River Trip FAQ: Our most commonly asked questions

We are located in Cody Wyoming. Cody is about 50 miles East of Yellowstones East Entrance and is a great option for all sorts of activities if you are visiting the park. From climbing, biking and rafting to great food and music, Cody Wyoming has something for everyone—and easy access to Yellowstone National Park. 

Our address is 233 Yellowstone Ave. If you are coming from Yellowstone, we are on your left, just before Wal-Mart. Look for a large billboard, and a turquoise mailbox. 

If you are coming from the Meteetsee or Powell Highways, we are on the West end of town. The first driveway on your right after Wal-Mart. Look for the billboard and turquoise mailbox. 

We know you are excited to visit Yellowstone and so we are asked hundreds of times a Summer, “can we raft on the river that runs through Yellowstone? 

The answer is unfortunately no. Wyoming River Trips offers tons of incredible options including a full day or two day trip that begins just outside Yellowstones East Entrance and heads toward the beautiful western town of Cody Wyoming. You will raft through pristine forest, have lots of opportunity to see wildlife, be in a remote river corridor and if doing a two day, have the chance to stay at one of the most iconic guest ranches on the North Fork of the Shoshone River in the heart of our Nations first National Forest. 

All rafting in Yellowstone National Park Is Prohibited

We would love to navigate the  rivers within the heart of Yellowstone, and perhaps one day will be allowed to do so in responsible and sustainable ways. However, the current regulations are clear: all Yellowstone National Park rivers are closed to boating (except a small stretch of the Lewis River). 

This is meant as a protective measure. The goal is to preserve the park’s delicate ecosystems and maintain the serenity of its waters. Fortunately the rivers that begin in Yellowstone National Park do keep flowing downhill outside the park boundary. 

We recommend entering or exiting the park through Yellowstone’s East Gate (it generally has a lot less traffic than other gates). If you are coming from the south, you have the option to pass through the incredibly beautiful Wind River Canyon, and spend some days on the front end of your trip enjoying Cody Wyoming. If you want to end in Cody, we suggest using the South entrance through Jackson Hole, navigating the park and then exiting via the East Gate. 

Wyoming River Trips has a big parking lot adjacent to it’s office and boathouse with plenty of parking—afterall we have to have a place to put rafting trailers and busses! If you have a motorhome, please ask about the best place to park it on the day of your reservation. As we have busses coming in and out, RV parking is typically toward the back of the lot on a fence or we may have a specific request. We are happy to accommodate RV’s. We are also located next to Cody’s Wal-Mart and there is plenty of RV parking steps from our front door in their lot. We share a median. 

Cars and trucks we ask to park up front, facing west, and please do not block the one space on the south side marked with a short wooden fence— we leave this open as a pull through to our neighbors and the local mail carrier. Once the up front parking is full, please pull to the back and park on the fence lookers left (West). 

Motorcyclists should touch base with the front office about where is best to pull the bikes if they don’t want to leave them out front or if it is a windy day in Cody. 

 Most rafting outfitters will have some limit to the number of folks they can take rafting on a particular day or trip. Sometimes this is because their permit dictates they are only allowed a certain number of launches or guests (to make sure the waterway is not overcrowded and we are being responsible to non-human users like wildlife) and sometimes it’s based on staffing and equipment. If a raft company only has 10 guides, then they can only take so many guests. 

It is generally considered best practice to make a reservtion—especially if you only have a limited time frame to go rafting. I.E. a specific day or time that fits your travel schedule. If you arrive without a reservation, Wyoming River Trips will do its best to get you on a trip, however it’s not always possible. 

To ensure a space on your preferred trip and launch time, reservations should be made for your chosen trip as early as possible. You can book your Wyoming River Trips Rafting Trip from anywhere on our website, including right here! Plan to arrive 20-30 minutes prior to trip departure (your reservation time) in order to complete reservation and liability forms or to ensure time for last minute outfit changes and additions. Our June and July dates start filling up fast in April. If you have a limited window of time that your group can squeeze in a rafting trip while visiting Cody, we recommend making your reservation as early as possible. We are happy to accommodate changes that may need to be made to your reservation after it is made (i.e. group size changes, need to switch dates, etc) but can not guarantee that trips will be available to your group on short notice during June, July and Aug.

Whitewater means wet! We suggest dressing in layers.

For May – early June: non-cotton underwear or bathing suit (this helps keep your warm while cotton will keep you cool through evapotranspiration), non-cotton shorts or pants, and non-cotton t-shirt and then long sleeve shirt. If guests need fewer layers, that’s easy! Just take off your long pants or long shirt. If guests need more layers, we provide splash tops and bottoms. The layers you have on already will help trap your body heat.

Mid June – Aug: some type of underwear or bathing suit, t- shirt and shorts, if you are a person who gets cold feel free to bring a long sleeve as well. Remember that cotton will cool you down. On a day where you are rafting at 1:30pm and it is supposed to be 98 degrees, cotton will help you stay cool. If you are rafting at 9am and the forecast calls for light clouds and 65, less cotton will keep you warmer until the sun makes it’s appearance later that morning.

All guests should Wear shoes that can get wet  and will stay on your feet. We recommend sneakers or sandals that strap on. Flip flops are not the best. If you lose one in a rapid, there is no guarantee we will find it and it will make it more difficult to find a solid footing in the slippery boat. We rent wetsuit booties for those who don’t have appropriate footwear. Please be advised, these do not offer very much ankle support and the footbed is fairly thing. If you have sensitive feet, we recommend something that you own with thicker sole

A detailed list of what to wear and what to bring will arrive in your confirmation email along with next steps for how to sign your waiver and tell us about dietary restrictions. 

Yes! You can absolutely still go rafting when it is raining. For many folks, this is their favorite time to raft. Believe it or not, others favorite time is in the snow…

Being on a river is magic no matter what the weather! Some of our favorite memories (and favorite guest memories!) are floating down a river watching the light change as clouds move in. Sunshine is great but rain and clouds are often welcome in the mid summer 100 degree heat. Wyoming River Trips (WRT) monitors weather conditions daily and will move boats and people to shore if weather conditions call for it. We will also delay a departure if we are waiting for a more serious storm to pass. But as they say, if you don’t like the weather in Wyoming, wait 5 minutes. Generally rain storms build during the first half of the day, culminating sometime around 2pm (this is often called “afternoon buildup” in the West) and then release rain showers as the wind blows the clouds away. We typically see a very predictable afternoon buildup pattern in mid late August. 

We advise dressing in layers so our rafting guests are comfortable in any weather and provide our guests with additional layers if needed. 

Yes! Non swimmers can go whitewater rafting. While not all trips will be appropriate for non-swimmers, most rafting companies have at least one offering that is. White water rafting companies holding themselves to the industry standards for guide training and equipment requirements should be offering CoastGuard approved and rated Class V lifejackets to all guests. These have a head pillow that helps keep a swimmers head out of the water. They are also extra buoyant. Wyoming River Trips asks that non-swimmers note their non-swimming status at the time of booking so we can follow up if need be. We can accommodate most non-swimmers. Our life jackets are type V coastguard approved life jackets and we hold ourselves to the white water rafting industry risk management standards as well as our guides to the best practices and required training for International Raft Guides.

Every passenger is required to wear one of the type V life jackets regardless of swimming ability, previous rafting experience or comfort level. 

All inflatable kayakers will wear the same life vest. We require all inflatable kayakers to have the ability to swim and they will receive a special risk management speech.

All guests will be given a risk management talk before your trip that contains instructions on how to properly use your life-vest and what to do if you do fall in the water.

Yes! Wyoming is a headwaters state and that means there is less water coming into many of our rivers or picking up speed downstream. For instance, the Colorado River starts in Wyoming (as the Green River) but is much smaller. While still fun, and offering up to Class IV, most of the rivers you will encounter in the Cody Area will be Class I-III, with occasional Class IV when the spring rains come (Another reason to go rafting in the rain! Spring runoff is when you will get the biggest rapids in Wyoming).

Minors accompanied by adults are welcome on most of our trips as long as we have the appropriate life jacket for them and it fits! You will find river travel a wonderful family experience. That said, a river environment is a dynamic environment and and does require a minimum level of awareness and ability by all participants. We require children to be a minimum of 5 years and at least 50 lbs with the ability to listen, follow directions in the boat and follow directions should they fall into a moving cold water environment. It may go without saying, but we also request that your children are excited to go rafting. In our experience, kids who don’t want to be there, don’t really have fun and this is challenging for parents and guides to manage while still maintaining an enjoyable atmosphere for other guests. 

Children under 15 will not be permitted to paddle a “single” occupancy inflatable kayak. Children under 8 years of age will not be permitted in a tandem occupancy kayak, even with an adult. Children 8-14 in a tandem kayak must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. 

WRT may increase age minimum requirements at any time for any reason including flow changes. 

We believe the magic of a river trip experience is not limited to just those who are able-bodied. People with varying disabilities and different abilities have joined our trips in the past and we look forward to continuing our efforts to enhance these experiences. Depending on the situation, we may need to use different equipment or make sure a certain guide is captaining your boat. If you or someone in your group has a physical limitation, please let us know in the health or medical conditions box at the time of your reservation. This will help us make informed decisions and check in about any special needs the morning of the trip.If you are not sure if you or someone in your groups ability level is manageable on a river trip, please call our office. We are happy to discuss this with you.

Notice of cancellation must happen at least 2 days before trip date to be considered for a refund. Refunds are not guaranteed. Reservations made less than 2 days in advance are not eligible for refunds. Refund assessment will be based on whether or not WRT can fill the newly vacated spaces or not. Full or partial cancellations made inside of 2 days are not eligible for a refund. Wyoming River Trips reserves the right to cancel any trip for any reason. Cancellation reasons may include but are not limited to: weather, safety concerns pertaining to water levels, hazards or client ability, environmental factors, client ability levels/fitness/injury or illness. Weather-related cancellations made by WRT may be eligible for a refund.

WRT reserves the rights of and supports any guides’ decision to stop a trip at any point if they feel they can not manage the objective or subjective risks presented by the environment, people or combination of both.

Cancellations due to weather or other objective factors made by WRT may be rescheduled and a partial or full refund will be discussed.

Cancellations due to subjective factors, such as the behavior or fitness of an individual/s in your party will not be eligible for refunds. This includes children.

WRT highly recommends that all participants purchase trip insurance. We do not sell insurance and cannot answer insurance questions. We recommend contacting Faye Travel Insurance or Generali Travel Insurance. 

Faye Travel Insurance offers our customers Domestic trip insurance at affordable rates—covering your flights, rv travel, rafting adventure and even instances of food poisoning. 

For questions regarding coverage, contact Julie Baker directly: [email protected]

Generali offers trip insurance covering the same for our International guests. 

Contact [email protected] for help and reference Wyoming River Trips

** Cancellation Policy for Groups of 10 or more **

Groups of 10-20 must give WRT at least 1 week notice of cancellation and your deposit is non-refundable. If a group cancels within 1 week, WRT reserves the right to charge the full amount of the trip. For groups of 20 or more, cancelations or major changes to the reservation numbers MUST BE MADE 2 WEEKS BEFORE TRIP DEPARTURE. For groups of 20 or more, changes or cancellations made inside of 2 weeks, WRT reserves the right to keep your deposit. Groups of 20 or more are subject to full charge of trip if cancellations are made within one week of trip launch date.

Deposits on Specialty and Multi-day trips are non-refundable. Notice of cancellation must happen at least 1 week before trip date for all specialty trip reservation, to be considered for a partial refund. Refunds are not guaranteed.

Reservations made less than 1 week in advance are not eligible for refunds, should the guest need to cancel.

Wyoming River Trips reserves the right to cancel any trip for any reason. Cancellation reasons may include but are not limited to: weather, safety concerns pertaining to water levels, hazards or client ability, environmental factors, client ability levels/fitness/injury or illness. Weather-related cancellations made by WRT may be eligible for a refund.

WRT reserves the rights of and supports any guides’ decision to stop a trip at any point if they feel they can not manage the objective or subjective risks presented by the environment, people or combination of both.

Cancellations due to subjective factors, such as the behavior or fitness of an individual/s in your party will not be eligible for refunds. This includes children.

WRT highly recommends that all participants purchase trip insurance. We do not sell insurance and cannot answer insurance questions. We recommend contacting Faye Travel Insurance or Generali Travel Insurance. 

Faye Travel Insurance offers our customers Domestic trip insurance at affordable rates—covering your flights, rv travel, rafting adventure and even instances of food poisoning. 

For questions regarding coverage, contact Julie Baker directly: [email protected]

Generali offers trip insurance covering the same for our International guests. 

Contact [email protected] for help and reference Wyoming River Trips

** Cancellation Policy for Groups of 10 or more **

Groups of 10-20 must give WRT at least 1 week notice of cancellation and your deposit is non-refundable. If a group cancels within 1 week, WRT reserves the right to charge the full amount of the trip. For groups of 20 or more, cancelations or major changes to the reservation numbers MUST BE MADE 2 WEEKS BEFORE TRIP DEPARTURE. For groups of 20 or more, changes or cancellations made inside of 2 weeks, WRT reserves the right to keep your deposit. Groups of 20 or more are subject to full charge of trip if cancellations are made within one week of trip launch date.

Cancellation of trips due to river or weather conditions is not likely, but does occasionally happen. If this happens while you are on a river, we typically offer a full or partial refund (depending on when we cancel the trip).

We are a small business and do appreciate your understanding in such instances.

We recommend Trip Insurance for all Domestic and International Travlers. Faye Travel Insurance offers our customers Domestic trip insurance at affordable rates—covering your flights, rv travel, rafting adventure and even instances of food poisoning. 

For questions regarding coverage, contact Julie Baker directly: [email protected]

Generali offers trip insurance covering the same for our International guests. 

Contact [email protected] for help and reference Wyoming River Trips

WRT reserves the right to cancel any trip if there are risk management or safety concerns. WRT reserves the right to cancel if we do not meet our minimum number of reservations to make a launch cost-effective. WRT will refund customers if it cancels for this reason.

Main Shoshone River Rafting Trip

We believe in providing rafting adventures that suite a wide range of individuals. However, youth must be at least 5 years old and 50 lbs in weight to ride in a raft, 8 years old and 65lbs to tandem kayak. Adults not exceed a chest size of more than 56 inches to raft and no heavier than 220 lbs to kayak. Please email or call if you have further questions about you our your groups eligibility for either activity.

North Fork Full Day Trip

May – first week of July: Ages 11+ (depending on water levels). Additionally individuals must be at least 65 lbs in weight and not exceed a chest size of more than 54 inches. Participants must be fit,  able to paddle, in good health, good swimmers, no risk for adverse effects from cold water exposure, be able to spend 6-7 hours in the out of doors, able to move over uneven terrain, follow direction and be active participants in the trip. Please email or call if you have further questions about you our your groups eligibility.

Second week of July – August: Ages 10+ (exceptions made at lower water level and for youths excited to participate in hiking), Additionally individuals must be at least 65 lbs in weight and not exceed a chest size of more than 56 inches. Participants must be fit,  able to paddle, in good health, no risk for adverse effects from cold water exposure, be able to spend 6-7 hours in the out of doors, able to move over uneven terrain, follow direction and be active participants in the trip. Please email or call if you have further questions about you our your groups eligibility.

Inflatable Kayaks (IK’s) are made of the same material as rafts and are tough little boats. They are intended for floating and whitewater on class I-III whitewater, typically day trips. IK’s are heavy boats for one or two people. Guests will paddle the craft alone or with the other guest in their kayak. There will be a guide in a separate Kayak giving instruction, demonstrating maneuvers and setting safety when necessary. ALL GUESTS NEED TO BE WILLING AND ABLE TO FOLLOW A GUIDES DIRECTION for the entirety of their trip with Wyoming River Trips.