Show people the Montana you know.
Photographers, foragers, paddlers, ranchers, climbers, riders — if you can lead it, you can list it. Independent guides keep most of the booking. We handle the rest.
What you can guide
If you can lead it, you can list it.
Photography Tours
Lead photographers to the Montana scenes most travelers miss — early light at Glacier, golden hour over the Front, wildlife in the Breaks.
Day Hikes & Backpacking
From easy lake loops to multi-day passes. If you know a trail well enough to lead it, that's enough to list.
Wildlife Watching
Glacier wolves, Front Range elk, prairie raptors, Yellowstone bison. Share what you know how to find.
Paddling & Floats
Float trips, lake paddles, instructional days. The Smith, the Missouri, anything navigable.
Workshops & Skills
Foraging, fly tying, bushcraft, photography classes. If you can teach it outside, you can list it.
Hunting & Fishing
For licensed Montana outfitters. Stripe-verified payouts, no marketing fees, full-season exposure.
Do I need a license?
Walk through your situation.
Most activities in Montana don't require a guide license. Walk through these four questions to find out where you stand.
Question 1 of 4
Are you guiding hunting or fishing?
How payouts work
Easy. No surprises.
You set your price. We take 10–20% depending on activity type (we cover the credit card fees from our share). The rest is yours, paid out automatically by Stripe about three business days after each trip. Examples below.
Trip type
Guest pays
Knowcals fee
You receive
Shorter adventure
Guest pays
$75.00
Knowcals fee
20%
You receive
$60.00
Longer adventure
Guest pays
$150.00
Knowcals fee
15%
You receive
$127.50
Multi-day trip
Guest pays
$4,000.00
Knowcals fee
10%
You receive
$3,600.00
Your funds are delivered to your bank account from Stripe about three business days after the adventure ends. No invoicing. No chasing payments. No security risks. And we also have the lowest fees of all our competitors who take, on average, 20-30% of gross bookings!
Trust & safety
Three things to know before you list.
Escrow protection
Guests pay upfront, but funds are held until the adventure starts. If a trip cancels, refunds are automatic. You don't chase payment, and guests don't worry about losing money.
Verified guests
Every booking ties to a verified phone number. Group bookings show every participant by name. For higher-risk activities, ID verification is required. You see who's coming before you confirm.
Bring your own insurance
Knowcals does not provide liability coverage. As an independent guide, you carry your own commercial general liability policy. We recommend AON Independent Tour Guide insurance, Thimble (per-day), or — for licensed outfitters — the FOAM group policy. Proof of insurance is required before your first trip.
How it works
Three steps to your first booking.
Step 1
Apply
Tell us about you and what you'd like to guide. Takes about ten minutes — no professional credentials required.
Step 2
Get approved
We review every application personally and reach out within a few days. We'll ask follow-up questions if anything needs clarifying.
Step 3
Create your listings
Build your adventure pages, set your prices, open your calendar. Bookings start flowing as soon as you publish.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
About guiding on Knowcals
Licensing & permits
Payments & fees
Safety
How bookings work
Ready to get paid doing something you love?
If you're even mildly interested, please reach out. We're Montanans just like you who love the outdoors! We review every application and adventure listing by hand during this growth stage. We'd love to help you grow your business or just start a small side hustle. You matter to us and this is easy, so don't be intimidated by the process!
Start your application