Kayaking in Missoula, Montana

Missoula Montana is one of the best kayaking towns in the United States.  Whether your visiting Glacier or Yellowstone National Park, or  travelling from Spokane Washington or Coeur D' Alene Idaho, Missoula is a white water mecca and is a must stop for water enthusiasts.  We have a world class wave right here in downtown Missoula, Brennan’s Wave. Missoula is also within a 2 hour drive of some great whitewater like the Lochsa, Salmon, Clearwater, and countless other creeks and drainages. You will find that you don’t have to travel very far to find some good kayaking in Missoula.

 

Zoo Town Surfers holds the reputation of offering the most progressive kayak instruction available in Missoula, Montana. Our lead instructors are ACA certified (American Canoe Association), WFR certified (Wilderness First Responder), and SRT (Swiftwater Rescue Technicians), and have both national and international experience leading and instructing clients. Our kayak instructors are professionals. Kayaking is what drives our guides to explore, teach, and work on the river. It’s a passion that we want to share with others.

 

In the Missoula Valley we teach onthe Clark Fork, Blackfoot, and Bitterroot Rivers.  We start  most of our beginners at  Frenchtown Pond or Harpers Lake.  We also work with Missoula Parks and Recreation and offer classes at Currents Aquatic Center and Splash Montana.

 

Frenchtown Pond is spring-fed with plenty of space for learning the strokes and concepts taught in introductory lessons. The famous Blackfoot is a smaller river with more technical challenges and has been the first river run for hundreds of kayakers. The Clark Fork is deep and forgiving and offers some of the best instructional whitewater available anywhere.

 

Whether it’s Brennan’s Wave, the Alberton and Tarkio Gorge, Blackfoot, or the Missoula town section, people who kayak in the Missoula area soon discover that there is a perfect location for every skill level.

 

To get the most from your day on the water, we match you with the appropriate boat. Progressive kayak designs and the latest technology in kayaking equipment are benchmarks of our instruction.

 

Zoo Town Surfers offers river classes, youth, group, hourly, and private instruction. 

 

Private Instruction

If more personalized instruction is what you are looking for, we are more than happy to work with you on an individual or small group basis. When selecting private instruction through Zoo Town Surfers you will be matched with one of our expert instructors who will work with you to find out where your skills are. Whether you’re a total beginner, advanced river-runner or just want to learn the newest freestyle moves, Zoo Town Surfers will help you progress quickly and safely to the next level of paddling.

Hourly Instruction                                                      Full Day

 

Full Day Instruction (Includes a lunch)

 

River Clinics

If you’re a competent swimmer, these courses will give you a solid background in the basics of kayaking and allow you to progress quickly while having fun on the river. Our lessons begin at Frenchtown Pond or Sandy Beaches where we start with an equipment overview and then move on to flat-water basics, wet exits, strokes/braces, hip snaps, and T-rescues. After lunch we focus on what we learned in the morning by paddling a local class I-II section of either the Blackfoot or Clark Fork River, depending on water levels. On the river we practice boat control, eddy turns, peel-outs, and ferrying.

 

On the second day we progress to moving water where prior to setting off, your instructor will give a lesson highlighting river features, river-running concepts, river safety, and rolling your kayak. In the afternoon we kayak a stretch of the Blackfoot or Clark Fork River where we apply everything we have learned up to this point and practice in the river.

 

Please go to our calendar for class times and details or call (406) 546-0370

 

River Classes