-to photos
- How-to: Backcountry Cook Jobs: Hunting Camps, Outfitters and Guest Ranches: A Home Cooked Meal on the Range (7762210134) by USFWS Mountain Prairie, CC BY 2.0.
- How-to: The Best Outdoor Jobs in 2026: Pay, Housing and How Hard They Are to Get: Middle Fork ET5A6678 (29324270523) by Intermountain Forest Service, USDA Region 4 Photography (photo by Charity Parks), Public domain.
- How-to: Deckhand Jobs: TWIC Cards, Crew Shares vs Day Rates, and Who Hires Green: Setting out Crab Pots on the Chesapeake (7315909698) by Peretz Partensky from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0.
- How-to: How Much Do Deckhands Make? Crew Shares, Day Rates and Real Numbers: Crab fishermen off the California coast, on Nov 15, 2019 (20181115-FPAC-LSC-0163) by USDA Photo by Lance Cheung (USDAgov), Public domain.
- How-to: Fishing Charter Deckhand and Mate Jobs: What the Work Is, Pay and How to Get Hired: 07.07.03 Anchor Point Tractor Launch by Dean Franklin, CC BY 2.0.
- How-to: How Much Do Fishing Guides Make? Day Rates, Tips and a Season's Income: Fly fishing on the Crooked Wild and Scenic River (35617173984) by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (photo by Greg Shine, BLM), Public domain.
- How-to: How to Get a Forest Service Seasonal Job: USAJOBS, Pay Grades and Timeline: Trail Crew work AB Wilderness (52703429628) by Forest Service – Northern Region, Public domain.
- How-to: How to Become a Wrangler: Dude Ranch and Trail Ride Horse Jobs: Horseback ride at Roosevelt Lodge (33668197941) by Yellowstone National Park (NPS / Neal Herbert), Public domain.
- How-to: National Park Lodge Jobs With Housing: Who Hires and How to Apply: Many Glacier Hotel 2019 02 by Christopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- How-to: Outdoor and Adventure Guide Jobs: Every Kind, What They Pay and How to Start: A group of kayaks resting on the shore and a people getting a safety talk before heading out to the sea caves. (1bdb50e6-9d44-44e8-919d-fd0226f2ba93) by NPS Photo (National Park Service, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore), Public domain.
- How-to: Where to Find Outdoor Jobs: Every Job Board Compared (2026): Cowhand Craig Bauer, atop his horse, Spaghetti, on the prowl for longhorn heifers and calves on branding day at the 1,800-acre Lonesome Pine Ranch, a working cattle ranch that is part of the Texas LCCN2014632409 by Carol M. Highsmith (Library of Congress), Public domain.
- How-to: Certifications for Outdoor Jobs: WFR, Red Card, Captain's License and Guide Licenses: Swiftwater rescue training – rescuing a stranded swimmer using a wedge (2) (41259907520) by Yellowstone National Park (NPS / Jacob W. Frank), Public domain.
- How-to: When Outdoor Jobs Hire: A Month-by-Month Calendar: Nevada Conservation Corps (29231581865) by Intermountain Region US Forest Service, Public domain.
- How-to: Outdoor Job Scams: Red Flags on Guide, Ranch and Fishing Job Ads: Alaska fishermen working with net by Doug Knuth, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- How-to: Horse and Mule Packer Jobs: Skills, Pay and Who Hires: U.S. Forest Service mule pack string (16325440286) by Pacific Southwest Region 5, Public domain.
- How-to: Ranch Caretaker Jobs: How Couples and Singles Land Them: The Ranch Foreman's Cabin and Caretaker's Cabin in winter. (b9e472f8-d158-4f4f-9f77-0cc8c9e7ceef) by NPS, Public domain.
- How-to: How Much Do Ranch Hands Make? 2026 Pay, Housing and Benefits: Farmers and Ranchers (20201118-NRCS-LSC-0068) by USDA, Public domain.
- How-to: Ranch Jobs by State: Where the Work Is in Montana, Texas, Wyoming and the West: Sauerbier Ranches' Rangeland Keep Remote Cattle Grazing and Watered (20190827-NRCS-LSC-0391) by USDAgov (USDA photo by Lance Cheung), Public domain.
- How-to: How to Get a Ranch Job With No Experience (and Housing Included): Working horseback is a choice still utilized by many ranchers in West Texas. (24995142522) by USDA NRCS Texas, Public domain.
- How-to: How to Get a Summer Job in Alaska: Fishing, Lodges, Guiding and Parks: A bus drives along Polychrome Mountain on June 9, 2019. (af1a95fa-0299-4b1a-9ce8-95cf8492151e) by NPS Photo / Emily Mesner, Public domain.
- How-to: Trail Crew Jobs: How to Get Hired, What They Pay and Where to Apply: Cross Cut Saw Training Ashley NF Nathaniel Nealley (51770325263) by Intermountain Forest Service, USDA Region 4 Photography (photo by Nathaniel Nealley), Public domain.
- How-to: How Much Do Wildland Firefighters Make? 2026 Pay by Grade, Overtime and Hazard Pay: BlueRidgeHotShots-Lassen-Sept2021-420 (51539926098) by U.S. Forest Service, Public domain.
- How-to: How to become a fishing guide: Irrigation and Water (20190828-NRCS-LSC-0349) by USDAgov, Public domain.
- How-to: Hunting guide jobs what outfitters look for: Packing in the Bob3 by Kirk Olson from Jacksonville, FL, USA, CC BY 2.0.
- How-to: Cowboy and ranch hand jobs: Livestock086 (38844491792) by USDA NRCS, Public domain.
- How-to: Wildland firefighter jobs: Inyo National Forest 2023 Prescribed Burns (20231008-FS-LC-068) by Region 5 Photography, Public domain.
- How-to: Rafting guide jobs: Klamath River (28028421080) by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain.
- How-to: Alaska fishing jobs: Seiner off the coast of the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska 2009 218 by User:NancyHeise, Public domain.
- How-to: Dude ranch jobs: Trail ride (15075133509) by Yellowstone National Park from Yellowstone NP, USA, Public domain.
- How-to: Seasonal outdoor jobs with housing: Quiet cabin in the mountains (Unsplash) by Ravi Pinisetti ravipinisetti, CC0.
- How-to: Best states for outdoor guide work: Snake River Overlook in fall (29903369661) by GrandTetonNPS, Public domain.
- How-to: How to write a job wanted post: Webb Lake Horses (9194199166) by Forest Service Northern Region from Missoula, MT, USA, Public domain.