Yellowstone Kayaking: Explore West Thumb Geyser Basin

Discover Yellowstone Lake’s hidden geothermal wonders on a guided kayak tour. No experience needed. Explore untouched geyser basins accessible only by water.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • West Thumb Geyser Basin - Your guide will lead you around the shoreline to the West Thumb Geyser Basin where there are many geothermal features on land and under water we will explore from our kayaks, then return the way we came, following the shoreline and watching the wildlife as we casually make our way back to Grant Village, returning just before dark.
What's Included
  • Professional guides provide an introduction to Yellowstone’s history and geology of the Lake
  • Kayaking equipment and techniques
  • All necessary equipment and instruction
What's Not Included
  • Guide Gratuities are not included but greatly appreciated.
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

This guided kayaking tour in Yellowstone National Park includes an introduction to Yellowstone’s history and the geology of the Lake. You’ll receive kayaking equipment and learn techniques before your guides lead you along the shoreline to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. Here, you’ll explore numerous geothermal features on land and underwater from your…

Location
Grant Marina Road
Meet at the marina, in Grant Village inside Yellowstone National Park. There is no exact street address in a National Park, so we meet you in Grant Village, at the marina boat ramp, where the kayaks will be spread out on the beach. There are restrooms and parking for all sized vehicles.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(10 Ratings)
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Isabelle
Aug 14, 2025
Paddle to West Thumb Geyser - Great trip with our guides. Small groups. Got to go all the way to the West Thumb geyser area and see the hot springs from the kayaks and also see bubbling in the water of the lake nearby. Tour guides, Maegan and Spencer gave a lot of tips and made a safe, education and highly informative memorable trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gumbyuml
Aug 8, 2025
Amazing sunset tour with a great guide! - 3 of us (my wife, son & myself) did the 3 hr sunset tour last night. Our guide Brandon was amazing - very attentive & helpful, he gave us a lot of information about the thermal features in West Thumb and overall just added to the amazing kayak experience we had on Yellowstone Lake last night! :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Packadoklar
Aug 7, 2025
Excellent way to cap off a beautiful day in Yellowstone - Took my 16-year-old for a last adventure in Yellowstone before heading home. Ty, Ben, and Ethan were excellent guides with great knowledge of the park and the lake with these awesome geothermal features. They knew when to give info and when to let us just enjoy the scenery. The weather was great, and the forecast of wind did not pan out thankfully. We hugged the coastline anyway, so any wind wouldn't really have been an issue. The kayaks were sturdy and comfortable enough. I didn't feel like I'd tip over. We were offered several times to stop and stretch our legs, put on more clothes, etc. but we only asked to stop once. They provided dry bags for our clothes. I kept my phone in the pocket of the life vest and got some great photos. We could keep our water in some bungy-type cords within reach. I'm 52 and not in the best shape and this was not strenuous or difficult at all. We set the pace so did not feel rushed. We got to experience both sunset and an almost full moon reflecting on the water (sunset was around 8:30). Overall, a wonderful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber64586157323
Jul 6, 2025
Heavenly kayaking - My family members had the time of their lives on the sunset tour. They said it was a highlight of our week in Yellowstone and the most beautiful kayaking they’ve ever done. Our guide was informative and helpful and gave us memories that will last forever.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_d
Jun 18, 2025
The lake was beautiful... - The lake was beautiful and the paddling easy. Went approximately 6 miles round trip. You'll come close to shore and see various thermals on land and in the water, but for safety sake, you won't be close. Bring bug spray for there were a few mosquitos. Sunset on the lake is beautiful. The guide was very knowledgeable and engaging and he provided all protective clothing and drybags if people wanted them.
Review provided by Viator
Angie_m
Jun 10, 2025
Kayaking Yellowstone - Awesome! Colin was accommodating, knowledgeable and personable! It was a gorgeous evening to be on the water!
Review provided by Viator
Clarebn1463ff
May 31, 2025
Beautiful evening paddle. - Lovely paddle along the shore to West Thumb geyser basin. Had a clear calm evening. Three college students were our guides; they were very helpful and friendly. Pointed out all the things to look at and talked about the park in general, and helped make it an enjoyable trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
I7489qejennifert
Sep 26, 2024
Would definitely recommend - Wonderful experience. The guide was knowledgeable and experienced. Would definitely recommend. Didn't see any animals but heard the elk
Review provided by Tripadvisor
5karees
Jul 30, 2024
Wonderful! - Our trip was great! Our guide, Brian took excellent care of us. He let us paddle at our own pace and always made sure we were comfortable. We saw some elk and Brian let us stop and get a better look. He was also very knowledgeable and gave us so much info about the park. We took some amazing pictures of the lake and the geyser. We are not experienced kayakers and we thoroughly enjoyed this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_u
Jun 27, 2025
Bad communication - I had booked this originally as a reserve now pay later. Two days before the event I canceled the booking. I never received confirmation of the booking or cancelation. I emailed and chatted my cancelation three times but they claim to have not received it until the day of the booking. The policy also stated that it was a 24 hour cancelation, but they said in an email it was 48-hour. Regardless, I did cancel within two days prior to the booking but they still charged me. I am in an area where cell service is spotty, at best and wifi the same. They need a better follow up, especially in areas where service can be challenging for travelers. Now I am out my money as they say that I did not cancel in time. $250 is a lot to spend on nothing.
Review provided by Viator