There are dozens of fun, family-friendly activities near Island Park and many of them revolve around time spent on the water—of these, a local float trip is one of the more accessible and entertaining options.  Regardless of your age, skill level, and group size, there’s a river to match.  The most well-known in the area is Mack’s Inn, where you float from Big Springs down to the take-out near the highway—but there are many more options that will likely have less traffic and some novel scenery.

Any discussion of the float trips near the Island Park area would be remiss if you didn’t begin by discussing the Madison River.  There are three sections that are the commonly floated—and each is tailored to a specific style of float activity.  The Upper Madison, which begins near the end of the closed section of the outflow of Earthquake Lake (where it intersects the highway) and ends at whatever highway pullout fits the desired length of your float trip, is a river with some more substantial whitewater chutes and is best suited to whitewater kayaks and rafts.  While not extremely technical whitewater, the more advanced nature of this section lends itself to those of an intermediate skill level that are seeking to make their foray into self-guided whitewater trips.  Next, the Lower Madison runs from McAtee Bridge on downstream towards Ennis.  This is a much tamer section that has calmer stretches broken up by brief rapid stints.  None of this qualifies as legitimate whitewater, but is still best suited to kayaks, canoes, and the like.  This float takes you through a fairly varied terrain and you’re sure to see wildlife.  The final portion of the Madison worth mentioning is the portion that runs through Beartrap Canyon from the town of Norris, Montana to the city of Bozeman.  This section is a true lazy river—relatively shallow throughout its length and extraordinarily calm, this section is well suited to tubes, floats, and swimming throughout.  It is, however, frequented by both fisherman and groups of students from Bozeman—so share the resource in a respectful manner.

Now, in Island Park itself, the Box Canyon float runs from the out-flow below the Island Park Dam on to the point that the Snake brushes up against the highway at Last Chance.  You can access it by driving towards Island Park Dam and turning to your left on the first road that goes to your left prior to crossing the river, here you can follow the road down to the boat launch at the bottom of the canyon and launch your trip. This is a beautiful float that takes you through some beautiful and varied country and is best attempted utilizing a canoe, raft, or river kayak.  Opportunities for wildlife viewing abound and the water is typically cold and clear.

Finally, near St. Anthony, south of Island Park, the Snake river runs closer to the highway.  Here, there’s ample opportunities to float and you can largely decide the length of the trip you want to attempt.  The water here is very calm and warmer than Island Park, although there are some deeper spots and one should exercise caution regarding several large impoundments along the river. There are numerous spots to pull off and do some bridge jumping and plenty of other activities nearby, so this is a great option for those who may not know how long they intend to float for.  

Overall, there are several different opportunities to float one of the many rivers we have in the area—some are very accessible, others are a bit more off the beaten path, but all are unique in their own way.  As you create your own adventures in our area, please utilize the resources responsibly and respectfully, understand that you’re utilizing a shared resource with both people and wildlife, and take the time to seek out local knowledge and guidance prior to starting out.  Enjoy your float!