Flying Pig Adventures Yellowstone Whitewater Rafting — Attraction in West Yellowstone

Our family did the full-day Saddle & Paddle tour with Flying Pig Adventure Company in Gardiner, MT — and we truly could not have asked for a better experience! From start to finish, the day was filled with fun, adventure, and incredibly kind, welcoming people.

From the moment we checked in at their rafting headquarters, we were greeted with high energy and friendly faces. The vibe here is just so positive — everyone we interacted with was upbeat, helpful, and clearly passionate about what they do. The staff was super organized and communicated everything clearly, setting great expectations for how the day would unfold. That made it really easy to relax and enjoy each moment.

Our horseback ride through the nearby mountain range was amazing — peaceful, scenic, and safe, even with kids in our group. We had three children with us (two just meeting the minimum age), and they were kept on leads with guides who made them feel secure and confident. The horses were gentle, the wranglers were fantastic, and the views were stunning.

After the ride, we had lunch at a local café in Gardiner using the included vouchers. It was such a nice break and gave us time to relax and recharge before the rafting portion of the day.

Back at rafting HQ, we were again greeted warmly — even by one of the owners, Patrick, who was incredibly personable, professional, and down-to-earth. We also loved hanging out with Otis, their sweet company dog, who added even more charm to an already wonderful experience.

Getting our large group ready for rafting was impressively smooth. The team was well-coordinated and efficient, and we felt fully prepared before heading to the river. We were lucky to be paired with Preston as our rafting guide — he was absolutely fantastic. Friendly, knowledgeable, and calm under pressure, he made the trip fun while sharing lots of cool info about the Yellowstone River and surrounding area.

The rafting itself was perfect — a great mix of excitement and safety, especially important with little ones on board. We always felt secure, and the scenery was absolutely unforgettable. As a bonus, we were photographed along the way so we can relive the memories for years to come!

By the time we returned to HQ, we felt like part of the Flying Pig family. The staff even remembered our kids’ names and asked them about their favorite moments — such a thoughtful touch.

This company has truly found the perfect balance between adventure and professionalism. They run like a well-oiled machine but manage to keep the experience personal, warm, and full of heart. With just two full days in Yellowstone, this was the best way to see and do so much — and create memories that will last a lifetime.

We’re so grateful to have spent a day with Flying Pig Adventure Company, and we absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable...

I can’t say enough good things about this company and our guides, Ella and Owen who were assigned to us. Our 3 families, (6 adults and 5 young teens) booked the overnight rafting trip. We took advantage of the wetsuits that were provided, as well as the water shoes. The staff were very kind, provided plenty of information and were very helpful in getting us prepared. Before we left on day 1, we piled our personal belongings up that we wanted at camp, including a bag for each person and drinks ;) By the time we completed our first day of rafting, our items had been delivered to camp, and our drinks were already in a cold ice chest. We had 2 rafts between our 3 families and a guide on each raft. On day 1, we had 2 families in 1 raft and 1 family in the other raft. By day 2, we were so comfortable and confident in our guides that we trusted them to take our kids in 1 raft while the adults were in a separate raft with the other guide. When we arrived at camp on evening 1, we utilized the two outdoor showers that had hot water as well as the two clean restrooms that had electricity and flushing toilets. We slept in 3 separate canvas bunk houses that each had 4 raised beds, each with a twin size mattress, sleeping bag and pillows. These bunk houses do not have electricity and are not air tight, so we did encounter a few bugs…but none of us were bothered by this. Back to Ella and Owen: They were absolutely amazing and I can’t recommend them enough. They prepared snacks when we first arrived at camp, then later made amazing smash burgers and sides. They pay close attention to everything and you can tell that they would know when to give you space, but we didn’t want space from them because they meshed so well with our group. They were very engaging in an appropriate manner with our kids (all 13-15yo) as well as the adults. Later in the evening after they cleaned up dinner, we invited them to hang out with us at the camp fire and they happily played our silly games. The following morning, we woke up to the most amazing pancakes I’ve ever had with fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice and hot coffee! (I think the menu varies from trip to trip) We then packed our stuff to be transported back to headquarters and hopped on the rafts for the final leg home. We did stop about halfway back where we all were provided sack lunches on the bank of the river. Once we finished rafting after lunch, we were picked up down river and bused backed to headquarters. Ella and Owen were so knowledgeable, funny and a pure joy to be around! If you’re able to request them on your trip, I highly recommend it! Also, for those who don’t know any better; yes, you should tip your guides. They work very hard over the duration of the 24hr trip and...

We did the Saddle and Paddle today and it was well worth the $$$ and the 2 hour drive we took to get there. The day started with being checked in at the Flying Pig office then we drove up some dirt roads to the Hell's A Roarin' Ranch for the first leg of the day. As a tip it is ideal to have a 4wd or similar for the drive to the ranch but not necessary is it is a bit steep in sections and the extra clearance with a 4wd would help the bumpy sections. At the ranch we signed waivers and were paired with our trusty steeds and off we went. We meandered around the Gallatin National Park with some spectacular views of Yellowstone giving a view that you would not usually see whilst driving the park. The terrain was manageable and suitable for kids to the elderly. My horse Fu Man Chu was great and knowledgeable on the trail. Any issues that arose for example a sliding saddle, the Cowboys/cowgirls were onto it and fixed the problem pretty quickly. After i believe 2 hours of riding we returned the ranch dismounted and made our way back to Gardiner. We were given 3 options for lunch and we chose "Follow Yer Nose" restaurant/food truck. This was about a 10 min walk from the Flying Pig office, but was a great choice. It was an easy walk across the bridge and into Gardiner town centre. We had a brisket sandwich and coleslaw which seemed very authentic given we are from Australia and wanted to eat what locals enjoy. We grabbed a local Hazy IPA from the tavern in the same restaurant complex to "pair" with the sandwich which went down a treat after being out in the sun on the horses. From there we walked back to Flying Pig for the rafting segment of the day. We once again checked in and were issued with an oar and lifejacket. Once all paddlers were ready we had a brief safety talk from one of the guides and then we were off. Our guide Preston was exemplary. He interacted on a personal level with all of our crew mates and provided interesting information along the way. He made the experience fun and safe. Even when i took a dip in a calmer section of the river he assisted getting me back in the boat before we hit the rapids again. Props to Preston for "riding the bull" down a rapid as we span raft 360 degrees a few times. We can not recommend Flying Pig enough mainly due to the enthusiasm of the staff and professional operation they run. It shows that the staff enjoy what they are doing whether it be on horseback or raft which translates to happy customers. It was my birthday on this trip and Flying Pig made it a great one. Next time we are in Yellowstone we...