Backcountry Food Certification

(AKA: Backcountry Specialist)

Hey River Guides! Coconino County Environmental Health Department has now developed ONE SINGLE ONLINE TRAINING for ALL Backcountry Food Certification. In other words, whether you've gotten a Food Handler's cert or a Food Manager's cert in the past, you will need to take this new Backcountry course when your current card expires. This “Backcountry Specialist” certification is good for three years, has been approved by Grand Canyon National Park, and is good for Coconino County. 

Here's the deal:

The Backcountry Food Manager's Training includes a wider breadth of topics than the standard Food handler Training. The training covers topics such as vector, sanitation, food, and water safety. This training is unique to Coconino County due to the Grand Canyon and river guide training needs. Please note that the card you will receive after completing the course will indicate that you are a Backcountry Food MANAGER.  Also, see the important note below regarding how to request your certification card once you’ve completed the online course.

Instructions for the Backcountry Course:

Scroll down for the link to the updated Backcountry education and certification.

You will be asked to (1) create an account, (2) choose the Backcountry course, (3) make a payment, and (4) you will be in the course. If you are not in the course, click on my account and click on the EDU link given for the course. Depending on your internet connection the course may take a moment to load.

You may contact Coconino County Environmental Health with any technical issues at 928-679-8760.  A refund will be considered with proof that you have tried to call and resolve any difficulty you are having.   Please be advised that a refund could take 30 days.

IMPORANT NOTE: After you complete the online course, it does not automatically generate a certification card (because there is an ID requirement), so there are two different ways to get it:

Option 1) Upload your ID through the process provided in the online portal after taking the test, and allow for 2 business days for it to be verified. You will then be able to find your card in the documents section of the EDU you used to take the test.

Option 2) Applicants can come in person to Coconino County Environmental Health offices in Flagstaff or Page with a valid Photo ID to receive their card.

-Flagstaff offices address: 2625 N. King Street, Flagstaff, AZ, 86004

-Page offices address: 467 Vista Ave. Page, AZ, 86040

Please do NOT mail a copy of your ID to Coconino County — Please only send your ID to Coconino County through the process outlined in the online portal (as indicated in Option #1 above). This ensures that your ID is sent through a secure, ecrypted server. If you have any questions, you can call Coconino County Environmental Health Services at (928) 679-8760.