StreamsAndCities
The whole family enjoyed the kayak trip. Beautiful day, good experience, well run. Our bus driver shared a lot about things to do / places to eat during the bus ride. Short trip from Massanutten Resort.
sc0tj
The trip we took wasn't that exciting. nice river views. self guided tour, with what they call class one rapids (more like a few ripples) shallow water for the most part and lots of padding. not a bad way to burn a few hours.
657rachaeld
Our group of 5 had a great time on the river tubing today. We took the early tour at 8:30am and met our guides, James and JT, near the Massanutten Resort. Our guides were extremely friendly and helpful. After signing our waivers, everyone was given a life vest and boarded the bus for a 5-10 minute drive and the a short, easy walk to the tubing launch point. If you have children, you do have the option to tether your tubes together before you launch. (In case you don't have water shoes, you can purchase them at the little store where you check in before you get your life vest.) Once at the river, James helped us into the water and we were on our way for a relaxing 1.5+ hour self guided trip down the river. There were a couple "rough" spots and I use that term lightly. We went in early August and the water level was low. The women who took our reservations said there were 5 class 1 rapids on the ride. Class 1 is really quite calm and I was only really splashed a couple times. I never felt like I was going to flip over or fall off the raft.The entire group filled one bus and consisted of about 35 people, ranging in age from about 10 to 60. I believe the guys said they will sometimes have 3 buses of people during the busy season but once you are on the river, you really do spread out. Also, we didn't run across anyone else on the river during our ride. Again, that may be because we took the earliest trip in the day.The scenery and wildlife is beautiful and you pass by several working farms. Just a quick note, when we unloaded from the bus, we stopped in a field for a quick orientation and because there are farms around, it does smell a little like cows. (That's the nature of country living!) However, you quickly leave the smell and I never noticed it again on the ride.When we reached the end point of our ride, we had no trouble paddling over to the exit point and James even got into the water to guide people to shore. The bus ride back only took about 10 minutes. You can bring towels, sunscreen, water etc. and leave it on the bus but I didn't see any lockers at the check in area where you can lock up valuables, so I would leave them at home. There isn't anywhere on the tubes to store anything so you really can't take anything with you on the river. Overall, we had an awesome time and will absolutely do this trip again!
Eal5337
We did both canoeing and tubing on different days. Tubing was our favorite it was much less work than rowing a canoe. Both trips were worth the money which is cheaper than others in the area. You can bring clothing and drinks and whatever and leave it on the bus. You use the same bus at both ends and same seats. Shoes are available there to buy for 12 bucks which is a good deal. They told us of great places to eat in the area on our ride to the river and back. You can bring stuff on the river if it's waterproof like a cooler or whatever. Tubing you will get wet. Not so much canoeing you stay pretty dry.
891JeanneT
This day trip had us up at the crack of dawn and home by 10PM, but was worth every minute. It's about 2.5 hours from the Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville to Washington, and we were entertained and informed every bit of the way. Our tour guide, Mike, filled us all in on what we would see, the history and the current facts and showed us how to avoid line-ups and get in to see what we came to see. Pointed out lots of little interesting things too, that we wouldn't have seen or known if we didn't have a guide. Our bus driver, Galen, provided a safe and comfortable ride to and from our destination, dropping us off and picking us up at each venue. No worries about parking or traffic. We even managed a little quick souvenir shopping when we stopped for lunch!
MPWAnnapolisW
We truly enjoyed our time on the river--canoes/kayaks/life vests/paddles and bus ride all provided as well as good run down on what to do on the river, especially if you get stuck on a rock since the water was a bit low in parts. The rapids were fun (not really scary, just invigorating) to navigate and we did get stuck on a rock but there were about 16 of us on the river so another couple gave us a push and we did the same later on to help someone else. More rapid in the first half, then you have to paddle a bit more as you get nearer the dam, so it was a good upper body workout. Beautiful views and some nice birds along the way (saw a female eagle, heron, and other smaller birds). $29 for canoeing, $39 for kayak. Our guide Ron made the bus trip interesting and provided some local info. Arrived at 11, got back around 3:15.
363SteveP363
We decided to take a canoe ride using these guys and weren't disappointed. They take you to a drop off point near the Massanutten resort and pick you up seven miles down river. The guides were friendly and efficient. Not a beginner here but the orientation was adequate for beginners. Our kids rode along and had fun shooting the rapids ( very easy class 1), looking at the wildlife, and getting just a bit wet. Highly recomended way to spend an afternoon while vacationing in the Blue Ridge region.
epfreeland
Mike and Brian were very good! We received by far the most comprehensive pre-trip instruction we have ever gotten. We took the 7 miles 'ish canoe/kayak trip with 6 - 8 Class I rapids. Massanutten Adventures did a great job on everything they could control, the buses are clean, the equipment in good working order and the instruction well thought out and presented in an educational but entertaining format. If you are new to the sport or just looking for a great half day activity check out this trip.
ShellyT792
We decided to take my husband tubing for Father's Day and were able to snag the last few spots that morning. When I called to see if there was any availability, the young lady on the phone was very helpful and upbeat. Once we arrived, we were greeted by the guys who would be driving us to the drop off point. They were friendly, knowledgeable and really seemed to enjoy what they did and working with people. After getting us all fitted with life jackets they drove us to the river where they went over all of the safety instructions, what to do/what not to do.Once in the water we had a nice lazy float down the river...except for the few places where we got to navigate around rocks and bounce through the "waves" they created. It was a nice way to spend the day.Next time we'll go back and try rafting...and then maybe kayaking...or maybe going by canoe. So many options!