Picayune H.
Yelp
For 30 years, I have dreamed of floating down the Flathead river along the legendary snow-capped mountain peaks of Glacier National Park. Over the years, I have looked at dozens (OK, hundreds) of photos of the wet, smiling faces of the boaters splashing and paddling through the whitewater rapids. They always look so happy and excited! Oh, how I wanted to be "that guy" in the photo.
In 2024, I decided I had waited long enough and pulled the trigger. With a gentle nudge from my best friend, I booked a 2-day whitewater rafting adventure with Glacier Guides and Montana Raft. It was time- and it was now my turn!
We made our way north in June, 2025 crossing through 8 states and into Montana. A day before we arrived at the Glacier Guide office, I received a call from our rafting guide, Zack. He sounded as excited as we were and walked us through the itinerary and what we could expect when we arrived. Very professional!
The day had come! When we arrived at the Glacier Guide Office, we were greeted by our guides, Zack and Abby who are absolute Rock Stars and clearly love what they do. They made sure we had all the recommended gear and helped us re-pack our gear into waterproof bags for our Rocky Mountain adventure. We met the others assigned to our boat and got fitted for wet suits, life jackets and helmets. Within an hour, we loaded into our bus and headed north- 2 big, blue rafts in tow.
The first day was spent easing down the Flathead River along the banks of Glacier National Park. The views were just beautiful. Our guide on the first day was Abby, who was as funny as she was skilled at navigating the Class II river. Zack floated ahead of us in the "gear boat" which carried all our tents, food and camping gear. We stopped for lunch around noon which gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and get to know the other members of our party. Bald eagles were observed every so often, as were momma ducks with their babies close by. Everyone was on the lookout for grizzly bears that are common in Glacier, but unfortunately none were seen on our trip.
After lunch, we continued down the river for several hours until Zack found a good spot to call "home" for the night. We had a few hours before nightfall and spent our time making camp, hanging wet clothes and enjoying some of the most beautiful mountain views in the world. We helped the guides unload the gear boat before enjoying grilled steak and salmon for dinner. The food was fantastic, as was the fellowship! After dinner, we sat around a little campfire and relaxed with our new friends. Tired from a long day on the water, we all headed to our tents around 10:00 PM.
6:00 AM, daylight and the smell of coffee and bacon stirred us from our tents. With the sounds of the river flowing below, we eased into the new day with a great breakfast before we broke camp, donned our protective gear and loaded our raft. We changed captains and Zack guided us down the river after a safety brief, Abby navigated the "gear boat" a safe distance behind. Another glorious Montana day on the river.
The closer we got to the entrance of Glacier Park, the more dramatic the views and more challenging the whitewater became. Zack expertly and safely navigated the Class III rapids, all while we paddled like crazy when the order "All forward!" was given. The last stretch of water had 8 named rapids like "Bone Crusher," "Pinball" and "The Big Squeeze." All of us got drenched to the bone and wouldn't have it any other way. It was the Montana trip of a lifetime and everything I hoped it would be.
As our 2-day, overnight adventure came to an end, our guides "high-fived" us and thanked us for joining them. I was sad to leave, I cannot lie. Zack and Abby with Glacier Guides knocked it out of the park- true professionals and an absolute pleasure to be around. I will never forget my Rocky Mountain adventure and am so grateful for the staff of Glacier Guides that helped make a dream come true. I can confidently recommend Glacier Guides to anyone.
~David T. Leuba