The YMCA of the Rockies is a year-round business that is always hiring seasonal workers. This YMCA is much different than a traditional YMCA and functions like a mountain resort and conference center. To operate such a large business, they need seasonal staff to work in various departments while living on property. I worked a season at the YMCA of the Rockies, and there was a lot of information I wish I knew before starting the job. To help you prepare for your job at the YMCA of the Rockies, this post will tell you all you need to know.Â
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Disclaimer: I do not represent, and I no longer work at, the YMCA of the Rockies. This post strictly reflects my personal experience while living and working on the property.
About the YMCA of the Rockies
The YMCA of the Rockies
The YMCA of the Rockies is located in Estes Park, Colorado. They are the largest YMCA camp and conference center in the world and thus function as a mountain resort, not like your average hometown YMCA.
Snow Mountain Ranch
About 3 hours drive from the YMCA of the Rockies is their sister location, Snow Mountain Ranch, in Granby, Colorado. It’s another beautiful mountain resort that feels farther removed from society and offers a few different amenities and activities. They hire a smaller number of staff and it might be worth checking out if you want a slightly different seasonal experience.
Job Opportunities
At the YMCA they hire both full-time and seasonal staff. You can find jobs across all departments; housekeeping & laundry, food & beverage, gift shop, front desk & registration, activities & recreation, lifeguarding, summer camp, buildings & grounds, etc…
They also offer a volunteer program where you can work 28 hours per week in exchange for free accommodation and meals. This is a good option if you want free time to explore the Rocky Mountains and don’t need a steady paycheck.
Mountain Weather
Depending on which season you work/visit, you will have a vasty different experience. The weather can change on a dime and if it’s snowing up at the YMCA it might be sunny down in Estes Park (10mins drive away) at the same time. The weather forecast is not always correct and you really never know what you are going to get.
Working in the Summer
During the summer months, you will experience a high fluctuation of guests and work will be consistently busy. There will be much more staff on campus because the YMCA will be operating at full capacity, as will all other businesses in town.
The weather will probably be amazing (70-80 most days) and allow access to all the trails in the park and surrounding areas, but this also means it will be packed with people. You will have the highest chance of seeing wildlife and get to participate in all the summer events going on down in Estes Park and Denver. It’s an amazing place to be in the summer time.
Working in the Winter
During the winter months you can expect some serious snowfall, shorter daylight hours, and very cold temperatures. Certain trails and sections of the park will be closed for the season and driving can become dangerous. However, the snow makes it look like a winter wonderland and you will have access to winter activities like snowshoeing, ice skating, skiing, etc…
You should expect to work during the holidays and for it to remain reasonably busy throughout the winter, with an increase in guests during holidays and winter breaks. You will probably spend a lot of time inside and should find a hobby to keep you entertained and support your mental health.
Working in the Spring & Fall
When it comes to the weather, the spring and fall are a huge gamble and you never know what will happen. Even during late-April, I experienced heavy snowfall one day and complete sunshine the next. I never knew if I would get to go hiking for the day until I woke up and looked at the weather outside.
The spring and fall are the shoulder seasons and there are less guests and staff on property. However, there will be busy times, such as spring break, where you will have an influx of guests and therefore more work. A huge pro of working the shoulder season is that there are less tourists in Estes Park and in the Rocky Mountains. A downside is that a lot of the trails are closed due to the weather and many business in town have shortened hours. (But before the trails close in the fall, and when they open in the spring, you get to utilize them when no one else is around.)
How to Get a Job at the YMCA of the Rockies
Requirements
Most seasonal positions require you to live on the YMCA property. To live on property you must be at least 18 years of age or older. Other job requirements will vary depending on the job you are applying for.
How to Apply
I found my job with the YMCA through CoolWorks, a seasonal work website where they usually advertise. You can also go directly to their career page and see what jobs are open.
When to Apply
The YMCA hires year-round. They employee the largest amount of staff to work during their high seasons, summer and winter. However, they tend to experience hospitality staffing shortages during the shoulder seasons, spring and fall, and are always looking to fill openings.
The Application Process
To apply to work at the YMCA, you will go to their carer page and create an account. From there, you can directly apply to open jobs by uploading your resume and/or filling out an application. They may also ask for a cover letter and references.
After the initial application is sent, the next steps might vary depending on the job you applied for. Usually, you will first speak to a hiring manager who will confirm that you understand the job responsibilities and employee expectations. The department you are applying to work in will dictate who you speak with next.
For example, a friend of mine who applied for Housekeeping did not speak with anyone in Housekeeping before getting offered a job. However, another co-worker who worked in the Craft Department spoke directly with the Craft Shop Director before receiving a job offer.
After the interviews, if you are offered a job, you will receive an email with a contract.
Don’t Do a Cold Walk-In
The people that receive your job application and do the first round of interviews, do not work on the YMCA property. Thus, if you show up with a resume hoping to get a job, they are going to tell you to apply online.
I can’t tell you how many times throughout the season there would be people at the front desk, or in the HR office, asking to apply for a job. Unfortunately these people were all directed to the website to apply online. The staff on property do not have have hiring power and most don’t even know the full extent of the hiring process.
Working at the YMCA of the Rockies
It’s a Seasonal Job
With any seasonal job, each season will bring new experiences, a new team of staff, and most likely new managers. This means your work experience will depend on the specific job you have, the season you are working, and your team.
It also means living the seasonal lifestyle; the food and accommodations are not amazing, you will end up working a lot of hours, people come and go consistently, and what you can do in the area changes with the season.
Fellow Employees
You will have the opportunity to work with people of all ages and backgrounds from around the world.
The main types of people you will work with are international employees on seasonal or year-long contracts, older staff who volunteer and return season after season, young adults (18-25) on a break from college, and general seasonal workers who change jobs with the seasons.
If you work during the fall or spring, you will also work with the participants who are part of the gap program. This is a program they pay to participate in that allows them to work in hospitality roles while participating in leadership workshops and fun activities each week.
The Job
There are lots of jobs at the YCMA of the Rockies and the one you choose can completely change your experience. Your job determines if you work indoors or outside, what time your day starts and ends, the length of your shift, etc…
If you work in reception, it means working behind a desk and dealing with guest complaints but also getting to work with people. If you work in laundry your days will be very repetitive and monotonous but it’s simple work. If you work in grounds you will need to be outdoors no matter the weather and it will probably require a lot of physical labor. Every job has it’s pros and cons, so choose your job carefully.
Department Expectations
Each department runs according to how their manager wants it to. For example, a complaint from a lot of seasonal staff had to do with the difference between the Food & Beverage Department and the Housekeeping Department.
F&B would let their staff clock in and out according to their schedule, but Housekeeping (during busy weeks) would keep their staff on the clock until the job was done (sometimes a few hours past when they were expecting to clock out for the day). The F&B managers were also pretty lenient on people calling out sick from work, but Housekeeping was extremely strict on how many sick days you could use.
A lot of the managers are year-round but they can change from season to season. The department you work in and the manager you have (like in any job) can really influence your experience.
Work Hours & Pay
As an entry level seasonal employee, you should expect to make $15.16/hr (Colorado minimum wage) but this can fluctuate depending on your position. On an average week you will work 40 hours for 5 days a week.
Expect to work during the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc..) and any US vacation dates (such as memorial day weekend and spring break). Usually during these times, it’s common to work overtime. Depending on what department you work in, some managers are more than happy for you to work overtime, and some managers will make sure you don’t go overtime even by half an hour.
Benefits
As a staff member, you get a discount from the gift shop and on lodging for family and friends. You have access to the YMCA facilities; the pool, trails on property, roller skating rink, the basketball gymnasium (they do not have a work-out gym!), the library, fire rings, ice-skating pond, and more. You are also able to sign up to get free ski passes and discounts on gear rentals.
The staff activities team host tons of free staff events, like; international cooking classes, yoga, salsa dancing, bingo nights, karaoke, trips around Colorado, and much more. It really helps create a community on property and gives you something to do.
I would argue that the best benefit is that the Rocky Mountain National Park is basically your backyard. You can walk directly from your room at the YMCA and into the national park in just 10-15mins. You do need to buy your own national park pass, but beating the rest of the tourists to the trail heads, is amazing.
Living at the YMCA of the Rockies
Cost of Employee Housing
Employee housing at the YMCA of the Rockies cost $170/week. This is called the Rocky Mountain Living Package and it is automatically deducted from your paycheck. This cost includes accommodation, three meals a day, laundry, wifi, and utilities. A few years ago you were able to opt out of this expense if you chose to cook your own meals, but it is now a requirement for all staff living on property.
Employee Housing
Employee housing is basically a college dorm situation. You can expect to have one or two roommates and many rooms have bunkbeds. If you are an older worker/volunteer, or have a higher/managerial position, the probability of having your own room increases. If you are married you can live with your spouse.
Depending on your housing assignment, you with either have an en suite bathroom or use of a communal bathroom. Whichever building you are placed, you will have access to a common area that includes a kitchen and living space. The laundromat is located in a separate building and you are given laundry allowance once per week.
Meals
Three meals per day, seven days per week, are what is included in your employee living package. You will eat your meals in the dining hall, which has specific hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is basically unlimited and it’s highly encouraged to bring your own take away containers if you want to take food with you for later.
The food itself changes per season, and honestly it’s best during the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) when the kitchen has less staff and guests to cook for. The food is not amazing the majority of the time and it gets pretty repetitive. For lunch and dinner there is always a salad bar and desserts available.
Its can be hard to eat healthy unless you cook your own food. If you prefer, you can buy your own groceries in Estes Park but it gets expensive after a while. I usually went to the Safeway in town, but would try and do big shopping trips for when I drove the 45mins into Longmont or Loveland and could get to Walmart.
Laundry & Letters
Laundry is included in your contract. As a staff member you can pick up your weekly laundry allowance (aka: a handful of quarters for the machines) and do your laundry at the on campus laundry room. You need to buy your own detergent.
You can also get your mail delivered to the YMCA because they have an actual US post office on property. The post office hours are odd and it takes a little longer for things to arrive as opposed to having something shipped to the post office in town.
The Rocky Mountains
The YMCA property runs right along the Rocky Mountain National Park and you can walk from your accommodation to a trail head in 10-15mins. To access the park, you will need a park pass.
Living in Estes Park
Estes Park is a small, picturesque town that has lots of great coffee shops, outdoor activities, and some good restaurant options. The downside is that it’s a tourist town so during the high season it is absolutely packed with people. That also means that things can be expensive.
Getting Around
You do not need a car, but your experience will be a lot better if you have one. A car enables you to get off property whenever you want without having to worry about anyone else’s schedule. Yes, gas is expensive but at least the YMCA has employee parking.
There are staff shuttles that will bring you into town. (These shuttle become fewer and further between during the spring and fall seasons.) There are also staff trips that you can sign up for, and they will take you into the surrounding towns and cities, like Boulder or Denver. However, you need to be off work to partake in any of these trips and there needs to be space available.
Going Down the Mountain
The roads out of Estes are long and windy, and you need to drive through a canyon no matter which way you go. When the weather gets bad, the roads get bad. Make sure you drive at a pace that is safest for you and if you are going in the winter, know how to drive in the snow.
It takes between 45mins-1hr to get to Longmont, Loveland, or Boulder. Of course, there is much more to do in Denver but that will take you about 1.5hrs one way, depending on where in the city you are going.
My Experience
The Job
This was my 5th seasonal job in the USA. Unfortunately, if I am being honest, it was one of my least favorites. I really loved the people I got to work with and the location I was in. However, the job I was doing was one that required me to be on all the time but not get paid for a lot of the work I was doing.
There was a lot of miscommunication due to all the departments contradicting each other and running differently. This made my job a lot harder and I was constantly having to redo work I had already done because new information was coming in left and right. If the job was more organized, I could see myself enjoying it more.
Free Time
I spent almost all of my free time on the trails or at a new coffee shop. Even if I only had a few hours free at the end of the day, there were so many trails around the Y that I could use. There are lots of coffee shops in Estes and I went to all of them (my top two were Birds Nest and Inkwell & Brew).
Having the Rocky Mountains are my backyard was wonderful! I walked straight from my room, across the river, and right into the national park. I would drive the short distance to the trails outside the park or down in Boulder. I saw tons of wildlife; elk, moose, deer, bear, coyotes, and more.
I also took advantage of the events in town like Big Foot Days and the free activities the public library puts on. I drove down the mountain to Longmont or Loveland once a week to get groceries at the Walmart. While there I usually went line dancing or tried a new restaurant. I event went into Denver a few times and saw a concert at the red rocks.
My Top Pros of Working at the YMCA
- Access to Rocky Mountain National Park
- Living in an amazing location
- Staff activities & events
- Working with people from around the world
- Connections & networking opportunities
My Top Cons of Working the YMCA
- Low pay (especially after paying for the living package)
- No gym on property to workout
- Lack of consistency across departments
- The accommodation is really small for 2/3 roommates
- Lack of repercussions for employees not doing their jobs
- Many workers had issues with HR and felt complaints went nowhere
Would I Reccommend Working Here
Honestly… It really depends on the type of person you are and the reason you want to work at the YMCA of the Rockies. If you just need a seasonal job that allows you access to the national park then this could be a great place for you… if you don’t take the job too seriously. If you are someone who thrives under an organized work environment where you can count on everyone, this might not be the place for you.
Personally, I would not work there again, but that is just my experience. I know lots of people that feel the same way, but I also had friends and co-workers that really enjoyed their experience at the YMCA and come back every season. It all depends on your expectations.
Conclusion
The YMCA of the Rockies is a popular seasonal job because they are a large operation in need of a large amount of seasonal staff to fill positions year-round. While everyone’s experience there is different, I hope that sharing my own helped you decide if it’s a good fir for you. Have you worked at the YMCA of the Rockies? What was your experience like? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
