What an amazing day! The rafting guides are great. They keep you entertained the entire day. The…read moreriver was beautiful, but honestly the BEST part of the trip was the fried chicken lunch! It was incredibly delicious. I looked at a few options for rafting and chose Edge of the World for two reasons: the lunch menu, and that you get to re-run the rapids. That was a legit game changer. It was SOOO fun! Literally everyone had a blast re-running the rapid over and over. If I had only gotten to do it once I would have been disappointed. I highly recommend Edge of the World and would definitely ride with them again.

If you're into relentless puns, painfully bad dad jokes, and a level of commitment to a bit that…read moredeserves its own Olympic event, Edge of the Earth is absolutely your white water rafting company. If you have kids, they'll probably think it's the greatest experience of their lives. In fact, this may be the only way they'll happily survive a 6 1/2-hour trip. The first hour and a half I kept telling myself, "Surely they're just warming up." Nope. Then I thought, "Okay, once we get on the hour-long bus ride to the river, they'll have to stop." They did not. After rafting I convinced myself, "Everyone's exhausted now. The ride back will finally be peaceful." Reader, it was not. Imagine being trapped on a bus with three unsupervised theater kids who just discovered improv, puns, and sound effects--and they've collectively decided silence is illegal. Every joke was delivered with the confidence of someone who truly believed they'd be headlining Madison Square Garden. I came for white water rafting. I accidentally bought front-row tickets to the longest children's variety show ever performed. Five stars for the rafting. Zero stars for my rapidly deteriorating sanity.

My Husband and I went for our first Tubing experience on Saturday (7/11/26) and we had a great…read moretime! We had a 2p appointment and actually got into the water a little early; it was overcast that day and not crowded. We are also a bit older (59) and had no issues getting into or out of the tube or manipulating the rocks in the shallow spots. Overall wonderful time and we look forward to our next opportunity to Tube with High Mountain Expeditions!

If you're on the fence about rafting the Nolichucky, stop thinking and book with High Mountain…read moreExpeditions. My wife and I had an absolute blast. This wasn't just a rafting trip, it was one of the most fun days we've had in a long time. Honestly, it felt like spending the day at an amusement park, except there were no long lines, no concrete, no crowds... just an incredible river, beautiful scenery, and a whole lot more excitement than we expected. From the moment we arrived, everything was organized, professional, and friendly. The guides were outstanding. They struck the perfect balance between making everyone feel safe and keeping the trip fun and entertaining. You could tell they genuinely love what they do. The Nolichucky Gorge is absolutely gorgeous. Between the rapids, calm stretches, and mountain scenery, we couldn't stop smiling. It was adventure without feeling intimidating. As for value, I honestly don't know of many experiences that give you this much fun for the money. If you're looking for something different to do with your spouse, family, or friends, this is it. We left exhausted, soaked, laughing, and already talking about coming back. Five stars isn't enough. High Mountain Expeditions earned lifelong customers, and I'll be recommending them to anyone looking for an unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Really cool atmosphere as soon as you walk in. Great selection of everything you would need-boards,…read moreboots, bindings, googles, clothing, hats they got it all. Very nice and easygoing folks to talk to. Even gave me a free sticker. I love stickers.

Staff was amazing and there is a large selection of things to shop! Can't wait to go back!read more

An enjoyable trip from the Wilbur Dam down the river. Our guide, Daniel, was very personable &…read moreknowledgeable. We really enjoyed his conversation & information about the river. Trip was about 2+ hrs. We stopped for snacks & water & a bathroom break. Also an opportunity to jump into an area of still water. Rope swing & slide available as well. It was a rainy afternoon, we were provided ponchos. Water guns also included! Which was fun for the teenager in our group !

We had a wonderful experience rafting on the Watauga River. Our guide, Jerry, was really great. He…read morewas very knowledgeable, fun and informative. The owner was Teresa was super friendly. She took many photos of us along with our guide that she sent us for free. They even loaned us a hat to wear on the river! I highly recommend Watauga Kayak Tours & Outfitters!

This was one of the most fun experiences I've had. John was the absolute Best and most…read moreknowledgeable person and we were so lucky to get stuck with him haha. Definitely recommend booking here with them, they took really good care of us haha!

Talk about a fun rafting experience!! My husband and I brought our 10 year old sons and my parents…read moreon the whitewater rafting adventure yesterday. It was mine and the kids first time. The class II and III rapids were the perfect size for us. It was slightly challenging in a few places but nothing terribly difficult. It was absolutely exhilarating! Our guide Eric was incredible! He was super knowledgeable and really seemed to know the river very well. We all felt really lucky to have him as a guide. After watching a few other color rafts/companies get stuck continuously, we knew we chose the right people for this adventure. 10/10 will definitely be back again. Things we were glad to have... glasses chords.

Wonderful time for everyone! They provided excellent service and made planning for a big family…read morereunion excursion easy and super fun.

We will absolutely be back! Very much enjoyed our day and the staff was exceptional!!read more

Super awesome experience on the Nolichucky with Andy! He was very informative of the surrounding…read morearea and history, kept us engaged with silly jokes, and kept us on the edge of our seats! Definitely a trip worth making. Can't wait to come back!

This place used to be really nice. As of this year I think we've had what will be our last stay…read more Overcrowding: The campground has added way too many tent sites without adequate parking. The result is 0 parking spots and no space for anyone to comfortably enjoy themselves. The fire pits all blow smoke at each other and the tents fill up with other tent sites fire pit smoke. Noise issues: Want to go to sleep at a reasonable time? Too bad. Two nights in a row a bunch of drunkards were blasting music and having a great time from 9pm until 3am. Don't plan on getting much sleep if it's a busy weekend. Barking dogs, screaming kids, loud music, and noisy people well into the night. Safety concerns: the main small beach near the domes where everyone plays is littered with boulders and sharp rocks in the water. Maybe nothing can be done about that. However open inspecting the rotting wood steps leading to the water I found an actual sharp-to-a-point metal spike sticking straight up out of the wood. Luckily I was able to hammer down with a large rock, however that was an impaled foot or worse waiting to happen. There's lots of exposed rebar and it's generally unsafe. Considering how many kids and drunk adults loiter in that area, it's only a matter of time until someone needs stitches. No wonder they have you sign a liability waiver to be here. Lack of facility maintenance: The door locks on most of the bathrooms don't work. The hot water in the showers is barely functional if at all. The wood ramp to the shipping container showers becomes very slippery when wet and poses a safety hazard. There's a wasp sanctuary under the deck as well. Several adults and children were stung this weekend simply walking up the ramp to the bathrooms. With all the money this place is making is there no time to fix and maintain these things? Last but not least, THE CAMP DOGS: a gentleman came to our group and asked that we put all our dogs on leashes (despite them already being on leashes at the time...) and then allows the "camp dog" which is a large black and white husky to roam freely. This dog is an A**HOLE. It constantly bothers people's camp sites and tries to pick fights with other dogs. Our dogs were personally harassed by this dog when he came to our campsite and started eating our dogs food. Then tried to start a fight with our dogs. Then tried to BITE MY WIFE. I had to chase him off every couple hours both days. This dog should not be allowed off leash however the campground owners don't have enough self awareness to do so. All in all, it's been fun over the last few years, but this place has grown too big for the owners and staff to properly manage. Won't likely be coming here again, and we'll be sure to let everyone know what it's become.

Grant you have an awesome TEAM. It was a delight to meet the best FEMALE GUIDES EVER - Racheal and…read moreJess. we had a blast with Racheal and you will see us again. What a very experienced and professional group. Stay blessed and NEVER QUIT COL BEN & Griselle Mitchell , Angel and Gizelle !!! Stay Safe

Where to start! I made a reservation for a party of 4 at noon and we got there it was super…read moredisorganized. So the employees were scrambling with a few guest. They ignored us until 12:30 then Ruben one of the employees stated are you going tubing and I told him to look at our reservation it was for kayak. So then the unload of the kayaks that we filled with dirt and ants. Finally, Ruben calls us to the launch area and asks my husband to help him pull the kayaks in the water! After on the river we had to get out of the kayaks as the river was too low. So it was a river walking tour pulling the kayaks. After that get to the take out to be greeted by Ruben again. He stood on top of the hill and ask my husband to give him the paddles, and life jackets. If that wasn't enough he ask my husband to pull the kayak up hillside and to help him take the kayaks in top of the van. Also, the changing trailer was out of order as there were bees and wasp in them. I will not recommend this to anyone!i

It was a cold rainy day, but our rafting on the Watauga river couldn't have been more perfect! The…read moreentire crew and especially our guides Bea and Justin were wonderful! They gave us rain jackets to keep us warm even though we were soaking wet. If these folks can make a less than perfect day,perfect then I can't recommend this group more!more

This experience was so much fun. First, very professional and very safe. Our group of 8 consisted…read moreof 2 four year olds a 6 year old and 5 adults. Jesse was our guide and he was wonderful. Before boarding the rafts we had a wonderful lunch. Sandwiches with a variety of cold cuts, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. The potato salad was delicious with cookies and watermelon for dessert. We were soaked to the skin , between buckets of water and water pistol "fights ". I must emphasize that safety and fun was emphasized. The staff was wonderful. I highly recommend this adventure. You will not be disappointed and you will have great family fun

The reward of the spider lilies after (easy) paddling is so amazing. It is even prettier in person…read morethan in pictures, and going through the lily maze in the water puts you right up close. It's the best way to experience this short-lived phenomenon. Our group was small, the crew members were informative, helpful, and very friendly. The trip was very well-organized and worth every penny. I would definitely recommend this trip with NCOA.

As an experienced paddler, I expected professionalism from a kayaking provider for the Rocky Shoals…read morespider lilies. I booked in March, received an automated confirmation then had to email the company three days prior to the end of May trip for an updated confirmation bc our trip day coincided with a festival. It was then our group received confirmations three days prior to our trip. - Our group of 10 included novice kayakers & no instruction was given to them. Several struggled on the River. - Incorrect information about the lilies was given on the trip. At least have educated guides! - Our lead guide left us so we had no idea which way to maneuver through the lilies. My friend & I assisted two paddlers who said they were uneasy. After leaving a poor review on the business's FB to alert novices this is probably not the best outfit to take you kayaking, I received snarky responses from the owner (including a phone call), called a bully for posting my accurate account of the trip & then bullied by the owner's friends for my negative review. With that, I say AVOID THIS BUSINESS!! They are unprofessional. An organization is only as good as it's leader & it's no wonder this is a trash operation.