whitewater voyages

This review is specifically for the Forks of the Kern trip that we did in June of 2012. However, in previous years we have also done the Tuolumne and the Middle Fork of the American with Whitewater Voyages. Since each of these trips had class V rapids, my first comment would be that Whitewater Voyages is very professional and does a great job of ensuring the safety of its rafters. The guides are knowledgeable and responsible. Yes, we had to portage or walk a rapid or two on the Forks trip for safety concerns, but that was the right call. I also got to witness their engineering prowess in freeing a gear-raft that had become "wrapped" on the Forks trip. My second comment is that the guides go out of their way to make these trips fun. On the Forks trip, we had spectacular side mini-hikes to beautiful waterfalls. The camping part of the Forks trip was quite nice with good food and a party atmosphere. Note that one could party or not depending on their preferences. My son and I started with the party and had quite a good time, but turned in fairly early and were not disturbed that those that chose to continue. The river is a great source of white noise to provide relative privacy. On our Tuolumne trip we had the time to do "surfing" on the Steamboat rapids which was a blast. We did each get dumped in the water as part of that activity, and when my daughter got cold, she was provided with an additional jacket to help her get warm. In summary, we have chosen Whitewater Voyages three times now and haven't been disappointed. For adventurous beginning and intermediate rafters, I would highly recommend the Tuolumne Rier. For more advanced rafters that can take a backpack in and can paddle well, the Forks of the Kern is a fantastic trip. The Middle Fork of the American was a fun trip, but there were relatively slow sections of the river that made it less of an adventure. That is the only trip that we wouldn't repeat.

Outstanding river trip near Yosemite National Park. 18 river miles in one day, mainly Class 4. Incredibly fun and exciting. Our guide and trip leader, Cooper Freeman, was very upbeat, professional and entertaining--solid guy. Food was excellent. In addition to a lot of paddling, still had time to relax and explore the North Fork of the Tuolumne, beautiful creek w/ pools to swim in. My wife and two teenage sons had a blast. I have done this river now five times with other companies,but this was the best time I have had so far.

This was our first whitewater rafting experience. We did the 2-day Lower Kern trip with our family of four (15-year old daughter, 13-year old son) and had an absolute blast! Katie was our guide and Ben was the guide for the other boat that accompanied us on the trip. What a great adventure for the family, not too dangerously scary, but definitely enough excitement to get the adenaline flowing and get all of us screaming with excitement and delight (and okay, a healthy amount of fear). No theme park can come close to the roller coaster of fun that you get from shooting the rapids on a real, unpredictable river with an experienced guide leading you through to the other side.Speaking of guides, ours were awesome and we got the definite feeling that they are representative of the culture and attitude of the whole Whitewater Voyages staff. I was amazed at how hard our guides worked, not only teaching us rafting and paddeling techniques to keep us safe, but also once ashore making our wilderness experience very comfortable and enjoyable. The food was top notch and the campground on the river had very clean facilities and things to do like volleyball, horseshoes, chess, checkers etc... Almost imeediately after landing we were treated to a "happy hour" of snacks while they prepared a delicious steak and chicken meal with fresh vegetables. Later around the campfire they topped it off with fresh baked brownies.Although the guides go above and beyond and do everything possible to accomodate you, make no mistake that you are by definition "roughing it". There are clean out houses and hand washing stations so everything is hygenic and sanitary, but you will be sleeping in a tent that you pitch or under the stars and if you are expecting showers and other such creature comforts you will be in for a surprise . Bottom line on this topic, if "glamping" is the limit of your tolerance for dirt and insects, there is nothing anyone will be able to do that will make this your dream vacation.On the other hand, if you and your family are fairly low maintenance and are looking for an exciting adventure where you can reconnect and bond with each other without the distractions of cell phones and electronics then this will be an experience that neither you nor your kids will ever forget. Before the trip ended we had decided to do a repeat next year.Thanks Katie and Ben, you were both awesome and your experience, attitude and friendliness absolutely added to our fun, appreciation and enjoyment.

My family of 4 (boy 12, girl 9) decided to do our first whitewater rafting trip. We chose the 2 day trip on the lower Kern river with Whitewater Voyages as it was the closest white water trip to San Diego and we had read some great reviews about this company. WE LOVED IT! Our guide was Jessica - a 10 year veteran - who is a down-to-earth no-nonsense experienced guide. She has that perfect mix of seriousness and safety, but very adventurous. She made sure we were challenged but she also was keen on safety. Of course, my son, Sam, popped out of the boat on the second morning and we were about to slam up against another set of rocks. In absolute calmness, Jessica place her paddle down, leaned over at just the right moment and scooped Sam up out of the water as if nothing had happened. It was amazing. Needless to say, my wife and I never questioned her competency from that moment forward. (And, there were definitely a few other times when our boat got stuck in some pretty gnarly rapids.) I'm not sure a family can do a more exciting trip and be connected with nature. This trip is perfect as the first day is somewhat mild so you get the hang of it and then the second day is much more challenging. If you've never done it - just do it - you will have memories for a lifetime (and ask for Jessica...)

We are a family of four with 2 girls aged 13 and 11 so needed a trip which was not too wild but gave us a few ings to think about. So we opted for the day long jungle run and it was just great.The team were excellemt and we felt very safe at all times. The bus trips at either end of the day were not too long and were good opportunities to chat with folk.We had a whole raft to ourselves and this worked well for us. Our guide Sam Rooney couldn't have been nicer or kinder with the girls and gave is the right amount of adventure in our trip.The lunch stop was excellent and the food just lovely and fresh. A great stop and chance to cool off.If you intend to do this trip in summer temperatures then wear long trousers such as joggers and long sleeve tops. It's hot and exposed but easy to cool off in the refreshing Kern river.The trip was expensive for the four of us but such a great shared experience: it was worth it.

Went with a group of 11 rafting down the lower Kern with Whitewater Voyages. Ernie was our guide (for a boat of 6). One word describes our day on the river: EPIC! Ernie pushed us to take chances and compromising lines and positions through the rapids and we loved every minute of it! I highly suggest using this company. The guides are knowledgeable and fun! Great for any age as they tailor the trip to you and yours. Cheers!

My 15 year old son and I took the Snap, Crackle, Pop tour with Whitewater Voyages. The Class III-IV rapids were perfect for our first time out. The guides were fun, experienced and kept us all safe while we navigated through the rapids. Ask for Matt, Saige, or Elizabeth and you'll have a great time.

Seriously, that was what my 11-year-old said at the end of our three day trip. Our 17-year-old said it was up there too. We have been fortunate enough to have taken our kids to a lot of wonderful places. Hawaii, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, and so on, but big resorts don't hold a candle to the personal experience we had as a family learning to Whitewater Raft. Our guide, Lane wasn't just our rafting guide, he was one of the resident chefs, and all around buddy during the whole trip. The whole team took care of us wonderfully. The water was the highest it had been in years, so our campground was flooded out. We had to pitch our tent in the parking lot. No worries, the next morning, when another group left, they moved us down into the campsite, near the picnic tables. It was effortless. Easy breezy.The food.... oh the food. It was delicious, and plentiful. My boys, husband included, liked the dutch oven brownies we had each night for dessert. The meals were incredible. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit (and yes, they lay it out like they do in the pictures in the brochure) juices, yogurts, pastries.... and that's just breakfast. Dinner? Grilled steak and chicken, fresh veggies, salad, homemade mashed potatoes. Oh, and don't forget about lunch and happy hour snacks. I'm a foodie, and these folks have introduced me to a whole new kind of camping.Thanks to Karn, Lane and the rest of the gang for making this a very memorable family trip.

We did the white water rafting trip on the King's River near King's Canyon in California. An amazing experience with such spectacular views! Our guide Tess was amazing!

We did this trip and had a great time.It was well organised, in the usual laid-back sort of way, and the equipment was good. Even the lunch was good, especially as it has to be carried on the rafts.We were complete beginners and so whilst some of us would have liked it to have been a bit more challenging, others were happy that it wasn't. Nobody went in the water except intentionally. And rafting is just a great way to spend a day.Others on the trip had been in previous years, which was a good sign.But best of all were the guides - clear instructions and explanations when necessary, and generally keen that we should have a good time.