DARK SKY ACADEMY: HOST IT

About This Event

Curious about camp hosting, work camping, or making campground life part of your next chapter? Spend a week inside Dark Sky experiencing what it’s really like to become part of a campground team.

And there’s a reason we’re doing this now: Dark Sky is actively looking for our 2027 camp host couple.

Throughout the week, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the hospitality, guest interaction, teamwork, operations, and everyday details that go into creating the Dark Sky experience. You’ll live onsite, participate alongside our team, meet the owners, and get a much better feel for what hosting at Dark Sky actually looks like.

This isn’t a seven-day job interview. It’s an opportunity for both of us to explore the fit. You’ll have time to ask candid questions, experience the campground and our culture firsthand, and decide whether Dark Sky could be the right next chapter for you. And for us, it’s a chance to get to know potential hosts beyond a résumé and a Zoom call.

Think retreat meets real-world camp hosting: hands-on experiences, honest conversations, great hospitality, good people, and plenty of time to enjoy Dark Sky and explore Kanab.

Interested in becoming our 2027 host couple? HOST IT is where that conversation begins.

Why Learn from Us?
Dark Sky may be a small campground, but our approach to hospitality and guest experience has earned national recognition. Since opening in 2020, Dark Sky has been named The Dyrt’s #1 Best Place to RV in the U.S. (2026), featured by HGTV among America’s Best RV Parks, recognized by Campspot as a Top Campground in the USA and for Top Campground Design, and highlighted on NBC’s TODAY Show as a recommended family travel destination. Kanab, UT

Dark Sky Academy pulls back the curtain. Learn and be a part of how hospitality, guest experience, campground culture, and hundreds of small details come together to create a place people remember— talk about— and want to return to.

What to Expect

A small-group, relaxed week designed for people genuinely curious about camp hosting and campground life. Expect short, hospitality-minded sessions focused on guest experience, communication, and problem-solving, along with hands-on time shadowing the Dark Sky team, learning our day-to-day routines and systems, and experiencing what hosting actually looks like. Add in Dark Sky activities, fireside conversations with the owners, candid discussions about the camp-host lifestyle, and plenty of downtime for a week that's equal parts learning, experiencing, and discovering if this could be your next chapter.

BONUS: Receive $100 credit after full HOST IT week is attended and completed!

Schedule

Sample Week at Dark Sky Academy, subject to change:

Day 1 — Arrive + Welcome
Settle into your site and get comfortable at Dark Sky. Kick off the week with a Welcome Cocktail Hour + Dinner, meet the Dark Sky team and your fellow Academy guests, and learn a little about what the week will look like.

Day 2 — The Dark Sky Way
Morning hospitality session exploring the Dark Sky approach to guest experience and what makes a campground stay memorable.
Afternoon Host Experience: Walk the property with our team and learn what hosts are looking for throughout a typical day—from guest needs to campground standards and the little things that need attention.
Optional fireside chat with the owners in the evening.

Day 3 — The Art of Hospitality
Optional morning yoga, followed by a session on thoughtful hospitality, anticipating guest needs, communication, and creating memorable moments.
Afternoon Host Experience: Shadow the team and get hands-on with guest communication, campground technology, daily routines, and how we respond when guests need help.
Evening: Telescope viewing under our dark skies!

Day 4 — Behind the Scenes
Take a deeper look at how Dark Sky operates—from arrivals and departures to property care, amenities, the store, guest requests, and everything happening quietly behind the scenes.
Afternoon Host Experience: Hands-on campground walk + practical host scenarios. What do you notice? What needs attention? What would you handle yourself, and when would you call the team?
Evening: Join us for a Goat Walk and some downtime.

Day 5 — When Hospitality Gets Real
A short morning session centered around problem-solving, service recovery, boundaries, and handling the unexpected while keeping the guest experience intact.
Afternoon Host Experience: Spend additional time alongside the Dark Sky team working through real campground routines and learning how hosts fit into the larger team.
Evening: Fireside conversation with the owners—including an honest discussion about camp hosting, lifestyle, expectations, and what we're looking for in our 2027 hosts.

Day 6 — Putting It All Together
A relaxed final hospitality session focused on creating a place people care about.
Host Experience: Put what you've learned into practice alongside the team, followed by time to talk candidly about whether camp hosting—and Dark Sky—feels like a good fit.
2027 Host Candidate Conversations: Guests interested in being considered for Dark Sky's 2027 camp host position will have time for a more formal conversation with the owners about the role, expectations, availability, and whether there may be a mutual fit.
Evening: Night Photography after dark

Day 7 — Pancakes + What's Next
Wrap up the week over a casual Farewell Pancake Brunch with the Academy group. Share takeaways, swap stories, ask final questions, and talk about what might come next.

Campground / Venue Info

Your Dark Sky Academy experience includes a full-hookup, pull-through RV site for the duration of your stay, with water, sewer, and electric hookups.

Check-in is anytime after 2:00 PM, so arrive when it works for you, get settled, and make yourself at home before Academy begins.

Your stay also includes complimentary laundry and full access to Dark Sky amenities, including our private spa-style bathrooms, open-air terrace, pond, outdoor gathering spaces, and other campground amenities.

Everything is designed to make your Academy week feel like a getaway—not just an event.

What to Bring

Early December in Kanab means cooler days and cold evenings, and we plan to spend plenty of time outside—weather permitting. Come prepared with layers so you can comfortably move between indoor sessions, daytime activities, fireside gatherings, and evenings under the stars.

Recommendations:

• Warm layers — jacket, sweater/fleece, hat and gloves for evenings
• Comfortable outdoor clothing and sturdy walking shoes
• A reusable water bottle
• Notebook + pen (or your favorite way to take notes)
• Yoga mat, if you'd like to participate in morning yoga
• Phone/camera for photos and night photography
• Daypack or small bag for outings
• And, of course, anything you need to make your RV cozy for a December stay

Most importantly: come ready to participate, ask questions, share ideas, meet new people, and enjoy a week at Dark Sky.

Host Candidate Requirements

• Be applying as a couple, have a genuine interest in a future camp-hosting opportunity at Dark Sky, and be available to begin as early as March 2027.
• Be looking for a part-time hosting position, rather than full-time hours.
• Be comfortable with a compensation structure that includes an RV site + utilities in exchange for an agreed amount of work, with hourly pay for additional hours.
• Be friendly, observant, self-motivated, dependable, and genuinely interested in hospitality and creating a great guest experience.
• Enjoy working as part of a team and communicating regularly with owners and staff.
• Be comfortable balancing guest interaction, light campground responsibilities, problem-solving, and general property awareness.
• Be comfortable using smartphones, laptops, apps, web-based systems, and text messaging as part of daily campground operations, with access to your own smartphone and laptop.
• Maintain a smoke-free and drug-free lifestyle and be comfortable around responsible, occasional alcohol use at campground social events.
• Be traveling without dependent children during a future hosting commitment.
• Previous camp-hosting, hospitality, customer service, maintenance & building, tourism, or similar experience is a plus, but not required.

Important Notes

Who This Experience Is For
You and your partner are actively exploring work camping opportunities and interested in finding the right campground—and the right team—for your next chapter.

Cancellation Policy
Dark Sky Academy follows Dark Sky RV Campground's standard cancellation policy. Because Academy is a small, limited-capacity event, we encourage guests to review the cancellation terms carefully before registering.

Weather + Outdoor Activities
This is Dark Sky in December—and we're embracing it! Most Academy sessions, gatherings, and activities will take place outdoors in our open-air gathering spaces, weather permitting. Cold temperatures alone won't stop us, so come prepared with plenty of warm layers. In the event of inclement or unsafe weather, some activities may be moved, modified, postponed, or canceled. We'll always prioritize guest safety while doing our best to keep the Academy experience rolling.

Pets
Pets are welcome at Dark Sky! They're welcome to join us for appropriate outdoor social gatherings and casual activities. During Academy learning sessions, we ask that pets remain safely and comfortably inside your RV. Standard Dark Sky pet policies apply throughout your stay.

A Few More Things to Know
Academy is designed to be relaxed, participatory, and flexible. Schedules may shift slightly based on weather, campground happenings, or opportunities that come up during the week—that's part of the experience.