Which Trip is Best for You and Your Family?

Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 800-572-3510

 Beyond Age & Weight 

Which River?
Which Trip?
Which Boat?
Which Outfitter?
Why Raft with Kids?

Whitewater rafting in the NC Mountains is a fun family adventure. Selecting the right trip for you is critical to your fun and safety.  Age and weight are the traditional guidelines used to choose an appropriate whitewater rafting trip. These help, but you should also consider your family's (or group's) activity level, experience with water, experience with the outdoors, and attitude.

As a start, you must consider the needs of the youngest or most apprehensive member of your family or group.  We recommend you not start on whitewater that is too much for a younger child or anyone who is apprehensive about rafting. You can always do the bigger whitewater later. If they start with too much, they may never want to raft again.
 
Call if you have questions, need more info, or need help choosing an appropriate rafting trip for you and your family. 800-572-3510

When choosing your river and trip consider these questions for your family or group:

A. Are you enthusiastic about whitewater rafting?
B. Or, are you an apprehensive about rafting?

A. Are you active and/or play lots of sports?
B. Or, are you not as active and enjoy more indoor time?

A. Do you spend lots of time around water?
B. Or, are you not able to be around water too frequently?

A. Do you spend lots of time outdoors?
B. Or, do you spend most of your time indoors?

A. Are you a go-getter and enjoy new experiences?
B. Or, are you a little timid and cautious about new experiences?

If “A” applies to you more often, then you can choose a more aggressive trip for your age.

If “B” applies to you more often, then you should choose a less aggressive trip for your age.

We have a trip appropriate for most all families and groups with kids age 4 through pre-teen.

We’ll be happy to help you decide. Just call us at 800-572-3510.

The Rivers....

We are the only outfitter running both the Tuckaseigee River and the Nantahala River.  That means more family trip options for you, which means you can better choose a trip appropriate for your family or group.

The Tuckaseigee River – The “Tuck” is fun, and playful, not wild or hardcore.  It’s also a warm river for the NC Mountains.  These combine with our 19+ years of outfitting, our kid-friendly guides, and our great equipment to make it a great river for younger kids, beginners, and anyone apprehensive.

Is it boring for older kids and adults? Over the years, we have taken hundreds of older kids on our trips. Most are rafting with us because they have a younger brother or sister that's rafting with us. Older kids almost always have a great time on our trips. Yes, they can do bigger white water. Before the trip, they are concerned that they'll be bored. They never are. On the trip, they realize it's fun for everyone. They can be (and usually are) more playful than the younger kids. One or two person Duckys can be a great option for older kids. They add adventure and independence to the trip for them.

Guideline Minimum Age – Age 4 (Absolute Minimum Age – Age 3 ½)
 
Our recommendations for an age & attitude appropriate trip:
 Active and Adventurous: Age 4 & Up
 Less Active, but Enthusiastic: Age 6 & Up
 Apprehensive: Age 9 & Up

The Tuck is one of the best beginner white water Rivers in the U.S.  There are plenty of fun rapids, but it is usually warm, fun and forgiving.

The Tuck is also one of the best whitewater rivers for Duckys (aka inflatable kayaks). The fun and warm, but forgiving river allows even novices to use Duckys. 

The Nantahala River – Bigger Whitewater for Bigger Kids and the More Adventurous.

Fast and Fun. Clear and Cool.  Action and Attitude, but still family-friendly

More action. Bigger whitewater, colder water, fewer calm pools.

The Nantahala is the Classic Family Whitewater River. It is cool and clear with lots of fun rapids as it rushes through the Nantahala National Forest.  Bounce and churn through 7+ miles of fun whitewater. End with the classic Wesser Falls, an exhilarating Class III rapid. 

Mandated Minimum – Age 7 or 60 pounds

Our recommendation
 Active and Adventurous: Age 7 & Up
 Less Active, but Enthusiastic: Age 9 & Up
 Apprehensive Age: 11 & Up

Duckys & Inflatable Kayaks on the Nantahala

We have Duckys available on the Nantahala. The Nantahala is a significantly more challenging Ducky trip than the Tuck.  It is colder, the rapids bigger, and there are not as many calm pools after the rapids.  Age 12 is our guideline minimum for Ducks on the Nantahala. Smaller kids can ride with adults in a Ducky, but any smaller child in a Ducky will usually need to use a wetsuit, even in the summer.

Which trip? Call us at 800-572-3510 and we'll help you decide.

The Ultimate

Our Ultimate trips on the Tuck and Nanny are specifically designed for you to have the best chance of everything going great for you. It does cost a little more.

We keep trip size smaller and take a little extra time. You usually have the best weather of the day. You have the best boat selection. There are more guides per guest.

And, you get our “Ultimate Guarantee.”  If you don’t have fun rafting with your kids on our Ultimate Trip, we will give you a full refund.

We have found no other rafting outfitter in the region (and only one other in the U. S.) offering a Money Back Guarantee.

You come to have fun; we want you to have fun.
 
Ultimate Tuck
Ultimate Nantahala

Super Splash

Super Splash trips are available on the Tuck and Nantahala.
Call us at 800-572-3510 for more information.

Enjoy the same fun rapids, just later in the day.

Super Splash trip size is usually a little bigger and the weather may not be as good. The river may be a little more crowded. There are fewer guides per guest. They cost a little less.

Super Splash trips are not recommended for younger kids or anyone who is apprehensive.

Super Splash Trips come with our “Make Up Trip Guarantee.”  If you don’t have fun rafting with us on your Super Splash trip, we will let you raft again for free.

Super Splash Tuck
Super Splash Nantahala

Which Boat?

Call us at 800-572-3510 and we’ll try to answer any of your questions.

We have a variety of boats on both the Tuck and the Nantahala to meet the needs of your family or group.

Choosing the right boat is critical to your fun and safety.

Tuck Boat Options

On the Tuck, we recommend you wait until you get here to make your decision about which boat to take. The exceptions are if you want a Guide in your Raft or if you want a one person Ducky.

As part of our trip sign up process when you get here, one of our guides will show you the boat options and help you make a good decision.

We have two types of boats and different sizes of each boat:

Rafts – Our rafts on the Tuck hold from 3 to 8 people, depending on water level and the size of the people.

Duckys (Inflatable Kayaks) – These small rafts are open and shaped like a canoe or kayak. They are for one, two and sometimes three people. One person Duckys are great for active older kids and teens. Two person Duckys are great for a parent and child, couples and sometimes two older kids.

The warm water and fun, but forgiving rapids make the Tuck a great place to try a Ducky. 

At higher water levels, we may be more restrictive about who can take Duckys and possibly not allow them on the river. That is a trip time safety decision that we make.

Again, on the Tuck, we recommend you not make a boat choice until you get here unless you want a Guide in your raft or you want a one person Ducky.

Nantahala Boat Options

The Nantahala is bigger whitewater and we use mostly 8 person rafts. We do have some smaller rafts available primarily for families on our Ultimate Nantahala Trip. Call us at 800-572-3510 for more information.

Your raft options on the Nantahala include:

Guide-Assisted in a Big Raft, possibly shared with other people. The Guides are on the trip and near you, but not in your boat.  These rafts usually hold about 8 people.

Guide in Big Raft - A Guide is in your raft. (Additional  $6 per person)  If your family or group does not fill up a raft, you may share this raft with other people.  These rafts usually hold about 8 people plus the guide.

Guide - Assisted in a smaller raft. The Guides are on the trip and near you, but not on your boat.  These rafts are designed for a family of 4 to 6. You just need one person who can steer and at least one other person who can paddle.

Guide in a Smaller Raft - One of our Guides is in your raft. (Additional $10 per person)  This option may not be available on busier days.

Duckys & Inflatable Kayaks

We use ThrillKats, a special type of Ducky, on the Nantahala.  These are great for active teens and adults. We do not recommend Duckys on the Nantahala for anyone who is timid or apprehensive about going rafting.

The cool and active waters of the Nantahala make it great for go-getters in a Ducky, but it’s a challenge for anyone else.  We recommend you use splash gear or a wet suit if you take a Ducky down the Nantahala.

The Tuck is a great place to try a Ducky.

Which outfitter? Why choose Raft with Kids?

Call us at 800-572-3510 and we'll explain why we're your best choice.

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