Paddling the Yellowstone River

By CHRIS MCCONNELL, Laurel Outlook staff writer

The Yellowstone River is a national treasure and the longest free–flowing river in the United States (outside of Alaska). Recreational opportunities abound and include rafting, canoeing, kayaking and even inner-tubing near Billings. Of the 678 miles from its source in Yellowstone National Park to the confluence with the Missouri, 554 river miles are in Montana.

The bird watching is phenomenal between Big Timber and Pompey’s Pillar and paddlers can expect to see bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey and great blue herons on every trip. In the spring pelicans and Sandhill cranes are common as well. Whitetail deer, fox, coyotes, mink, black bears, beavers and river otters are also present but less common.

Some guidebooks call the river Class I (the easiest on a I–VI scale of difficulty) which is inaccurate for some sections of the river above Billings (especially in canoes), even at normal flows. Open Class II is a better designation between Big Timber and Park City, but during high water there are Class III wave trains and even Class IV holes. The Yellowstone takes lives nearly every year and there have been many rescues from log jams and sweepers/strainers.

An experienced whitewater rafter or kayaker won’t find many thrills during August and September flows (3,000–8,000 cubic feet per second at the Billings gauge) except closer to Yellowstone National Park in Yankee Jim Canyon. But for those in open canoes there are multiple spots where they can swamp, and tricky and pushy currents require canoeists to pay attention.

The summer season on the river for novice paddlers generally begins in mid–July and can extend through October if the weather holds. Late April to early May can afford good day or overnight trips in mild years. From mid–May to mid–July the river is generally too high (20,000–70,000 cfs) and combined with 40–50 foot cottonwood trees and smaller debris in the water, the river should be avoided no matter the experience level.

Practiced beginners in rafts, drift boats, canoes and kayaks can navigate the river safely at normal flows between Park City and Pompey’s Pillar but paddlers should still have a modicum of river–reading experience and watch out for sweepers and strainers on the outside bends. After particularly high runoff or flooding, large cottonwoods can be found in the center of the river and require the paddler to maneuver their craft through these potentially deadly hazards.

For those looking to take overnight or extended trips, traditional campsites can be found at some fishing access sites and at Itch–Kep–Pe Park (1) in Columbus (immediately below the Columbus bridge on river left), but the finest Yellowstone camping experience is had by simply stopping on any one of hundreds of islands found throughout the stretch. Wood is plentiful for fires on most islands, but be aware of any fire restrictions in the area.

The USGS river gauge at Billings is best for the river on the 127 mile stretch from Big Timber to Pompey’s Pillar, but during runoff it is good to check the flows on the Stillwater and Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone as those, along with the Boulder river at Big Timber, are the major tributaries below Livingston.

BLM Billings Field Office 5001 Southgate Dr, Billings, MT 59101 (406) 896-5000

waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

Take special care when going under bridges as the currents are tricky in spots. The second bridge (lower) at the I–90 bridge west of Columbus has large standing waves year–round that can swamp a canoe. At higher flows the waves become huge (relative to the Yellowstone River below Yankee Jim Canyon) and can even flip rafts. The river–left channel coming into Columbus will push the boat into the left bridge abutment so it is best to take the right channel. The Duck Creek Bridge (2) below Laurel is at an angle to the main current so in medium or high water go under the bridge as far left as possible to avoid powerful hydraulics.

The Huntley Diversion Dam (3) below Billings is the most dangerous permanent feature on the river and must be avoided by taking the left channel. There is only one sign warning of the hazard approximately 2,000 feet upriver on the left.

Again, water level, paddler skill level (river reading and paddling skill) and the type of water craft are all factors in navigating the Yellowstone River safely, but with a bit of caution a day or multiple days on the river will not easily be forgotten.

River maps are available at the BLM office in Billings, 5001 Southgate Dr., which have mileage charts and geological and historical information. Current USGS water data for the Yellowstone River–and all of Montana– can be found at waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis/ current?type=flow.