Paddle Yellowstone Lake Past Shoreline Geysers to an Obsidian Beach
A guided morning on the West Thumb arm of the lake, where the hot springs sit at eye level from the kayak seat.
Yellowstone's thermal ground is usually met from a boardwalk. The West Thumb arm of the lake also has a waterline, and that is the side this trip works. Springs vent out of rock that drops into the lake, runoff stains the shallows, and some of the features here come up through the lake bottom. Boats stay back from them either way: the Park Service holds vessels clear of thermal features on the shore and under the water.
The paddle runs four hours. The operator schedules the launch for 10:00 in the morning and calls that a safety decision: Yellowstone Lake builds wind and chop through the afternoon, and the guides want the group off the water beforehand. Travelers on some departures describe putting in at eight instead, so the time on your confirmation is the one to go by.
Yellowstone Hiking Guides runs the trip out of Grant Village Marina. Single and tandem kayaks, paddles, paddle jackets and dry bags are handed out on the beach. The park's boating season is the outer limit on when this can run at all: it generally opens on the Saturday immediately prior to Memorial Day and closes on October 31.
4-Hour Kayak on Yellowstone Lake with LunchYellowstone Hiking Guides · four hours from Grant Village Marina · kayak, paddle jacket, dry bag, hot drinks and a picnic lunch includedwww.viator.comThe Paddle North to Potts Geyser Basin
The route runs north from the marina along the West Thumb shore. Five to six miles of paddling in all. Potts Geyser Basin sits on this stretch and cannot be seen from the road, which is most of what the boat buys you.
The group also takes in West Thumb Geyser Basin from the water, reading the terraces from the lake side, with water falling from the Abyss and Black Pools. Across the lake the Absaroka Range closes off the far bank.
Before Anyone Gets in a Kayak
Everyone meets on the gravel beach by the boat dock, where the kayaks are already laid out. The briefing covers the boats and the paddle strokes first. No previous kayaking experience is assumed, and a busy morning can run as large as 24 paddlers, split into two groups.
Hot drinks and a light snack come before the launch. Kayaks, paddles, paddle jackets, dry bags and flotation devices are all provided. The guide on the water holds ACA kayak certifications and wilderness first aid, and carries bear spray, a satellite phone, a hypothermia kit and a rescue kit.
Elk on the Gravel, Lunch on Black Sand
Wildlife on this route tends to show up along the shore. Elk come down to the gravel bars, white pelicans stand on the spits, and the guides also watch for bear. A kayak closes the distance quietly.
Lunch lands on a secluded beach of black obsidian sand, a sandwich in a brown bag eaten on the volcanic grit.
Age, Weight and How Fit You Need to Be
This is a moderate paddle at high elevation, and the operator is plain about the limits. The minimum age is 14, the maximum is 80, and the weight limit is 275 pounds. Moderate physical fitness is required. The trip is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.
What to bring is short:
- Water bottle
- Sunscreen and a sun hat
- A non-cotton fleece layer
- Personal items such as medication and extra layers
- Optional: a waterproof camera and binoculars
The fleece is the item to take seriously. The park's own figures put lake temperatures in the 40s Fahrenheit in June, reaching only the 60s by late summer; Yellowstone Lake itself averages 41°F year-round. The Park Service puts survival time in water that cold at 20 to 30 minutes and does not recommend swimming.
Restrooms along this shoreline are primitive. Pack a zip bag for paper; the guides carry spares.
Parking is on Grant Marina Road by the boat launch. Coming into the Grant Village area it is about a mile in, a right turn just before the general store, two miles from the South Entrance Road and four miles from West Thumb Geyser Basin.
Booking closes 24 hours ahead, and cancelling at least 24 hours before the departure time returns the full amount. Wind and weather can cancel a departure outright, which also refunds in full. Park entrance fees and gratuities sit outside the ticket, and visitors who are not US residents pay the park a further USD 100 each from age 16, guided trips included. An America the Beautiful pass covers that fee, though the nonresident version of the pass costs USD 250 against the USD 80 residents pay.
The tour ends around 2:00 in the afternoon, back on the same gravel beach, with the rest of the park still open in front of you.