ExplorUS Crater Lake

Swap Your Kitchen for a National Park Kitchen

Imagine finishing your shift and walking straight to the rim of the deepest lake in the United States, where impossibly blue water sits inside an ancient collapsed volcano. That’s an ordinary afternoon when you work with ExplorUS at Crater Lake, Oregon. We’re hiring Prep Cooks for the Summer to Fall season – a perfect fit for university students aged 18–25 who want real hospitality experience in one of the most breathtaking places in America.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Prep Cook, you are the backbone of the kitchen. Working alongside experienced chefs and an international team, your day-to-day duties include:

• Washing, peeling, chopping and portioning fresh vegetables, fruits, meats and other ingredients
• Preparing sauces, dressings, soups, salads and cold items following standardized recipes
• Stocking and organising prep stations, coolers and dry storage
• Receiving, labelling, dating and rotating deliveries (FIFO)
• Maintaining strict food safety, sanitation and HACCP standards
• Cleaning kitchen equipment, work surfaces and utensils throughout your shift
• Supporting line cooks during busy breakfast, lunch and dinner services

No professional culinary background is required – if you can follow directions, keep a clean station and stay calm when tickets pile up, our chefs will teach you the rest. Many participants leave with genuine knife skills and a résumé line that opens doors in hospitality worldwide.

Your Summer Address: Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake is Oregon’s only national park and one of the true natural wonders of the American West. Formed roughly 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama collapsed, the caldera now holds water so pure and deep it glows an unreal shade of sapphire blue.

On your days off you can hike the Garfield Peak and Watchman Peak trails, cycle the 33-mile Rim Drive, take the boat tour to Wizard Island, swim at Cleetwood Cove, watch the Milky Way from one of the darkest night skies in the country, and road-trip to Bend, Ashland, the Oregon Coast, Portland or even northern California. Autumn brings crisp air, golden larches and dramatically emptier trails – one of the best-kept secrets of the season.

Pay & Benefits

• $19.00 per hour – a strong, competitive wage for the region
• 35 hours per week guaranteed, with the possibility of extra hours during peak periods
• Employer-arranged staff housing available inside/near the park
• Employee meals and discounts on park merchandise and activities
• A truly international team – colleagues from Bulgaria, Europe, Asia and across the USA
• Free time built around exploring a national park, plus staff social events and hikes
• Genuine American work experience, references and English-language practice every single day

What We’re Looking For

• Enrolled university students aged 18–25 participating in the Work & Travel USA (J-1) programme
• Conversational English – enough to follow recipes and communicate with your team
• Availability from summer through fall (longer-stay candidates strongly preferred)
• Reliability, punctuality and a genuine team-player attitude
• Ability to stand for long shifts and lift up to 50 lbs (approx. 23 kg)
• Comfort with a remote mountain location – limited nightlife, unlimited nature
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays

Ready to Cook With a View?

Positions at Crater Lake fill quickly every season because the location is legendary among Work & Travel participants. Apply early, secure your spot, and spend your summer earning good money, building skills and waking up next to a volcano-born lake you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life.