Kayaking and Canoeing

In business for more than 35 years, Snake River Kayak & Canoe School (365 N. Cache, 307/733-9999 or 800/529-2501, www.snakeriverkayak.com [1]) offers a wide variety of river kayaking and canoeing classes for all levels of ability, plus fishing trips and raft trips. Half-day private lessons include transportation, boats, paddles, wet suit, rubber booties, and life jackets ($250 for two students). Beginners may want to start out with one of the three-hour “rubber duckie” inflatable kayak river trips ($75).

In addition, the school has sea kayak tours of all lengths in Yellowstone National Park [2]. The shop rents practically anything that floats: canoes, sea kayaks, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, and rafts, all with paddles and roof racks included. Also available are dry bags and life jackets.

The folks at Rendezvous River Sports/Jackson Hole Kayak School (945 W. Broadway Ave., 307/733-2471, www.jacksonholekayak.com [3]) teach a wide range of kayaking courses from the absolute beginner level to advanced “hairboating” for experts. Classes include kayak roll clinics, river rescue, special women’s clinics, and kids’ classes, plus multi-day tours in Yellowstone. Private lessons are available, and the company rents sea kayaks and whitewater kayaks, plus inflatable kayaks and rafts.

Leisure Sports (1075 S. U.S. Hwy. 89, 307/733-3040, www.leisuresportsadventure.com [4]) rents rafts, float tubes, canoes, inflatable kayaks, water skis, wet suits, dry bags, life vests, and all sorts of other outdoor equipment. Next to Dornan’s in Moose [5], Adventure Sports (307/733-3307, www.dornans.com [6]) also rents canoes and kayaks.