Canoeing the Snake River

The Snake River as it leaves Grand Teton National Park is equally as breathtaking as it is as it flows through the Park but allows you to see the Grand Teton Mountain Range from different angles and vantage points. This escarpment of perpendicular granite is awesome no mater which angle you view it from. There also good views of the Sleeping Indian in the Gros Ventre Mountains to the east.

From the put-in at Moose Visitor Center this fast-flowing river soon becomes very braided. As it leaves Grand Teton National Park a levee system has been built to protect the valley from floods. Wildlife viewing is good so keep your eyes peeled for Moose, Bison, Elk, Eagles Ospry etc. The lower part of this stretch is mostly private property. This section receives much less fishing pressure then most other stretches so the fishing can be awesome. Use caution to avoid snags, sweepers and logjams. There is no place to access this section of river other that the put-in in Moose.

Rafting the Snake River

The Wilson to South Park stretch of the Snake River meanders through the open valley. This stretch flows primarily through undeveloped areas but much of it is private property. This stretch offers wonderful views of the Teton and Snake River Ranges. It is popular with boater of all kinds due to its convienent put-in and take-out.

The stretch from South Park Boat Ramp to Astoria Hot Springs the river is deep, wide and forgiving, yet the eddy lines can be powerful during higher water. The float starts off in the open valley but soon enters a tight canyon. About half way the Hoback River enters the Snake from the east and increases the flow. While most of this run is not whitewater, it is a great place for entry level boaters to practice their skills in preparation for the more difficult water in the Snake River Canyon farther down the river. Much of this section runs right next to Highway 89 and there are many good access points for the walk in fisherman.

Fishing the Snake River

Chuck Yeager & guide Mike Lawson

The Snake River is home to a unique subspecies of cutthroat trout known as the Fine-spotted Snake River Cutthroat Trout. This outstanding game fish is indigenous to the Snake River drainage and relies totally on natural reproduction. Having a wild trout fishery with indigenous trout is not something we take for granted and we highly encourage catch and release fishing to protect this valuable resource.

One of the Fine-spotted Snake River Cutthroat most endearing qualities is its fondness for feeding on top sipping mayflies flies or attacking stoneflies, drakes and hoppers. Large dry flies like size 8 Turck Tarantulas, Royal Wulffs, Club Sandwiches, and hoppers are all popular and good choices. Size 6 and even 4 stone fly patterns sometimes are also effective.

The Snake River is a large and swift river and can be dangerous. While wade fishing is certainly possible, and done all the time, the preferred method for fly-fishing is with a driftboat or raft. Canoes, rafts, and driftboats provide access to much more of the river than would otherwise be possible on foot but if you are in a canoe make sure you know what you are doing.

Curt Gowdy & Lee Wulff & Bear Fishing in the One Fly FishingContest on the Snake River

The key to fishing the banks of this river while floating is getting your fly as tight to the bank as possible and allowing it to drift just inches form the bank in most spots unless there is no current there. When fishing from a gravel bar it°s possible to hook and land a several fish in a row. These spots often provide good mayfly action. Whenever you see an obstruction like a root system of a fallen tree in the river drift your fly close to it as those are good fish lies and often provide large fish.

Trout season on the Snake opens on April 1 and extends through October 31. Runoff typically starts around early to mid-May and can last well into July and even August in high snowpack years. That allows about a month and a half of fishing prior to spring runoff. Early season fishing can be very good, but is not as consistent and productive as the fishing after spring runoff. Streamers are good choice this time of year. September is considered the best month for fishing the Snake but often times the good fishing will begin in August and last till the season ends in Otober

Chuck Yeager fishing the Snake river with guide Mike Lawson in the One Fly Fishing Contest

You will find sporadic hatches of stoneflies from April throughSeptember, midges all year round. Summer brings hatches of evening caddis and mayflies usually around midday.

Once the river begins to clear in late July or early August, dry fly season begins in earnest. Wulffs, Stimulators, Humpys, Trudes, Royal Coachmans, Power Ants, Jay-Dave's Hopper and Turck Tarantulas are standard fare. Good streamers to use are JJ Specials, Woolly Buggers, Muddlers, Zonkers, Double Bunnies and Kiwi Muddlers. For nymphs, Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tails, Anderson's Golden Stone's, Halfbacks, Yuk Bugs, and Prince's Nymphs.

Mad River Scenic Float Trips • (Jackson Hole) The magnificent Teton Range sets the stage for Mad River's 13-mile Scenic Float. This trip is guide-powered so guests can relax and enjoy views all around. This 13-mile stretch is home to an array of natural wonders unlike anywhere else on earth and the opportunity to view them all in one place is extremely rare. Mad River's experienced and knowledgeable guides will navigate you through this pristine landscape, sharing the history, geology, and wildlife of the region. Come join us for a day on the river. We look forward to seeing you here.

Teton Expeditions • (Jackson Hole) For over 35 years Teton Expeditions has shared our knowledge of the river with the visitors of Jackson Hole. Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is unsurpassed. Please join us for an adventure that you will remember for a lifetime.

Geyser Whitewater/Scenic Floats • (Bozeman/Big Sky) This river tour is great for those who want to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Float past beautiful Lone Mountain as the Gallatin River meanders through the upper canyon. This trip is available until late July most seasons!

Wyoming River Trips • (Cody Wyoming)  Wyoming River Trips was founded in 1978 with Rick and Ron Blanchard personally escorting trips; a practice that is still carried on today. Our Company has been featured on ESPN and Outdoor Life television network; along with national publications such as Travel and Leisure, Better Homes and Gardens, and Mature Outlook Magazines. Wyoming River Trips is the only continually owned and operated company in the historic Cody Area running the Shoshone river. The Shoshone river is the main eastern drainage of Yellowstone National Park. It reads like a flowing history book with almost as many scenic vistas as the colorful people and cultures who explored it. This river was used as a trade route during the fur-trading era for the mountain men and Native Americans who entered the "Yellow Rock" country in pursuit of its abundance of wildlife. This pursuit of adventure continues today.

Greater Yellowstone Region Whitewater Rafting

A happy boat full of Whitewater Rafters

Despite “Deliverance,” the 1972 Academy-award nominated film based on the novel of the same name by James Dickey, carved out a permanent dark corner in the American psyche with its unsettling combination of backwoods menace and masterly banjo playing, Whitewater rafting has become a hugely popular sport, and it should come as no surprise to anyone who has felt the addiction that the whitewater rapids hold that there are more people discovering the thrill of whitewater rafting every year. Dickey’s metaphorical river of concealed evil that no one seems ever to have forgotten: all these years later, you can’t go rafting down a wild river without someone in the group humming a few bars of “Dueling Banjos.” And the cultural resonance shows no sign of fading: T-shirts imprinted with the slogan “Paddle faster, I hear banjo music are a popular souvenir around here. Deliverance has become part of the fun!

All around the perimeter of Yellowstone there is whitewater action. The Gallatin, Yellowstone, Snake, Wind, Still Water, and the Shoshone Rivers all have commercial whitewater trips available. Many more of Yellowstone’s waters provide whitewater action for the private rafter, canoer, or kayaker. There are many whitewater outfitters in the towns of Jackson, West Yellowstone, Red Lodge, Gardiner, Big Sky Riverton, and Cody if you choose to leave the rowing to the experts (a wise decision).

Many of us have reached an age where we think we are too old for such frivolity fraught with perceived dangers. I must remind you that it is adventure that keeps us feeling young. Most river outfitters provide wetsuits mitigating the cold-water argument.

Yellowstone region rivers can provide big whitewater thrills.

For those of you that are do it yourselfers do your homework, know how to read water and cinch tight all live preservers on your passengers, the regions class three whitewater is reasonably safe for the cautious if you are going too tackle class four or five water, wear helmets and know what you are doing.

Many of the regions whitewater enthusiasts combine their whitewater adventure with a fishing adventure as well. The rivers of the Greater Yellowstone Region has superb trout fishing, and the whitewater sections are one of the better sections because many boat fishermen are scarred to float them and the access from the banks is poor for those without a boat.

White water rafting can be a dangerous sport, especially if basic safety precautions are not observed. Both commercial and private trips have seen their share of injuries and fatalities, though private travel has typically been associated with greater risk. Legislated safety measures exist for rafting operators. These range from certification of outfitters, rafts, and raft leaders, to more stringent regulations about equipment and procedures.

Whitewater rafting has become safer over the years. Expertise in the sport has increased, and equipment has become more specialized and increased in quality, hence, the difficulty rating of most river runs has changed.

Yellowstone region rivers can provide big whitewater thrills but it can also provide danger for the unprepared or reckless.

Risks in white water rafting stem from both environmental dangers and from improper behavior. Certain features on rivers are inherently unsafe and have remained consistently so despite the passage of time. These would include "keeper holes (hydraulics)," "strainers" (e.g. fallen trees), dams (especially low-head dams, which tend to produce river-wide keeper hydraulics), undercut rocks, and waterfalls. Rafting with experienced guides is the safest way to avoid such features. Even in safe areas, however, moving water can always present risks, such as when swimmers attempt to stand up on a rocky riverbed in strong current, risking foot entrapment. Irresponsible behavior related to rafting while intoxicated has also contributed to many accidents. The flat-water sections of our rivers have killed many more people than the whitewater sections because people often don’t take proper precautions of flat-water sections as they underestimate their dangers.

The risk level of a rafting trip with experienced guides using proper precautions is very low at normal river flows but increase during peak runoff. Thousands of people safely enjoy raft trips every year in the Yellowstone Region.

Rafting contributes to the economy of many regions which in turn may contribute to the protection of rivers from hydroelectric power generation, diversion for irrigation, and other development. Additionally, white water rafting trips can promote environmentalism. By experiencing firsthand the beauty of a river, individuals who would otherwise be indifferent to environmental issues may gain a strong desire to protect and preserve that area because of their positive outdoor experience.

Another thing to consider is no summer trip to the Yellowstone Region is complete without either a Whitewater trip or a scenic float through this glorious crown of the Rocky Mountains.

Whitewaters getting wet on the Gallatin River in Big Sky Montana

Mad River Boat Trips • (Jackson Hole)  Mad River Boat Trips is a river outfitter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We have been operating daily river trips for over 40 years, and we are your ticket to exploring the wild and scenic Snake River! We pride ourselves on having the most highly certified, and professional Snake River guides in the valley to put you at ease and ensure a comfortable whitewater experience. Whether you come with family, friends or meet new faces, Snake River rafting will be the highlight of your trip to Jackson Hole. The boats may have changed over the years, but the passion for adventure remains the same. Come join us for a day on the river. We look forward to seeing you here.

Jackson Hole Whitewater • (Jackson Hole) Voted The #1rafting company in Jackson Hole by our local newspaper the "Jackson Hole Guide." That says it all. We have been in business for 35 years and were the first company to have permits on the Snake River. We are a small company by choice. We have had the chance to expand but feel that "small is better"! Visit our website to find out why...

Wyoming River Trips • (Cody Wyoming) Wyoming River Trips was founded in 1978 with Rick and Ron Blanchard personally escorting trips; a practice that is still carried on today. Our Company has been featured on ESPN and Outdoor Life television network; along with national publications such as Travel and Leisure, Better Homes and Gardens, and Mature Outlook Magazines. Wyoming River Trips is the only continually owned and operated company in the historic Cody Area running the Shoshone river. The Shoshone river is the main eastern drainage of Yellowstone National Park. It reads like a flowing history book with almost as many scenic vistas as the colorful people and cultures who explored it. This river was used as a trade route during the fur-trading era for the mountain men and Native Americans who entered the "Yellow Rock" country in pursuit of its abundance of wildlife. This pursuit of adventure continues today.

Flying Pig Adventure Company • (Gardiner Montana) Ride the river with us! If you're looking for raft trip with exciting whitewater, breathtaking scenery, and safe and knowledgeable guides - our raft trips are for you. The longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states, the Yellowstone River, offers fun and exciting white water rafting for all ages and experience levels. Slam through the waves of the Gardiner Town Stretch while helping to navigate your raft through the notorious rapids; Man Eater, Pickets Wave, Creighton's Hole, and Sleeping Giant in your white water rafting adventure near Yellowstone National Park.

Gallatin River Rafting • (Big Sky Montana) We offer canoe, kayak and rafting trips on rivers, creeks, streams and lakes near Gallatin River. You can experience rafting trips ranging from a brief two hour tour to a wilderness adventure lasting several days. Our guides are fully licenced and are carefully chosen on the basis of their skill and experience, their ability to make sound decisions and their ability to communicate and identify with our clients. We're experts in organizing family and group-travel! If you have any questions that are not addressed on this website, please call one of our friendly and knowledgeable whitewater rafting agents today!

Kayaking the Gallatin River

The Greater Yellowstone Region has a huge variety and selection of places to paddle your boat. Just look through our rivers or lakes section or choose one of our many beautiful waterways, the Yellowstone Region 's boating will not disappoint you as the Grand Tetons, the Absaroka Range, the Wind River Mountains, the Gallatin Range as well as others have provides stunning scenery and filled that scenery with water to float our boats.

Canoeing has been a form of transportation for millennia. For many cultures it has been a way of life, carrying fur traders across North America in the 17th and 18th centuries and long before that enabling native peoples to travel. Traditional dug out and birch bark canoes have given way to a wealth of styles, materials and manufacturers. Today, canoes are recreational watercraft for everything from camping to racing and it is an awesome way to experience the lakes and rivers her in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Canoeing is a blast but it can easily hurt of kill you. There is one important thing to remember: there are the fundamentals of canoeing–canoes, paddles, paddling strokes, etc.–and then there are the individual canoeist’s interpretations of those fundamentals – KNOW them before getting onto tricky water. There are as many interpretations as there are canoeists. Every canoeist has his or her own favorite canoe, best knot, andother canoeing

Canoeing on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park provides stunning scenery

secrets. You will discover yours the more you get out on the water and gain experience. There are generally accepted best practices, like getting off the water during a lightning storm, a daily occurrence on the waters around Yellowstone. Loading your canoe properly has a big impact on maneuverability and safety. Too much weight up front makes it cumbersome to steer, whereas keeping weight low in the canoe will make it less prone to tipping.

We all dream of the perfect canoe trip, with gorgeous weather, relaxing days and bonding with friends and family. Yet even on a weekend outing you need to be prepared for reality and the Greater Yellowstone region provides curve balls daily.

For a first time experience or a veteran paddler, the Yellowstone Region is one of the most fun and rewarding activities. Boating on the tranquil waters of the regions many lakes to the crashing waves of whitewater on our prodigious selection of rivers and creeks will fit any experience level for young and old.

Around the region, there are several canoe and kayak rentals shops along with experienced instructors available for hire to help maximize your fun on the water.

Many of the regions whitewater enthusiasts combine their whitewater adventure with a fishing adventure as well. The lakes, rivers and streams of the Greater Yellowstone Region provide superb trout fishing and the whitewater sections are one of the better sections because many boat fishermen are scarred to float them and the access from the banks is poor for those without a boat.

Guide To The Classification Of Rapids

Finding out what the conditions will be like before you set out on a paddling trip is an important part of your kayaking preparations. Knowing the water that you’re heading into is not only essential for your safety but it also allows you to prepare adequately for the conditions.

Yellowstone Region Kayak, Canoe and White Water Guides

Canoeing around Yellowstone can bring great relaxation, but also great excitement.

Snake River Kayak & Canoe • (Jackson Hole) We are specialists in the field of outdoor recreation. Based in the shadow of the Tetons since 1976, in Jackson Hole, WY. We offer whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon of the Snake River, whitewater canoe and kayak instruction for paddlers of all ages and abilities, single-day and overnight backcountry sea kayaking trips in Yellowstone National Park

The Canoeing House • (Three Forks MT) The Canoeing House in Three Forks Montana is located between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park 35 miles west of Bozeman, Montana. With 60 acres and a private landing on the Jefferson River 90 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, visitors park at our site and are shuttled up river for 2 to 6 hours of scenic day canoeing or kayaking. While many paddle just for a day, others prefer canoe camping or guided trips. The Canoeing House provides services on hundreds of miles of clear, clean rivers-The Jefferson, Madison, Gallatin, Missouri and Yellowstone. Three Forks is at the confluence of the Madison, Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers, which makes it a hub of recreation. Three Forks is also home to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park and Missouri Headwaters State Park.

Leisure Sports • (Jackson Hole) We have what it takes to complete your Jackson Hole experience. Whether you want to ride it, pack it, or sleep under it! Leisure Sports, located at 1075 S. Hwy 89, rents all kinds of fun. From Rafts to Rowing Frames and Sea-Doos to sleeping bags. Call us - Leisure Sports - We rent fun!