Colter Bay Marina & Boat Launch

For state operating law, you must be at least 16 to operate a numbered motorboat alone in Wyoming. Under Wyoming Statute 41-13-219 and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission’s Chapter 22 rules, anyone younger than 16 must have an adult who is at least 18 physically aboard the motorized watercraft and responsible for its operation. The same age rule includes personal watercraft, so there is no separate younger minimum for them. Wyoming does not require a boating education card at any age. The rental operator sets its own minimum booking age, so confirm it before reserving.

Source: Wyoming Game and Fish Department (wgfd.wyo.gov)

No, Wyoming does not require recreational boat operators to hold a boating license or carry a boater education card, so there is no birth date cutoff. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recommends boating education but does not mandate it. To operate a motorboat, including a personal watercraft, a person must be at least 16. Someone under 16 may operate only when an adult age 18 or older is physically aboard and responsible for the craft. Because no education card is required, rental customers do not need an exemption or temporary boater education certificate for state compliance.

Source: Wyoming Game and Fish Department (wgfd.wyo.gov)

Wyoming’s best boating mix is found on big reservoirs, canyon lakes, high elevation lakes and western rivers. Flaming Gorge near Green River is a 90 mile reservoir extending into Utah, while Alcova Reservoir southwest of Casper offers central Wyoming boating and paddling below red cliffs. In northern Wyoming, Bighorn Lake near Lovell sits within Bighorn Canyon.

Yellowstone Lake adds motorized boating and paddling on a high elevation lake in Yellowstone National Park. For moving water, the Snake River in western Wyoming offers paddling and whitewater options.

Source: Wyoming Office of Tourism (travelwyoming.com)

Wyoming’s most popular boating destinations include Alcova Reservoir near Casper, known for red cliffs, strong fishing and its dark sand beach; Glendo Reservoir, valued for sandy beaches, boating and early summer water levels; Bighorn Lake near Lovell, where boats travel between colorful canyon walls; Fremont Lake near Pinedale, popular with sailors and windsurfers; Yellowstone Lake, offering expansive alpine scenery and wildlife viewing; and Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the state’s largest reservoir and a major destination for fishing and water sports.

Source: Wyoming Office of Tourism (travelwyoming.com)