Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Glacier is packed full of gorgeous hikes, incredible lakes, and amazing wildlife. If you are looking for a great activity that doesn’t involve hiking or just need a break for a day, consider taking a boat tour or renting a boat for a few hours.
We spent a 1/2 day exploring Glacier by rowboat in Many Glacier and highly recommend taking in the mountain views from the water. Compared to other parks, Glacier National Park kayak rental, SUP rental, and rowboat rentals are fairly reasonable.
In this article you can find information about the best places to rent a boat in Glacier National Park as well as some suggestions for other places to get out on the water. We will also share our experience renting a rowboat in Many Glacier and what to expect on the water.
If you are looking for more information for planning a visit to Glacier, check out our Guide to Glacier National Park or our National Park Planning page.
Overview of Boating in Glacier National Park
Despite many lakes in Glacier if you are planning to kayak in Glacier National Park (especially if you will be renting a boat) or using a stand up paddleboard or rowboat there are just a few options.
In general, the best places to rent a canoe, SUP, rowboat or kayak in Glacier National Park is at Lake McDonald, Many Glacier, or Two Medicine. There are also places outside of the park to rent a boat and explore, or if you are looking to try rafting, check out this Rafting Tour.
The water in Glacier National Park often flows from a glacier – which means it is very cold. Please use caution when boating and swimming in Glacier. You can see more about staying safe in the water in Glacier on the NPS site.
The best site to explore boat rentals in the area is the Glacier Boat Company website.
You can also book a tour on several tour boats in the area. In the sections below you can see a bit more about boat rentals in each area.
Lake McDonald: Glacier National Park SUP and Kayak Rental
Lake McDonald is the biggest lake where you can rent a boat in Glacier. The lake is located at the West entrance of Going to the Sun Road and is a beautiful place to explore surrounding by stunning mountains.
Since this lake is larger than the other lakes, it can get a bit choppy if it is windy. Try visiting early in the day for the most reflections and calm water.
You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, rowboats and motorboats at Lake McDonald through the Glacier Boat Company website.
You can also book a ticket on one of the boat tours on the lake.
Many Glacier: Glacier National Park Kayak Rental and Rowboat Rental
This is where we rented boats directly in front of the Many Glacier Hotel on the lake. While you can book your boat tickets in advance, the rowboats and kayaks are rented on a first come first served basis and you will need your entire party present to start your boat rental.
Rentals are for the hour or you can extend your time in 15 minute increments. The entire lake can be reached in about 30 minutes of paddling or rowing so 1-2 hours is the perfect amount of time out on the lake.
Note that in order to enter the Many Glacier area, you will need a car reservation. You can find the reservation system at on the NPS website. Reservations should be made months in advance to ensure you can get into the park.
You can also take a boat tour in Many Glacier from the Many Glacier Hotel.
Our Experience Renting a Rowboat in Many Glacier After extensive research about the best place to rent a boat in Glacier NP, we decided to rent a row boat from the Glacier Boat Company at the Many Glacier Hotel. We arrived around 9:00 and it took us until about 9:30 until we were sunscreened up and ready to boat. By 9:30 we were able to get one of the two rowboats available on the lake and since we were a group of 6, half of us got in the rowboat and the rest of us decided to walk along the edge of the lake. The path along the lake followed along the shoreline so there were many places that we could see the lake and the rowboat. On the water, the boat was easy to row and there were lifejackets for everyone. We rowed the length of the lake and then turned around to head back to the rental dowck. After about 1 hour, a thunder storm rolled in and the boats on the lake made a quick beeline back to the dock. This was an easy and fun half day activity in Glacier National Park. After the storm passed we enjoyed a picnic lunch and then hiked to Redrock Falls.
Two Medicine Lake: Boat Rentals and Tours
The Glacier Boat Company also offers rentals at Two Medicine. You can rent a number of different boats including kayaks, rowboats, and canoes. Two Medicine is a quieter part of the park so if you are looking for solitude this is your best bet.
The lake is surrounded by gorgeous mountains.
Kayak and SUP rentals near Glacier National Park
In addition to the sites within the lake, you can also rent boats outside the park boundary. Sea Me Paddle offers guided tours and rentals in the area and you can find many other outfitters. If you are bringing your own boat, make sure to follow directions including fully drying your boat before using it on one of the lakes. Here are a few lakes to explore:
- Flathead Lake
- Flathead River
- Lake Five
- Tally Lake
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Exploring more in Glacier National Park and hiking the Highline Trail and to Iceberg Lake. Or check out our 3 day Glacier Itinarary.
Other nearby US National Parks:
