They deserve all 5 stars for a great trip down the river. Everyone we dealt with was warm and welcoming. This was not our first time down the Nantahala, we did it the first time with a much larger company. Decided to try this mom and pop type and the experience was way more tailored to our group. We didn't have to wait for buses to fill up as we were the only raft. Our guide was Neal and he was awesome! Very experienced and a great personality. Would highly recommend this outfit. They even took pictures at no additional cost! The wetsuits and jackets were also comped! read more

Endless River Adventures - Nantahala - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

Everything was grand -again in 2025! Our outing club does this adventure as often as possible! The hurricane did not harm this region much at all. The crew at endless rivers gave us a great day on the water. Neal our guide was skilled and fun! Thank you from high point nc. Lynette read more

We have taken three trips this summer with endless River adventures Each trip has been incredible From the ease of booking your trip talking to the office staff To the directions on where to be they make it pretty seamless We have had Anna as our Guide twice, and she is incredible But really the whole crew has been great Nathan, Ben, Felipe,and Neal just make the trip that much better There may be a better company out there, but I'll never know Cause I'm not going anywhere else read more

I have been paddling the Nantahala River in canoes and duckies for YEARS and finally decided to leave the NOC for our family trips each summer to rent duckies. Couldn't be HAPPIER with Endless River! The owners and staff are absolutely incredible and knowledgeable. Adore their interest in their customers and humor in their guides-even if they're just driving and dropping you off! Can't recommend them enough and look forward to paddling greater adventures with them in the future. Amazing outfitters! read more

Such an amazing experience with Endless River Adventures. My boyfriend has been rafting with this company since he was little and he brought me for the first time and they did not disappoint. The staff is so funny and friendly, they have a family type of atmosphere. Everything was stress free from booking the reservation, getting the equipment, going down the river, and getting picked back up by the bus. We will definitely be back to Nantahala and we'll be using Endless River Adventures again! read more

If you want an expert guide down the river who is knowledgeable and makes the trip fun, this is the place! My daughter wanted to try rafting for the first time and we had a wonderful experience with Bill as our guide. We'll be back and in the meantime, I'd recommend Endless River Adventures to anyone who asks. read more

This company deserves a great review from me, I was there in April on a cold drippy day and they still agreed to do a river rafting trip even though I was the only rafter. Everyone provided exceptional service, even making me a cup to tea upon my return because it was so chilly. We saw bald eagles, that was unexpected!!!! I have been down the Nantahala 5 or 6 times and even though it was cold it was the best trip!!!! So appreciated the service and professionalism. read more

Had the BEST full day float down the Nantahala today with an amazing guide, Nadine. We got off to a slow full moon start but Nadine was teaching the whole way and then the numbers and the sizes started to tally up! This was truly a picture perfect day and we would highly recommend Endless River and Nadine for another trip next time we're in town! Thank you! read more

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We had a great time! We did the upper and middle Ocoee river with Neal as our guide. I had absolutely zero experience with whitewater rafting and it was so much fun. Neal is very knowledgeable, friendly and great at explaining. Thanks for a great experience Endless River Adventures!! read more

Awsome group, they were very professional and we had a great experience.... They are small but that's the best part...

I feel like a kid who just got home from summer camp! I had two days of kayak lessons on the Ocoee River, one with Ben and another with Juliet. I'm experienced on the Ocoee but wanted some coaching on more challenging moves, to fine tune my strokes, and to have a safety net traveling with me. Ben and Juliet were my guides in Ecuador at https://rioquijosecolodge.com five years ago and will be again. It's great to be part of the Endless River/RioQuijos family where my abilities and tolerance for risk are understood by their kayak instructors. The two instructors had a seamless handoff of what I was working on. Endless maintains a deep bench of experienced instructors and I enjoy pulling from all that depth of knowledge. Thanks Debbie and Amelia for getting me on the schedule with little notice! Still grinning. read more

There are so many options for rafting trips. This is not your normal outfit, these are river people- true professionals. I have been twice, and have been quite impressed with the experience and knowledge of their guides. Other outfits work with rookies, then the pros go here. I recommend an Ocoee trip if at all possible . . . Brit and Meda are awesome . . . read more

Endless River Adventures - Getting ready for the Ocoee river . . . - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

​This is a great place to begin a love of water adventure. I had never been whitewater rafting and was a little nervous since I am a larger person. Our guide Neal was patient, thorough, and fun helping to set my mind at ease. I wish I could have gone many times more but can only hope to have another river guide like Neal. The other staff was super helpful and friendly with a focus on safety but also fun. If I am ever traveling through this part of NC again, I'll be stopping by for sure. read more

As someone with absolutely no kayaking experience, these guys did everything they could to show me the ropes. We had a group of 11 ranging from experienced to completely new, and they challenged and taught all of us individually when needed and especially as a group. By the end of the four day trip, everyone had not only improved but grasped many of the basic concepts of kayaking due to our incredible teachers. As someone who needs lots of encouragement and help, I cannot recommend a place more than ERA. read more

My name is Paula. I went ro river rafting with my guide, Neal. He's incredible! My first time today & he kept me save. I enjoyed the ride from beginning to the end. I had a blast! read more

This place feels like it's what REI and all of those other Eco-friendly business were trying to do but got too big for their own good. ERA gets it just right. I just returned from a trip leading 5 customers with 2 guides. That fact alone should get your attention. I'm still on vacay and using my phone to write this review. I'll update this later with more info on "ginger root" Red and his buddy Steve. read more

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We had a wonderful experience using Endless River Adventures to go rafting on the Nantahala River. Everyone was so helpful and safe. It was my first time going and I am glad we used this company. Even after getting stuck in a thunderstorm, I wanted to go again. Read about details about our experience here: https://rosecoloredwandering.com/whitewater-rafting-on-the-nantahala-river-in-north-carolina/ read more

This river rafting company sets itself apart from the larger operations. The staff is friendly and competent. Captain Kirk took excellent care of our group of 8 and made sure we had lots of FUN. read more

Great trip down the Upper and Middle Ocoee! 2nd time with ERA. Didn't disappoint either time. Shay was our guide this time and she did an awesome job!! Can't wait to go again next year! read more

This was our 2nd visit to Nantahala falls with Endless River Adventures and it was an amazing day! last year was great- this year was amazing! your guides are super knowledgeable and engaging. Neil was hysterical as we navigated down the river. We always felt safe and secure as we engaged in rapid water. It was an amazing day on the water! Do yourself a favor and BOOK WITH ENDLESS ADVENTURES. read more

Ken, Juliet and team by far run the tightest ship in the smokies. Between my dad and myself we have used their guiding and outfitting services for more than 15 years not only here I the smokies but also Central and South America. This outfit is run by people that live and breathe river related fun not just some faceless corporate company looking to nickel and dime you. From all things whitewater to the finest of hand tied flys by the very same person that puts you on the fish, this is your place. Thanks for all the years of fun. read more

Endless River Adventures - Huge thanks to Ken and his guide Red for an awesome day on the Ocoee. Best outfit and guides in the smokies - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

We did some river rafting with our two kids, Neal was our guide and we had the best time. Kids absolutely loved it, Neal was not only a great guide but an awesome person. The river is gentle for kids and great for first timers like us. 100% recommend this company. read more

Endless River Adventures is our outfitter of choice in the Nantahala Gorge. Whether it be for kayaking instruction, purchasing boats and gear, clothing & accessories ERA is our first and last stop. They carry all of the brands that we look for at an outfitter and the selection is outstanding. ERA has been a faithful and constant supporter of Team River Runner (non-profit benefiting wounded service members and their families) donating time and equipment to TRR trips on the Nanty. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. Year after year we see the same folks working there which is a testament to the happy, family environment Ken & Juliet have created. read more

Cannot say enough nice things about this superlative outfitter. Neil was a great guide as we paddled in our duckies. a guy who loves and respects the river and nature and others. By the end of trip we felt we had made a new friend. Hannah and Debbie were just so friendly and helpful. Endless River is notable because they intentionally do not try to be the largest (and noisiest or crowded) outfitter on the river. You get personal attention and care and we were never rushed. We liked them because we would not be a small group of 3 stuck among 30-100 rafters/paddlers on school buses and thus swamp the river at put-in. , Nantahala is only 30-100' wide. Their HQ is clean, spacious, convenient, very well stocked, their pfds and wetsuits and boats well maintained. Great covid protocol too. And they offer gear for sale in store as well. The Nantahala was clean, chilly in May, the gorge beautiful. We were all very glad we had on their farmer john wetsuits and water-shedding jackets (included in any of their boat rentals) provided by ERA. Boaters, please do tip your good guides well: your safety and fun in their hands. read more

We were staying in Bryson City for almost a week and decided to do a guided duckey trip on the Nantahala and loved it! Out guide, Juliet, was amazing; she was very knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and a lot of fun! I have rafted a lot of different rivers and am starting to get bored with rafting, but kayaking in the duckeys was a ton of fun and Endless Rivers made it even better! They were incredibly professional and helpful through the whole process, had top-notch equipment and even off free wet suits (yes, you need them because the water is super-cold!). I highly, highly recommend using this outfitter. read more

We LOVED our experience!! Shay was our "river princess" aka guide and she totally made the trip! She was so knowledgeable, funny and super laid back! We couldn't have had a better time! We will definitely be returning next year and bringing all of our friends!!! There are so many different kayak and rafting businesses in the same area but if you're looking for a genuinely fun time you've got to go with Endless Adventures! read more

Had an amazing time white water rafting on the Nantahala River as first-timers with my husband and two daughters. Our Guide Michael was awesome!! The owner and staff are super friendly folks! Highly recommend! read more

LEADERSHIP sets Endless River Adventures (ERA) above and apart from the other white-water river rafting companies. Juliet and Ken Kastorff are the co-founders and co-owners of ERA. Their vision and active leadership permeates throughout the ERA family of guides and employees. I have rafted 15+ different rivers, most multiple times. I have rafted Class IV+/V rivers; Skykomish, White Salmon, and the Zambezi River in Africa. I have rafted with multiple different commercial outfitters. All of them have provided fun and safety conscious experiences. I had the pleasure of rafting the Cheoa River with ERA on Sunday, July 9th. It was by happenstance that I rafted the Cheoa, having only learned that there would be a weekend release several days beforehand. From the moment I called to make reservations up until Juliet, the owner, emailed me the trip photos, every ERA staff member made me feel like family. I called a few times before the trip and when I told the ERA staff members my name, they all knew I was on the Cheoa trip. When I arrived at the put in site, most of the guides and safety kayakers made a point of introducing themselves. When my family and I had lunch at NOC two days after the Cheoa trip, one of the ERA guides was there with his friends and he recognized me from the trip and made a point of saying hi. When I didn't receive the drop box link for the trip photos, the OWNER of ERA personally emailed it to me TWICE to make sure I got the pictures - the pictures were at no additional cost. On the river Billy was an exceptional guide. Having seen the Cheoa from the highway multiple times I was nervous because of the amount of trees and other obstructions in the water. Billy was a zen master at navigating through the technical maze of rocks, trees, and other obstructions. ERA had 3 official (paid) safety kayakers on that trip and a few more off-duty guides who manned personal kayaks as well as another raft that was only manned by ERA guides as an additional safety measure. And finally ERA had the photograph/shore safety observer follow our trip downriver. I witnessed first-hand how effective all of ERA safety protocols played out when one of the other rafts flipped over at one of the major falls. The shore safety observer immediately stopped taking pictures and instantaneously threw a safety line in the water, as did the safety kayakers. Within 15-20 seconds of being in the water, all of the "swimmers" were safely accounted for and out of harms way. BTW, the raft that flipped was filled with 3 rather inexperienced customers. As a single rafter I was a bit apprehensive when I saw that particular group walk up to the put in site, secretly hoping that I wouldn't be paired with them. Luckily the 3 inexperienced rafters were placed in a different raft. The trip leader and presumably the other guides saw what I saw and soon placed one of the off-duty guides in the raft to compensate for the customers' lack of experience. On the water I saw how the other non-ERA kayakers and rafters quietly saluted and gave deference to the ERA guides as a sign of respect for their experience and for ERA's leadership in the international white-water community. Every long-term commercial white-water outfitter will provide an acceptable, attentive, and adventurous trip. Prior to booking and making the Cheoa run with ERA, my family and I were loyal NOC customers. Billy, Josh (the ERA guide who said hi to me and my family at NOC), Juliet, Kirk and Nick (safety kayakers), and the rest of the ERA family made me their biggest fan. Success can be measured in many ways, Juliet and Ken have purposely decided to measure success in customer care and satisfaction not in customer volume. read more

ERA took us down the river during Thanksgiving week in 2017. They were the only rafters open at the time (we called just about every place within a 20 mile radius of Bryson City). We really enjoyed the rafting experience with our guide, who gave us good conversation throughout the rafting experience. He pointed out local sights down the river (such as where the trees were especially charred from the fires that ravaged the smokies last year). Our hosts at the shop were sociable and pleasant, giving us good advice and displaying good ole fashioned southern hospitality. They had a dog that is extremely friendly and kept wanting us to throw its frisbee for it. I think ERA offers a couple of different courses, and the one we went to (grade 2/3 rapids) was a little less fun for a group of young men than a set of grade 3/4 rapids would have been - we would have preferred a more physical experience, but that was definitely not the establishment's fault. I strongly recommend the experience for anyone, especially for those looking for a family-friendly experience. It was probably around 50 degrees the day we went out, and while kinda cold, it was still a fun experience. One final note: If you don't have sandals with straps or shoes you are willing to get wet, DEFINITELY get the water shoes available for $10 at the store! They are 100% worth it! Our feet definitely got wet in the raft, and nothing is worse than wet shoes on a vacation! read more

These guys and gals were awesome. Best bang for the buck and exceptional service!

Had a wonderful time floating the river with their top notch guide, Neil. He was very knowledgeable and professional. The company runs a tight operation, from their friendly office staff, to their shuttles, and most importantly the guides. Safety was paramount and evident throughout - for both Covid and water. If you want to spend a fun relaxing morning or afternoon on the river, call them. You won't be disappointed. read more

These guys were amazing! I have white water rafted numerous times at other places but these guys were by far the friendliest. They're a smaller place but their staff are friendly and they want you to enjoy your trip more than just take your money like other places. We are on our honeymoon and they even recommended places for us to go hiking and local places to eat!! They were wonderful! We will be back to begin learning how to white water kayak! read more

This was a great find, drive past NOC....about 1/2 mile, so worth it. Our guide, Mike, was great. He was informed, gave us lots of information while rafting 8 miles. My husband is a fly fisherman, our guide introduced us to the owner, Ken, who guides the fly fishing. He was also so informed regarding fishing and the river, we will definitely return next year for fishing. A friendly, professional, family run business with the personal touch. read more

OMG! This place/staff are amazing! My family is a large family,four kids, my wife and I. The kids range from 10 to 17. When I called the staff person on the phone was incredibly polite, and wanted to know what we were looking for. She advised us on which trip to make. We chose the Nantahalla as it was the first time for five of us to Whitewater raft. We were concerned for the youngest and whether he would like it or not. When we arrived every staff member was polite while helping us get geared up our instructor was incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable of the area as well as the sport. We had an incredibly fun time and afterwords we happened to be there on a free ice cream day so everyone was able to get a free ice cream treat at the end. We will definitely be back here in the near future to gear up and go down the Ocoee river. read more

Really nice day on the water. Alex was an excellent guide. Equipment was new or like new. If you are looking forward to a raft trip with some nice guys that love what they are doing then Endless River is the place for you. Their facilities is excellent. They have a big men and women changing rooms for changing from your wet clothes when you get back from the enjoyable adventures. read more

We just rafted the Cheoah with Linc as our guide. Our experience was INCREDIBLE!!! These guys are total professionals and although the river is insanely dangerous, I never felt at all afraid thanks to how this company takes care of it's customers. I highly recommend choosing this group for any river/water activities. BRAVO gang! read more

Excellent place to rent a raft!!! Very friendly people! Family friendly!! 8 miles of amazing view and River! The raft guides are extremely personable. Good prices too! read more

I returned to ERA for another kayaking instruction session with their team in August 2018. We have made annual trips to ERA dating back to May2013. Their team always provides great instruction for our skill levels and provide new challenges to each of us each year. I was a beginner in 2013 and travelled with two seasoned paddlers. ERA instructors had the patience to train a beginner plus seasoned instructors for those in our group with more experience. ERA continues to provide quality instructors that make each trip memorable. During our August 2018 trip, we spent time on the Ocoee and Nantahala Rivers with Juliet, Craig and Zuzzanna during our 4-day visit. The entire ERA team was very helpful and professional - it was another great experience with their team of instructors and their shop staff is very welcoming and always willing to help. ERA has the small company, family attitude and yet remain very professional when it counts! I look forward to the trip each year! read more

I recently went on a week long whitewater kayaking trip to Ecuador with ERA. It was amazing and I highly recommend it! Juliet, the owner, and our two guides, Michael and Tarquino, were the best. I was able to push myself a little bit while still feeling safe, experience new rivers (with warm water!), and learn a great deal about kayaking and the country of Ecuador. They were well organized without being rigid in terms of activities both on and off the river. Juliet has been coming down to Ecuador for approx 20ish years now, and her knowledge, interest, and love for Ecuador, its people, and its rivers really shows. She also makes a serious effort to support local Ecuadorians, and as a result, you will get to know awesome people like Jonhs, the local musician; Dona Cleo, who runs a very tasty restaurant up the road from the eco lodge you stay at part of the time; Angel, the bus driver and master jack of all trades, who will keep you laughing and help you practice your Spanish, and even Lucas, the sweet doggie who lives at the lodge. You will also see different types of rivers, and will likely have some options for put ins and portaging vs running some of the more challenging rapids depending on skill level and how on your game you're feeling. Also as a side note...Juliet taught me how to roll on my off side (i mean left side :) ) in about 5 minutes one day. Both her and the guides were knowledgeable, patient, and fun people that it was an absolute pleasure to spend time with on and off the river. read more

I LOVE ERA. This is the best small kayak and raft company on the Nantahala. If you want the "Cheers" feeling where everyone knows your name, come here. They are professional and great at what they do--whether it's rafting, kayaking, canoeing, or fly fishing. Ken and Juliet and their team know there stuff. I cannot say enough good things about this company. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ERA! read more