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Beyond Gardiner

Montana Whitewater Half Day Raft Trip - Yellowstone River

Recommended by 99% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Gardiner, USA
High interest
Booked 4 times today.
+2
  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travellers loved this

5.0
·
· Kelly_G ·
Jun 2026
Very well-organized and efficient. The guides were very helpful and fun to talk to. The rapids were just right for our 12- and 15-year olds. Have one or two spots to jump out and swim if you want to. Wet suits were super helpful with the cold water! Abbey was our guide and she was great!
· Jennifer_S ·
Jul 2026
We had an awesome time with Bo during our whitewater rafting trip! He was great with our 9 year old, hitting just the right amount of rapids. It ended up being her favorite part of our week long trip in Yellowstone. The scenery was beautiful and Bo was very knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this trip!

Overview

Experience Yellowstone from the water with a family-friendly half-day rafting trip, suitable for beginners and experienced rafters alike. You'll make your way along an 8-mile (13 km) stretch of river, passing through a mix of rapids and flat areas. Spot wildlife such as river otters and bald eagles while enjoying a swim stop along the way.
  • Beginner- and family-friendly tour, suitable for all levels of experience
  • All safety gear will be provided
  • Wetsuits are available to borrow, free of charge
  • Tour departs from a riverfront location in Gardiner near lodging and campgrounds

What's Included

  • Yellowstone River Raft Trip
  • Wetsuit, Booties, Helmet, Paddle, Splash Top
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 603 Scott St W, Gardiner, MT 59030, USA

    Please arrive at our Yellowstone River office at 603 Scott Street Gardiner, MT 59030 across from the Super 8 and right outside the North Entrance to YNP!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

1

Yellowstone River

2

Yellowstone River Picnic Area

3

Yellowstone Country

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Featured review

Kevin_D
Great guide, Garrett! Wonderful experience for the entire family. Would highly recommend this for all. Great stories and information. Had us laughing and smiling the entire trip.

Reviews

5.0
based on 458 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most recent

Great Yellowstone rafting!

Sophie_B, Aug 2026
Great trip with family. We all loved it and our guide Gareth was amazing! We saw some wildlife on the 8 mile down the river. Suitable for all levels as of 8/24/26. River can always change but was in the lower side. Kids loved the swimming portion as well.

Had an amazing day, had...

Gerri_H, Aug 2026
Had an amazing day, had so much fun. Brian was a great guide and extremely knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend!

Review of raft trip with Garrett

Diane_T, Aug 2026
It was a great experience and really fun. Garrett did an excellent job explaining how we would participate in all of the safety rules.

My family (kids 11 and 8)...

Blessy_T, Aug 2026
My family (kids 11 and 8) had a blast. Garrett, our guide, was amazing and chill. The water was a little lower in August, so the waters weren't as rough, but that was good for the kids. They got to swim in the Yellowstone and sit up at the tip of the raft.

We had a great time...

Edward_F, Aug 2026
We had a great time rafting down the Yellowstone river with our raft guide Garrett. He made the trip fun, informative, and as exciting as he could make it. The speed of the river and rapids was perfect. Not too fast and not too slow. I would definitely recommend this experience to family and friends.

Fun outing!

Pam_K, Aug 2026
This was a lot of fun and our guide was informative and friendly. It had some mild rapids and lots of calm water. This seemed more like level 2, not level 3.

Our family really enjoyed...

Sharon_N, Aug 2026
Our family really enjoyed the trip! Sienna was knowledgeable and personable. Her positive, fun attitude made everyone feel comfortable.

Great time for family!

Bibiane_K, Aug 2026
Great experience for our family of 5! Guides were knowledgeable and hilarious. Would highly recommend to others.

So much fun

Jennie_K, Aug 2026
We had Kara as our guide and she was awesome guiding us down the river while sharing about local landmarks. Highly recommend!

Great time!

Matt_L, Jul 2026
Maya was our guide and was awesome. Very friendly and wanted everyone to have fun. Whole experience was well worth it

I’d hoped for better.

Linda_L, Jul 2026
The trip is quite long. The boat is very crowded and the back seat is only 2/3 because of a 1 1/2” pole at your lower back And if the person in front of you takes up more than their share you are contorted the entire time. If you point this out to the manager he just shrugs. There are some newer rafts that do not have the bar but if your boat has one do not sit in that row. The van that takes you to and from the landing is not in the greatest shape with broken door handles. You have to help carry the boat in mud up a hill. The whole affair is an Accident waiting to happen.

Our family group...

Rachael_O, Jul 2026
Our family group consisted of three generations ages 9 to 76…all had great trip down the Yellowstone River. It was my son’s favorite part of our trip to Yellowstone!

This is a fun rafting...

Giovanni_Z, Jul 2026
This is a fun rafting tour on the river, but it’s not extreme sports, but I enjoyed the scenery and being on the river is well worth it! The team has the experience down to a science!

Trip was great

Vicki_N, Jul 2026
Great time, beautiful river, got wet, lots of little rapids.. it was exciting. Will do it again . So Blessed thank you Lord Jesus

Great time

Mitch_B, Jul 2026
It was well organized which made the trip fun. It was a little on the short side, but a good mix of relaxing and rapids.

Fun for the whole family!

Stephanie_G, Jul 2026
Olive was a great guide. This rafting experience was fun for the whole family. We all enjoyed it- ages 10-70.

Fun Half Day!

Rick_L, Jul 2026
Our river guide (Olive) was knowledgeable, fun, and relaxed. We saw a couple of Bald Eagles and some Elk while making our way down that beautiful river. Great fun for all!

An Amazing Whitewater Trip

Jennifer_S, Jul 2026
We had an awesome time with Bo during our whitewater rafting trip! He was great with our 9 year old, hitting just the right amount of rapids. It ended up being her favorite part of our week long trip in Yellowstone. The scenery was beautiful and Bo was very knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this trip!

1st timers

Kevin_D, Jul 2026
We had a blast Garrett was a cool Guy and made the trip very enjoyable. Highly recommend. We were 1st timers and definitely will do it again

So fun

Larisa_S, Jul 2026
This was so fun. Our guide was great and the scenery was beautiful. It was a perfect trip for first timers on the rapids.

100 percent recommend!

Shara_G, Jul 2026
Abby was an excellent guide and made things fun for everyone on the raft. She knew quite a bit about the area as well. My kids ranged from 7-19 and they all had a blast!

Rafting

Robert_E, Jun 2026
Amazing experience for all ages. The guide was amazing 👏 and very engaging. This trip was great for all ages from 8 to 80

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Wonderful to hear! Glad y'all had a great trip!

Great for kids!

JulieAnne_S, Jun 2026
This trip was a great start for white water rafting for my 8 and 10 year olds. The rapids were fun and exciting but not too much for them. Our guide, Josie, was terrific and let them play a swim game and even row! The trip to and from was quick and efficient. We had a great time!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Josie is one of our finest! She rocks it out on the river. Thanks for coming out!

It was very fun, although...

Holly_K, Jun 2026
It was very fun, although I feel like they should put in the description that customers are expected to carry the heavy raft down a windy, gravel hill. I was not expecting that and have weight lifting limitations, that was the most difficult part of the experience and I felt worn out before we even started. It would also be helpful if they specified what people should wear, and a little more descriptive of what they will be wearing/changing into, as it was a guessing game until we arrived at the meeting spot. I did Google what to wear for this type of activity and found a general answer there that was helpful. Totally fun though! Should just be a little more descriptive (for beginners) is my only complaint.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

We hate that walk too! We do our best to make it as viable as possible for all. Hopefully one day they let us build a slide down it. Our website is jam packed with information, but I am sorry that the information needed was hard to find. Glad you had a good time overall!

You can tell everyone...

Katelyn_G, Jun 2026
You can tell everyone loves their job and it’s a well oiled machine, staff is amazing. Mya is the coolest and worked well with the parents and kids on the trip with the low tides and providing fun. If you’re worried about kids, they are super accommodating. We even got a history lesson and tour and some info about the area. I can’t recommend this enough.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

We really do love our work! Nothing better than being on the river with other folks and enjoying the outdoors! Thanks for coming out with us!

We went with Garret, he...

Cristina_S, Jun 2026
We went with Garret, he was chill and fun. My big kids had alot of fun riding the bull he gor us on some nice waves.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Garrett is the epitome of a chiller! Thanks for coming!

Great excursion short notice only 15 minutes from Mammoth

Bruce_D, Jun 2026
The trip was very well organized. The water is very cold high 40s. They supply you with everything needed including wet suits and booties. This is about two hours on the river and a 10 minute drive each way. The trip is very well organized. We had a high of mid-level 3 rapids. They have clean bathrooms and changing rooms. I highly recommend this for all ages, assuming they’re in decent shape.

Such a fun afternoon experience!

Kelly_G, Jun 2026
Very well-organized and efficient. The guides were very helpful and fun to talk to. The rapids were just right for our 12- and 15-year olds. Have one or two spots to jump out and swim if you want to. Wet suits were super helpful with the cold water! Abbey was our guide and she was great!

One of the Highlights of Our Teip!

Anonymous, Jun 2026
What an incredible experience! This was our first time whitewater rafting in Montana, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Our guide, Brian, was absolutely fantastic. He was knowledgeable, professional, fun, and made us feel safe and confident from start to finish. His instructions were clear, and he did a great job balancing safety with making sure everyone had an exciting adventure. The scenery along the river was breathtaking, and the rapids were the perfect mix of fun and excitement. We laughed, got soaked, and made memories we’ll never forget. If you’re considering a rafting trip, don’t hesitate—it’s an amazing experience, and Brian made it even better. Highly recommend!

Great experience. They...

Seth_M, Jun 2026
Great experience. They supply everything to make this trip a memorable one. Wet suits, booties, jackets, and of course the best guides!

From US$92.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 49 days in advance.

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