Whitewater Rafting Near Me: Finding The Best River Trips

Where Can You Find Great White Water Rafting Nearby? We love to share information on where you can find great rafting trips nearby. Whether you want to go whitewater rafting, camping, or just relax on the beach, we can help you find a great place to do it. Our goal is to make sure you have the best experience possible when you raft. That’s why we put together a list of some of the top places to raft near you.

Finding places to go white water rafting near me

Raft guide prepares his guests for a white water rafting trip

For First Time Rafters

If you are a first time rafter or a beginner rafter there are a ton of questions about rafting. The first question is typically where can I find white water rafting near me? There are a ton of resources for where you can find great white water rafting trips nearby, but you can always reach out to us and we can recommend a local river near you.

Also, if it is your first time rafting you will have a lot of questions. The best rafting company take the time to answer your questions and also help provide answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.

One big question first time rafters ask is: “What is a white water rafting trip like?” to get a good picture of what a river rafting trip is like check out our  article: “4 Things to Expect From Your First Rafting Trip”

Finding Rivers Near Me

The next biggest question is “Where is the best white water rafting near me?” Finding the best rafting is all dependent upon your skill level and location. If you are a beginner rafter and have only rafted a few times there are many white water rafting companies who can set you up with an amazing guiding river rafting trip. Some of the best river trips you can get on are:

Best Single-Day White Water Rafting Trips

1. South Fork American River, California

2. Arkansas River, Colorado

3. Ocoee River, Tennessee

Best Multi Day White Water Rafting Trips

1. Middle Fork Of The Salmon River, Idaho

2. Grand Canyon Of The Colorado River, Arizona (Join Team Paddler Mandela Van Eeden by requesting her on your next trip)

3.  Illinois River, Oregon

Best Class V White Water Rafting Trips

1. Cherry Creek, California

2. Gauley River, West Virginia

3. Clear Creek, Colorado

4. Forks Of The Kern River, California

For more advanced raft runs there are a few rivers that top the list of best rafting in the US. To find the right river rafting trip it is important to understand the white water rating system.

White Water Rating System

Experienced paddlers navigating tough class IV rapids

White water rafting trips are rated on a scale of 1-6, expressed in roman numerals, to help relay the difficulty of the run:

• Class I – Gentile moving water great for river fishing trips

• Class II – Small rapids perfect for families river rafting and self-guided rafting trips

• Class III – Beginner rafting trips for guided white water tours, good for families

• Class IV – Intermediate white water rafting for more experienced paddlers

• Class V – These are the most difficult white water rafting trips

• Class VI – Unrunnable or occasionally run, only navigable by the best rafters

The Best White Water Rafting Trips Near Me

Once you have decided what class river trip is best for you, the next question people have is often: “What is the best rafting company near me?” This can be a hard question to answer, but knowing how to pick the best white water rafting company is easy.

Guided white water raft tours can be anywhere there are mountains. Nearly every US state and has places to go rafting. There are also rafting torus available in nearly every country in the world.

If you are looking for advice on where to go for your next white water rafting adventure we would be happy to suggest the best river rafting companies where ever you are looking for a trip. 

If you want to know how to spot the best company, check out our article below: 8 Things to Ask a Rafting Company Before You Book

White Water Rafting Trip Inclusions

Another important question when you are looking for a white water rafting trip is what does a white water rafting company provide? After all, if you are going on a whitewater rafting adventure you want to know what a whitewater rafting company is giving you. With most trips you can certainly expect to have the following included:

1. A qualified river guide

2. Transportation from put in/take out to the rafting base

3. The raft

4. A Paddle

5. A Personal Flotation Device (PFD, Coast guard rated for whitewater)

6. A Helmet

Beyond that Rafting Companies (or outfitters as they are also known) offer a number of other pieces of equipment to help keep their clients safe and happy on the trip. 

We sat down with our friend Tyler Soule who owns H2O adventures in California to help give you all the details on what a solid whitewater rafting company provides.

White Water Rafting Team Building Activities

White water rafting is one of the best team building activities you can set up for your company. There’s nothing that brings people together more than successfully navigating a river together.

White water rafting is a team sport at its core where everyone either succeeds or fails together. Also, there’s no better break for people you work with than a day on the river.

Summer Camps Near Me

Summer camps can be a fantastic experience for young people to explore nature and build camaraderie with like minded young people. Unfortunately, the American Camp Association reported in 2018 that average camp costs run between $630 to over $2,000 per week. Parents often ask how do I find a summer camp for kids that is safe and reliable?

Safe and reliable summer camps are important, but there are some critical elements of summer camps that parents often overlook. It is important to consider if the summer program the camp offers encourages the following:

• Self-confidence

• Teamwork

• A mental and emotional challenge for campers

• Development of life skills

• Leadership development

Canyonlands Field Institute offers one type of summer program where kids have the opportunity to build on all of the skills listed above in a fun and safe river environment. There are many of these types of summer camp programs on rivers throughout the US that offer this kind of skill and leadership based program.

Since all guides and naturalists on this program are required to meet certain levels of wilderness medical and rescue training, kids are in the care of folks who are ready for anything. The best part is that it gives kids the opportunity to learn from passionate leaders who are willing to help them build confidence and skills in a classroom outside the classroom.

River Raft Rentals Near Me

Looking for a self-guided rafting trip? Self-guided river rafting trips are an awesome choice for family rafting trips. With a self-guided trip you get to go at your own pace. There are tons of raft rental companies but the obvious question is “where can I find a raft rental company near me?” Some of the best self-guided Rafting trips out there are:

• Colorado River near Moab, Utah

• Pigeon River, Tennessee

• Merced River near Yosemite, California

There are so many great opportunities for float trips in other areas as well. If you are an experienced rafter and looking to travel to a new river, but you need a different type of boat for a new region there are plenty of great raft rental shops.

If you still have questions we’d be happy to point you in the right direction. Another fun twist on the self-guided rafting trip is to do a river fishing trip via raft.

River Fishing Trips

River fishing can be one of the most exciting angling opportunities out there. There are a ton of exciting species to fish for on rivers throughout the united states including:

• Rainbow Trout

• Steelhead

• Salmon

• Catfish

Guided fishing trips for Steelhead and salmon can be especially exciting since you are going with a professional fishing guide armed with years of experience on their local rivers. These guides know the fish and they know what it takes to catch them.

As an added bonus guided fishing trips allow you to get out there without having to worry about logistics or packing the right tackle, just show up and they take care of the rest.

If you need help finding a good fishing guide please let us know and we would be happy to connect you with a great guide.

White Water Rafting Guide Books

If you are a rafter looking for new opportunities to paddle there are several great guidebooks on the market that can help you find your next paddling adventure. Many of these authors have spent countless days rafting and running trips to help work out every meticulous detail about a trip.

 Two great resources that have come around in the last couple years are:

You can also find some great resources for your next rafting adventure from our friends at American Whitewater, a non profit specializing in river restoration and conservation.