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Gardiner, MT

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Wild West Rafting

4.8 (107 reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

Wild West Rafting Photos

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Dee B.

When my friends and I arrived at Yellowstone National Park, we wanted to experience everything the park had to offer. While this is experience is not inside the park, it is worth every penny. As we were waiting for the remaining guests who had signed up, we had the opportunity to get to know a few of the guides. Evan, Trent, Jada, and Cheyara ( I probably mispelled) were the guides for our group and all are great! The guides were very good at orienting us on safety protocols along with their great sense of humor. We did the two hour rafting trip and would like to do a longer one if we get the chance!

HEAR YE HEAR YE! If you ever want to test your friendships and your arm strength, book a rafting trip with Wild West Rafting. Our bachelorette crew of eight women showed up ready to float -- Spencer, our fearless captain, quickly informed us this was more "adventure" than "lazy river." Not only did Spencer make sure we paddled for our lives, he also had us carrying rafts up and down hills like we were training for the Raft Olympics. And when we weren't paddling or hauling, he was pulling double duty as a certified (in our minds) bird-watcher -- confidently identifying every feathered creature we saw, real or imagined. The views were gorgeous, the water was refreshing (read: freezing), and Spencer's calm, steady presence (even with eight women in one raft) made the trip unforgettable. We're pretty sure he secretly loved our vibes and the top-tier entertainment we provided along the way. 10/10 would raft again... after leg day, arm day, and maybe some cardio. Thanks for the memories, Spencer! We would definitely recommend booking your trip with him. WOOF WOOF BARK BARK

Group photo
Amber B.

What an amazing experience!! We had a group of twelve people and every one of us had the time of our lives! We ranged in age from 50's down to 6 years old, and everyone loved every minute. Our tour guide was so fun and informative, and we came away with a lot of interesting knowledge about the area. I was worried it would be scary, especially after I was handed an oar, but it was so fun and easy to follow instructions. No one fell out! Haha! The entire experience was streamlined and well organized. We even got to take a dip in the Yellowstone river, which was amazing. August was the perfect time to go as it was warm and beautiful outside. I highly recommend this company! I can't wait to go again. Make sure to bring cash to tip your guide. If I could give 10 stars I would!

Debra S.

Our family of four had a great time on the river. We did the two hour tour and Becca was our guide. She was so nice and very informative. I was a little nervous and she put me right at ease. The last time I had been was rafting was when I was 16. It was just as fun as I remembered. Our ages: 50, 49, 23 and 20. It was the perfect level of rapids for both us and our adult kids. I would highly recommend. They provided wet shoes and safety vest.

Lee G.

Amazing experience! Place is run by professionals. The whole staff were very welcoming and high-energy. Every one of the guides hustled their butts off getting the rafts to and from the river, hauling all the equipment, etc., while literally running to get things set up. Our guide was great, sending us into extra rapids and spins that the other tours weren't doing. You can tell these people care about the customers and make the kids all have a blast! If you're considering rafting while around Yellowstone, this is the place to go. Clean and comfortable changing rooms and bathrooms. Photographer follows along the valley rim, getting awesome shots of every group. Many great memories made!

Jessica R.

Brandon and Patrick were wonderful. I was absolutely terrified but they made it fun and made me feel comfortable throughout the day. All the gear was provided and we hopped into the wild river. It was so much fun. Highly recommend!

Awesome gear they provided
Maritza R.

Wild West Rafting is located right outside Yellowstone (North Entrance). We booked the Classic Half Day Rafting Experience. It was cold out there but we had a good time. This is good for families with kids or someone who is going out for the first time. We had a great time. Our guide was super chill. They provided us with all the gear we needed. Wet suits, shoes, and a jacket. It was perfect because it was super cold outside but we didn't want that to hold us back from enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

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Great experience with friends and family on the 4th. Our guide, Will, was laid back, fun and great for the group.

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2 years ago

We had so much fun! All the employees were kind, helpful, and informative. Definitely go with them if you're looking in the area!

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3 years ago

Incredible service and even better experience!! Highly recommend. They are so sweet and were incredibly kind with my 6-year old.

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Ask the Community - Wild West Rafting

Review Highlights - Wild West Rafting

“One of the nicest dudes I've ever met and so knowledgable about the river, wildlife, and Yellowstone in general.”

Mentioned in 20 reviews

Read more highlights

Lamar Valley - Outside window 2023

Lamar Valley

4.7(25 reviews)
21.1 mi

The Home of Bison. Lamar Valley is famous for its large herds of bison and beautiful grasslands. We…read morearrived late in the afternoon, which is a great time to spot wildlife. We saw huge herds of bison strolling across the valley and even got to experience a bison family crossing the road right in front of us! Unfortunately, we didn't spot any elk, bears, or wolves this time. Watching the bison slowly cross the road, bringing traffic to a standstill while countless cars stopped to take photos, was an epic experience! Seeing these magnificent animals up close in their natural habitat was unforgettable.

Amazing! The rumors were true. + Bison nonchalantly…read morecrossing the road, slowing down lines of cars. My 3rd animal crossing this vacation! - The western entrance to Lamar Valley at Tower Junction (Tower/Roosevelt Service Station) was way backed up. Many cars, slow line. * Even with many families waiting behind you, savor the moments. Not often in your life you get to witness Bovidae walking right in front of you. . Tip: better replenish at the Sinclair gas station. Will be a long drive ahead. # Warning: Don't feed them, and certainly don't touch them. Ancestrally, bison had to view us hunters as predators. And mothers recognize their calves by scent. If you touch a calf, your human predator scent will alienate the mother; she may not even recognize her young anymore, and it won't be able to rejoin the herd Dx Disastrous fate for the calf afterwards... So yeah, stay in your car. Or exit at one of the pullouts, but keep your distance. Welcome to America's Serengeti!

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Lamar Valley - Rainbow in the valley 2023

Rainbow in the valley 2023

Lamar Valley - Lots of elk

Lots of elk

Lamar Valley - Relaxing

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Relaxing

Mt. Washburn - Lamb! So cute

Mt. Washburn

5.0(3 reviews)
20.5 mi

We happened upon this overlook up the mountain. It was a nice panoramic view . We didnt do the…read morehike .. just drove and got out to look around on our way out of the park.

Mt. Washburn is one of the most popular hikes in Yellowstone National Park at 10,219 feet. It…read moreoffers panoramic views 20-50 miles in all direction -- really nice views of the Washburn range from up top. You climb about 1,393 feet. There is a Mt. Washburn sign at the top with the elevation and a fire lookout that has a small exhibit inside. Since it is pretty popular, I recommend hiking in the morning before 10am to avoid the crowds and get a parking spot! There are two ways to hike up to Mt.Washburn: 1) Chittenden Road: 5 miles roundtrip, roughly 2.5- 4 hours. The trail starts at the parking lot and is the shortest route up Mt. Washburn. The road provides a wide trail and a gradual steady incline. 2) Dunraven Pass: 6 miles roundtrip, roughly 3-6 hours. I heard this trail is steeper and more wooded and forest-like. Great views as you're ascending Washburn though. I personally hiked Washburn up the Chittenden Road and saw lots of ewes and lambs. It was a pretty easy hike since the incline was gradual. Beautiful views at the top! Make sure you stay on the trail for both paths to avoid destroying fragile alpine vegetation. There is a possibility to see grizzlies especially late summer and fall so remember to carry bear spray and make lots of noise! Stay 100 yards away from bears and wolves and 25 yards away from other animals in the park.

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Mt. Washburn - Made it!

Made it!

Mt. Washburn
Mt. Washburn

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Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs

Yellowstone National Park

4.6(630 reviews)
42.8 mi

We only spent one day in Upper Loop and one day in Lower Loop. Honestly, you can spend a week in…read moreYellowstone National Park and it's still wouldn't be enough. I mean it's 2,221,766 acres spread over 3 states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho)! Upper Loop We visited Gibbon Falls, Norris Back Basin Geyser, Brink of Upper Falls and my favorite spot Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is a massive river-carved gorge. We watched the sunset and I have no words. I have seen many pictures and paintings. Nothing will prepare you for the beauty. Lower Loop I was so excited to see Old Faithful as it is on my travel bucket list. It is the most predictable geyser, hence the name "Old Faithful"! Visitors can check the park website in the morning to see the next predicted eruption time based on the last eruption. It's +/- 10 minutes and pretty accurate. Get there early to get a front row seat. There are benches surrounded the geyser. We also visited Grand Prismatic Springs. It's the colorful large geyser with the gorgeous overhead view. We walk/hike about 0.8 miles to the overlook. It's not a hard hike but make sure you have your water bottle, a hat, sunscreen, and dress accordingly. Even during off-peak season in September, it was still kind of crowded and hot! Plan ahead, map out your route and stop by visitor center for additional information and tips.

Although the park was great, there were a lot of closed areas of interest. Not much in the way of…read morefood or decent shops around the area either. Also, it's not entirely pet-friendly. Most of the sights require a small walk in areas that are pet-restricted. If you're bringing a furry.... Consider throwing them in a stroller or something.

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Yellowstone National Park - Old Faithful

Old Faithful

Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs

Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs

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Mammoth Hot Springs

Palisade Falls

Palisade Falls

4.8(8 reviews)
43.7 mi

Ignore Google Maps when it warns you that part of the road here is unpaved for the last leg of the…read moredrive. It's actually recently paved, so you have a smooth ride to the parking lot! The path to the waterfall is also paved with asphalt so it's a smooth walk up and great for strollers. There are two vault toilets at the parking lot, and a small picnic area near the entrance of the parking lot. This is an amazing waterfall. Water cascades down a columnar basalt face so it's particularly stunning. I've seen amazing columnar basalt formations (Devils Tower, Devils Postpile), but none with a water element. It's very memorable. I saw some people trying to scramble up the rocks to get to the top of the waterfall, but I'm not sure how safe that is. From satellite photos it looks like there's just forest up there anyways.

Amazing Hiking trail and falls!!! If you're looking for a…read morefairly easy, clean, green, and amazing trail. This is the right place. All the way up is paved which makes the experience nicer and easier, if you're not looking to break a leg going up haha. The sunset up there are amazing and all pictures are Instagram worthy!!! I took my 70 year old grandma and she enjoyed the hike and even made it from start to finish. The ride there is a bit intense with many curves so I'd recommend to take a bag for those that may get car sick. I'll be coming back to Montana, just for this beauty!

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Palisade Falls
Palisade Falls - The falls

The falls

Palisade Falls

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Artist Point - Lower Falls Yellowstone's Grand Canyon Wonder | Rees's Roots

Artist Point

5.0(25 reviews)
25.1 mi

It ain't called Artist Point for no reason. Artist Point is…read morefamous for its picturesque views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the spectacular 308-foot Lower Falls. It's a short, easy walk from the parking lot, making it a must-see spot in Yellowstone. We arrived early in the morning on a rainy day to avoid the crowds. With the cloudy skies, mist, and cold weather, the canyon looked like a beautiful Chinese ink-wash painting. Even without the sunshine, the canyon and the Lower Falls were absolutely stunning The Brink of the Lower Falls overlooks and trail are also accessible from the same parking area, making it convenient to explore more of this iconic landscape.

Artist Point has an amazing canyon view of a 308-ft waterfall. Easy to get to…read more We heard that Artist Point, near Canyon Village, was one of the best sights in Yellowstone National Park. The drive from the West Entrance was essentially west to east, with a jog to the north halfway-there. The elevation was increasing most of the way, getting as high as 8244-ft. We found the turns on the drive to be visually confusing, because the curving roads turned our sense of direction. At the Madison stop sign, though the turn seemed odd, we turned left onto Grand Loop Road. That was northeast. It's correct. Passing Norris Geyser, it looked odd but we turned right (east) onto Norris Canyon Rd. Coming up to the east branch of the Loop Road, we turned right (south). The entrance to South Rim Drive was then a left. It's even more confusing on the way back, because they never seemed to put a sign saying "to West Entrance" until a mile past the turns :-). Pro tip: Keep a map in front of you at those turns! Once we turned onto South Rim Drive, we drove the winding way for less than 2-miles to the end. There was a large parking lot with plenty of open spaces, plus outhouses. It was a high elevation there, about 7700-ft, and some of us felt it. Conveniently, we could drop off those who walk less comfortably at the furthest end of the parking lot, about 250-feet from the best vista. We walked to the overlook on the left. t. The 1-mile view to the west along the Yellowstone River was stupendous, with the huge crashing misting Lower Falls waterfall dropping 308-feet. We were awed by the midday view. In fact, three of our group had gone their separate way by now, and when they saw our photos, they drove here on their own the next day! They say that sunrise often creates a rainbow in the mist, but we could not manage to pass through the west entrance early enough for the at-least 90-min (usually longer) drive. From what I read, you need a low sun-angle (less than 45°) to get a rainbow in the mist. Based on a (very-)very-nerdy NOAA Solar Calculator webpage, using the Lat-Lon and time, we might have been able to see a rainbow as late as 8:50am in July. (2026). I won't say who in our group figured that out, because I'd also have to say it was After our trip :-)

Photos
Artist Point
Artist Point - Lower Falls

Lower Falls

Artist Point - Lower Falls Yellowstone's Grand Canyon Wonder | Rees's Roots

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Lower Falls Yellowstone's Grand Canyon Wonder | Rees's Roots

Wild West Rafting - rafting - Updated October 2026

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