How to Plan the Ultimate Wild Horse Island Kayaking Trip
If you are interested in kayaking on Flathead Lake— put a trip to Wild Horse Island on your itinerary! This beautiful island is the perfect daylong kayaking trip for both beginner kayakers and seasoned pros. Here’s how to plan the ultimate Wild Horse Island kayaking trip for any skill level or age:
1. Determine how far you’d like to kayak
Flathead Lake is an enormous lake – it’s the lower 48’s largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, in fact! That means your kayak to Wild Horse Island can really be as long as you’d like. However, if you’d like to cut down your kayaking time so you have more time to enjoy the island, you’re going to want to launch from the southwest side of the lake. Go Sail Flathead Lake offers the closest kayak rentals to Wild Horse Island. From Go Sail’s property, it will generally take you about an hour to kayak your way over to the island.
2. Decide on activities
Kayaking to Wild Horse Island is only half the fun! You’ll want to plan to spend at least a few hours on the island itself. Once you’re on the island you can choose from a variety of activities like hiking, fishing, exploring former homesteads, enjoying a picnic and photographing wildlife. This map of Wild Horse Island provides a great overview of the areas to explore and how to get there. The staff at Go Sail Flathead Lake can also provide you with local insight as to the best places to explore when you kayak to Wild Horse Island.
3. Choose your kayak
The waters of Flathead Lake are generally very calm. However, as the winds pick up, the water can become moderately choppy. We recommend taking a kayak with self-bailing scupper holes so any water that enters your cockpit or tankwell can easily drain. You’ll also want a kayak with comfortable and secure foot bracings. Go Sail Flathead Lake rents kayaks with both of these features and more! Learn more about Go Sail’s Spitfire nine foot sit-on-top kayaks here.
4. Book your trip!
Kayaking to Wild Horse Island is made easy with rentals from Go Sail Flathead Lake. Go Sail offers online booking for all day kayak rentals. Kayak rentals include a life jacket and paddles. Additionally, you can book a self-guided tour of Wild Horse Island on the Go Sail Flathead Lake website. The tour includes all the maps and information necessary for you to safely complete a three hour self-guided exploration of the waters and Wild Horse Island itself!
