Though most backcountry travelers come to Yellowstone to hike, paddling is another excellent way to head into a wilderness setting and find solitude and beauty.
Canoeists paddling the southeast arm of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park / NPS - Neal Herbert
Between them, Yellowstone, Shoshone, and Lewis lakes over sublime paddling opportunities for the experienced paddler. Though at times these lakes can look quite placid and calm, it doesn't take much wind to kick up swells and even waves that can capsize the crafts of even the most experienced paddlers.
As with backcountry hiking, you need a permit to dip your paddle in these lakes if you plan to spend a night or longer in the backcountry. You'll also need to reserve campsites for overnight trips, so download a copy of the park's Beyond Road’s End for how to go about that, and take a look at the park’s boating page for more detailed information specific to watercraft.
Before you put your boat in the water, Yellowstone requires:
All watercraft, including angler float tubes and paddle boards, must pass a Yellowstone AIS [Aquatic Invasive Species] inspection to receive a permit prior to launching. A boat arriving after hours cannot launch in park waters until it has fulfilled the Yellowstone AIS inspection requirement.
Permit and inspection locations within Yellowstone National Park / NPS table
A permit is required for all vessels (motorized and non-motorized including float tubes). See the table below for permit and inspection stations. Fees are $20 for 7 days or $30 for the season for non-motorized boats, and $40 for 7 days or $60 for the season for motorized boats. This includes the required AIS inspection.
A Coast Guard-approved wearable personal flotation device is required for each person boating.
Boat permits issued in Grand Teton National Park are honored in Yellowstone, but owners must register their vessel in Yellowstone and obtain a no-charge Yellowstone validation sticker from a permit issuing station.
Jet skis, personal watercraft, airboats, submersibles, and similar vessels are prohibited in Yellowstone National Park.
All vessels are prohibited on park rivers and streams except the channel between Lewis and Shoshone Lakes, where only hand-propelled vessels are permitted.
To learn more about boating in the park, click here.
Paddling Trips Featured on the Traveler
Glamping Far And Away In Yellowstone National Park
* If you have ever stood on the shores of Yellowstone Lake and looked way across the water to the southeast, into that area of the park where few visitors go, and wished to experience life in the backcountry without hiking with a heavy backpack, go glamping!
You can read the rest of the story at this page.
Paddling Into Yellowstone National Park
* Slipping away from the Lewis Lake boat dock in Yellowstone National Park opens the door to a backcountry adventure few parks can match. Paddling, hiking, and hot springs are just part of the package.
You can read the rest of this story at this page.
The Wild Side of Yellowstone National Park
* Bigger than a saucier pan, the paw print held in the wet sand of a beach deep in the South Arm of Yellowstone Lake was unmistakable: Here was the home of Ursus arctos horribilis, aka grizzly bear.
You can read the rest of the story at this page.
Visiting the Parks: Yellowstone National Park's Shoshone Lake
* Bats, of all things. Deep in Yellowstone’s outback, where we had hoped to see wolves and grizzlies and elk and moose, we seemingly were under siege by a bevy of bats.
