Gardiner, Montana is only three minutes from Yellowstone’s North Entrance, and there’s plenty to do here without ever driving deep into the park. In town you can go whitewater rafting, fly fishing, and horseback riding, browse a local bookstore, eat well, get supplies for your trip, stay in a riverside cabin, and watch elk graze on the lawns downtown.
Just outside of town you’ve got the Roosevelt Arch, Mammoth Hot Springs, a hot springs pool to soak in, and some of the best hiking in Montana.
If you’re driving through Gardiner into Yellowstone, Old Faithful is about two and a half hours each way from Gardiner, and Lamar Valley is around ninety minutes. Both are worth seeing if you have extra time, but a stop in Gardiner is great for adventure.
Wildlife Watching Without the Drive
An elk checks out one of our rafts near Gardiner.
You don’t have to go all the way to Lamar Valley to see animals. Elk graze the lawns along Gardiner’s Park Street and the high school football field most of the year, and bison come into town in winter and spring. Keep 25 yards between you and any of them, and give the cow elk plenty of room in spring, when calves are usually hidden nearby.
Browse Yellowstone books at Tumbleweed Bookstore and Cafe on Scott Street (they have coffee and breakfast too!).
Hikes Near the North Entrance
If you have an hour or two, Wraith Falls is a flat one-mile round trip and the easiest one to do with kids. Rescue Creek Trail starts about a mile from the entrance station, so there’s almost no driving involved, and you can walk out as far as you want and turn around.
A half a day lets you explore Bunsen Peak, the best big view close to town, up 4.4 miles and 1,300 feet. Or drive 45 minutes north to the Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail in Tom Miner Basin, where you’ll climb past standing petrified stumps in some of the best bear country around.
For a full day, Knox Lake runs eight to nine miles round trip up Bear Creek into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Check trailhead access at the Custer Gallatin office on Scott Street before you head out.
No matter where you hike, remember you’re in grizzly country. Carry bear spray.
Rafting the Yellowstone River
All commercial whitewater rafting takes place outside the park boundaries on Gardiner’s stretch of the Yellowstone River, a few minutes from the Arch. Visitors love these popular float trips:
- Scenic Float: 6 miles, about 2 hours, Class I–II. Your guide rows while you sit back. Everyone’s welcome, including infants.
- Half-Day Whitewater: 8 miles, 2–3 hours, Class II–III through fun rapids like Queen of the Waters, The Chute, Man Eater, and Sleeping Giant. 40 lbs and up.
- Full-Day Whitewater: 18 miles, 4–5 hours, Class I–III, with a picnic on Lunch Island and Yankee Jim Canyon thrills in the back half.
Horseback Riding Near Gardiner
Rides take you on trails in the Absaroka Mountains of the Custer-Gallatin National Forest. You’ll check in at our Gardiner office an hour beforehand, then drive yourself out to the ranch.
- 1-Hour Ride: One hour on ranch and forest trails, with start times at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. No riding experience needed. Our wranglers match you with a gentle horse and walk you through the basics first.
- Evening Ride and Cowboy Cookout: A 6:00 p.m. ride followed by dinner over the fire. More on that below.
- Saddle & Paddle: A morning ride paired with an afternoon raft trip, either whitewater or a scenic float.
Fly Fishing In Gardiner and Yellowstone
Some of the best trout water in the country runs right through Gardiner and into Paradise Valley. Our guides fish it every day and customize trips to any angler, from first-timers to people who’ve been casting for decades.
- Drift Boat Trips: Half day (4–5 hours, 4–6 miles) or full day (7–8 hours, 10+ miles) floating the Yellowstone River. Your guide rows while you cast, which means you cover a lot more water. Montana fishing license required.
- Walk-Wade Trips: Half day or full day on foot, fishing smaller streams and backcountry water inside Yellowstone National Park that you can’t reach by boat. You’ll need a Yellowstone National Park fishing permit for these, not a Montana license.
Every trip includes rods, reels, flies, waders, and boots at no extra charge, plus a shore lunch. Bring polarized sunglasses so you can actually see the fish. We practice catch and release on all guided trips to protect the native Yellowstone cutthroat.
Roosevelt Arch and Mammoth Hot Springs
The Arch itself is a five-minute stop, and it photographs better in the evening than at midday. The Yellowstone Forever park store next door is a great spot for maps and field guides.
Mammoth is just five miles from the Arch, about ten to fifteen minutes on a steep, winding road recently constructed after a flood. Take your time and plan to go slow.
In Mammoth, walk the Lower Terrace boardwalks or drive the Upper Terrace Drive to see fascinating geographic features. Elk are usually on the lawns near the buildings, and in September the bulls take the whole place over. Again, keep 25 yards away from them.
The Boiling River Is Gone, But You Can Still Soak Nearby
The Boiling River was scraped away in the 2022 flood and the old soaking area is gone. But you can still enjoy a soak at Yellowstone Hot Spring, a few miles north on Highway 89. Their main pool is around 102°F, the hot plunge is 104°F, and their cold plunge is 65°F. In the summer, go early, or in the evening.
Our Float and Soak trip combines the best of both worlds: whitewater rafting and a dip in the hot pools. You raft at 3:30 p.m., take out right at the hot springs, soak for an hour as the day cools off, and we drive you back to the office by 7:00 p.m.
Visit Gardiner for Montana Adventures
Gardiner packs a lot into a small town. You can watch elk on the lawns before breakfast, hike Rescue Creek without a long drive, run whitewater after lunch, and finish the day soaking at Yellowstone Hot Springs. Add a morning on horseback or a fly fishing trip, and you’ve got a bunch of fun memories to bring back home.
Whatever you have time for, book it before you get here. Summer trips can fill up fast.