Arrive 30 minutes prior to departure and check-in at the office before meeting your friendly river guides. Leave your belongings in your car and your car keys for you at the front desk. Next, take a short 10-minute bus ride to the river. Your guide will launch the boat there, give you safety instructions, and you’ll begin floating down the beautiful river.

The journey starts on a 4-mile mellow section of the river, giving you plenty of time to learn to paddle and to adjust to being on the water. The rapids come on the second 4 miles of the trip and photographs of each boat are taken in the rapid named Bonecrusher. The raft will stop periodically to let you jump in and experience a dip in glacial water if you choose. You’ll float under Glacier National Park’s historic Belton Bridge towards the end of the trip. At the end of the trip, it’s a short walk back from the river to the local partner’s office in the village of West Glacier.

The length of the trip depends on the river flow. In June through early July, it lasts about 2.5 hours, from mid-July to early August, about 3 hours, and from mid-August through the end of the season, approximately 3.5 hours. Safety and fun are the top priorities. Guides undergo training in river rescue techniques, first aid, and more. Many guides return year after year. If conditions call for wetsuits, fleece, and river shoes, or if you would prefer to wear splash gear, it is always available at no extra cost. Helmets and life jackets are mandatory and provided.