Whitewater Guide School in Montana

Montana Raft Guide Training

Whitewater Raft Guide Schools with Montana River Guides

Swiftwater Rescue Training and Whitewater Raft Guide Instruction on the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers near Missoula, Montana

Learn to Guide near Missoula, Montana on the Clark Fork  and Blackfoot Rivers

RAFT GUIDE SCHOOLS: These five-day Raft Guide Schools are designed for people wanting to lead river trips or become professional raft guides. Our whitewater raft guide training focuses on safety, reading water, and guiding paddle rafts through Class II, III and IV whitewater. Topics include trip preparation, safety talks, equipment, rigging, boat handling, communications, paddle commands, and rescue techniques. Our five-day Raft Guide School combines river instruction with a certified Whitewater Rescue Technician class the first three days. The swiftwater rescue training takes place on the Blackfoot and Clear water River near Missoula.  On days four and five you’ll guide whitewater raft trips on the Blackfoot River and Alberton Gorge. The course is hosted at the Alberton Gorge Ranch and includes a Whitewater Rescue Technician certification and certificate of completion.

2020 Dates

April 3-7

May 8-12

June12-16

Missoula Adventures on the River

Missoula Adventures on the River

Pack Rafting and Kayaking Trips on the Clark Fork River

Missoula rafting  opportunities just improved. Now adventurers can join a guided pack raft trip on the Blackfoot River near Missoula and explore one of Montana's most beloved wilderness rivers. Missoula's raft rental leader  the Last Best Ski & Paddle Shop, has brought a fleet of Kokopelli pack rafts and partnered with Missoula rafting outfitter 10,000 Waves to make these adventures possible. 

Guided all-inclusive river trips on the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers daily. Call 10,000 waves at 406-549-6670 for more info or book online at www.10000-waves.com

Missoula Tubing Rentals and Raft Rentals

Missoula Rafting and River Rentals

Rafts   *     Kayaks    *    SUP   *    Packrafts    *Surf

Missoula raftingand Missoula River Rentalscan be found in one new location.  10000 Waves and LB Snoware working together to offer more options for people who want to run the river on either a guided trip or alone with rental equipment.   The new 10000 Waves Summer Headquarters is located in LB SNOWdowntown Missoula. Both the Waves and LB have historically offered summer rentals. New owner Willi Connell at LB has ramped up the river rental program and 100000 Waves is fired up to be a part of it. If guests want a guided river trip we are ready, but if they prefer to rent a boat and river gear, LB SNOW is ready to go with Missoula raft rentals, Missoula kayak Rentals, SUP's, Missoula Tube Rentals and even Pack Rafts!

Here's a note from the folks at LB about the new summer river rental program.

"LB SNOW has a brand new rental fleet of boats fully rigged and ready to go.  We want them to be around for a long time, but we also want them to be used. We have been rafting and camping in the Missoula area for a long time and have curated our boat packages to be exactly what makes the most sense. Our specialty is geared towards the weekend overnight or multi-day trip for people who do not have time to mess with the little things.  We provide not only the correct gear but also information on sections of river, what kind of wildlife to look for, put-ins and take-outs and the must stop hole-in-the wall bar to grab a burger at."

Missoula River Rental Equipment

"We have also expanded our rental equipment to keep our rivers clean for generations to come. Our rivers are getting busier and busier and one of the ways we can all help keep them clean is by following Leave No Trace principles.

 Another way we will be making things easier for folks to enjoy their river time to the fullest is with our rental delivery program. For $10 you can have your rental gear delivered to your home or place of work or even hotel (within 5 miles of the shop). That is right, if you want a Raft, Pakraft, Paddle Board, Surf Board, Inflatable Kayak, Hard Shell Recreational kayak, or Whitewater Kayak delivered to you we will deliver it to your doorstep the night or afternoon before your rental day. Now, don’t get us wrong we want you to come enjoy a beer at Draughtworks before or after your trip with us but if you are in a rush, we are happy to deliver your rentals to you."

Riverboarding Brothers Setting the Standard

Check out this river boarding footage of the Patterson brothers ripping on river boards in huge waves. Inspiring!

River Safety and Rescue Training

Raft Guide Training Dates: 2019

Rivers we teach on include the Clark Fork River, Yellowstone, Big Hole, Beaverhead, Missouri, Stillwater, Snake, Flathead, Blackfoot River, Kootenai, Lochsa, Salmon, Swan, Skykomish, Madison, Kern, Fisher, North Fork, Middle Fork, Middle Fork (Pick One), Big Horn, Bitterroot, Boulder, North Platte, Payette, the Maumee, Henry’s Fork, the Falls and many more!  Please call us if you would like to schedule a class on your local river. Call for more Info (406-214-0245).

April 8-9.      Montana Rafting Workshop

Missoula

April 8-12     Raft Guide School

Missoula

April 5-7       Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Missoula

April 19-21.  Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Missoula

April TBA     Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Bigfork

May 10-12.   Whitewater Rescue Technician

Missoula

May 10-14.    Raft Guide School

Missoula

May 13-14.    Whitewater Rafting Workshop

Missoula

May 17-19.    Whitewater Rescue Technician

Bozeman

May 20-22.   Whitewater Rescue Technican

Gardiner

May TBA.    Whitewater Rescue Technician

Billings

June 4-6.     Whitewater Rescue Technican

TBA

June 5-7.     Swiftwater Rescue Technician

West Glacier

June 14-16   Swiftwater Rescue  Technician

Missoula

June 14-18.    Raft Guide School

Missoula

June 17-18     Montana Rafting Workshop

Missoula

June 23-24.    Whitewater Rafting Workshop

Missoula

July TBA.      Swiftwater Rescue Class

The Best Riverboarding Trips in the United States

Missoula's Best Summer Adventure: Riverboarding!

Not many people know that Missoula's Clark Fork River is the number one riverboarding destination in North America. Missoula adventure outfitter Montana River Guides has been guiding whitewater river board trips on the Clark Fork River's Alberton Gorge since 1995.  Guided river board trips through the spectacular Alberton Gorge are offered daily at 9am, 2pm and 4 pm. Our guides provide all of your equipment along with a thorough orientation and safety briefing. After a practice session where you learn how to maneuver in river current, you'll follow your guide down the river.

A smiling river boarder attacks Fang Rapid with Montana River Guides

The Ultimate Missoula Whitewater Adventure

River boarding is a blast. If you can swim, possess enthusiasm and are looking to cool off, river boarding is hard to beat. Missoula's best summer adventure includes big fun class II and III rapids along with some fun surf waves deep in this remarkable canyon. You'll learn river trip basic risk management principals, hand signals and how to read water so you can pull maneuvers like eddy turns, peel outs, ferries and even surfing. While everyone gets their own board, we run the river as a team. Guides are ready to team up and assist guests who want to be lined up just right in the rapids.

Experiencing thrilling whitewater at face level going headfirst down a rollicking river is hands down the funnest, most exciting, guided outdoor adventure in Montana. The Clark Fork River and the Alberton Gorge are perfectly suited for river boarding because of the clean channels, fun rapids and surfable waves. At lower flows we pull over and take turns surfing at a variety of different waves.

Late July and August bring lower river levels and surfable waves at Triple Bridges, Ice Box and Fang. Icebox in the 2-3,000 cfs range is one of the most exciting surfs on the Gorge. At late summer flows the river is more technical but easier to maneuver in than at higher levels.  Our normal half day trips go through the middle canyon and it's bigger rapids. Full day trips start near the Alberton Gorge Ranch and run through Eyeopener, Swimmers, the Shelf, Potter's Plunge and Cliffside before taking a break at Sandy Beaches.
Montana River Guides has been guiding river board trips on the Gorge for over twenty years. Owner Mike Johnston started out as the lead river board guide and was eventually replaced by Bret "Gentle Muscles" Mollenhauer. Josephine Johnston took over from Bret and now Jo's younger brother Sam is MRG's lead river board guide. The longer we have been at the Gorge the more we have come to appreciate it as one of Montana's hidden adventure gems.

Northwest Travel & Life profiles Riverboarding with MRG in this Article

Get Your Adventure on in Alberton Montana with Montana River Guides!
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