I Took an Overnight Rafting Trip in Montana’s Glacier National Park — Here’s What Surprised Me

Our raft rushed through a mini whitewater rapid, splashing cold water on our faces and jolting us into excitement at the very beginning of our trip. The mountains around us were green with cottonwood and pine trees.

We were floating down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River on the boundary of Glacier National Park in Montana for an overnight rafting trip. The plan was to raft for a few hours, then set up camp along the way before sunset. While I’ve gone on whitewater rafting trips before, this is the first time that I'll camp overnight. 

There are certainly many things to do in Glacier National Park, from driving or biking the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road to bucket-list worthy hikes, but the overnight rafting trip gave us a chance to see the park from a side most people have never seen.

What It Is Like to Take an Overnight Rafting Trip in Glacier National Park

Since the trip was only for our small group, we all boarded one raft, while another guide was on a second raft with all our gear and supplies. The river water was cold because it’s glacier-fed, but we wore paddle jackets to stay warm and dry, and the weather was beautiful.

The first half of the trip was a chance for us to practice our paddling, since the rapids were milder, but they got more thrilling on the second day. We pulled over at a bend on the river to set up camp. We set up our own tents, and each tent was shared between two people. The sleeping bag kept me warm all night.

The one thing I had to get used to, unsurprisingly, is the bathroom situation. There’s no real bathroom, of course, but they set up a portable toilet they call the groover at a spot away from camp. There’s a box one of us would take to do our business, filled with toilet paper, bug spray, and other things you might need. The box also works as an indicator: if the box is not at camp, someone is using the loo, and you’d know not to walk that way.

Our river lunches were simple: sandwiches and chicken wraps, but the dinner and breakfast at camp were more substantial than I expected. The dinner prepared by our guides consisted of steak, some vegetable kebabs, and even a chocolate cake for dessert. We were greeted with eggs, bacon, and coffee the next morning.

What Surprised Me the Most About This Experience

On the first day of the rafting trip, it felt like we had the river all to ourselves most of the time. We saw only a handful of boats float by all day. From parts of the river, we would see Little Matterhorn, which got its name because its sharp peak resembles the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. 

I was surprised at the wildlife we were able to see from the water. At some point, we spotted a herd of mountain goats hanging near the riverbank. We saw mergansers, ospreys, and even a bald eagle. Slowly watching the sky turn orange before giving way to a sea of stars definitely melted all my stress away.

Then, there were the whitewater rapids themselves, especially on the second day when we rafted through more level III (and sometimes level IV, depending on the water flow) rapids. We also learned that this part of the river was the same section that Meryl Streep rafted in the 1994 movie, The River Wild.

What to Know Before You Go

The rafting company, Glacier Raft Co, thankfully provided pretty much everything we needed for the trip, including tents, sleeping bags, plus food and water for the next two days. We checked in at the company’s store in West Glacier, where they handed each of us a large dry bag to pack our things in. We each got a sleeping bag to use for the trip. They also provided wetsuits, booties, and paddle jackets for us to wear on the river. Of course, we also had life jackets and helmets for safety. We parked our cars at the store’s parking lot and hopped onto their bus, rafts in tow, to the spot where our river trip would start (our “put-in” as they call it).

All I really needed to pack were a change of clothes, my essential toiletries, and a travel towel. What I forgot, however, was a pillow. I ended up using my towel as a makeshift pillow and made a note to buy an inflatable one for next time. We had also brought some beers and playing cards to entertain ourselves at camp. There was no cellular service at any point during the trip, so some also packed a book to read.

How This Experience Changed How I See National Parks

I loved that the experience combined adrenaline-inducing rapids with quiet moments to appreciate the surrounding beauty in between. The Montana rafting trip gave me a chance to experience the beauty of the national park in a more relaxed way, instead of running from landmark to landmark. I also saw more wildlife than I ever did on my hikes in the park since the river is a source of freshwater for the animals. 

This trip was also perfect for people who have not done much whitewater rafting. It’s not as intimidating as other river expeditions, as the rapids were relatively easy yet still fun. While I’ve rafted higher-level rapids before on day trips, I thought the overnight rafting trip was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to the beauty of Glacier National Park.