Calvin our guide was perfect. Full of historical knowledge and kept us safe (unlike the unguided blue rafts we saw tip approximately twenty people in the river) . The staff start to finish (especially on the phone during booking) were friendly & professional. We did a private 4 person with lunch tour and it was well worth the extra cost. Highly recommend this company. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Calvin doing what he does!! - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

My family of 6 had a great time! Class 3-4 rapids, but Hayley was FANTASTIC!!! In fact, I tried to adopt her after our trip! The other guide, Gary, and our safety kayakers, Phil and Trout, were also very fun and handled my daughter's abuse like pros:). I highly recommend! read more

Third time Ive been on a Laurel Highlands tour in the past decade and as usual it was a blast. Our guide Slater did most of the work for us this time (unlike the previous 2 which the guides were in kayaks instead of the raft). He put up with us 5 rowdy Neanderthals and managed to keep 4 of us in the boat at all times (sorry Stein). His river guide jokes, mid rapid high paddle fives (clearly only for the advanced rafters) and keen insight as to the local duck population kept us engaged the whole time. Special shout out to Big Jim the bus driver and our stand up comedian guide Emily for the return to base camp entertainment. See you next year when we try the Upper Yough! read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

Everything about our experience was top-notch. Reservations were easily made ahead of time. When we showed up that day, there was plenty of parking, and after everyone was gathered, we went over safety rules, then were fitted with life vests and helmets. Our tour guide was Garth, and he was excellent. His knowledge of the river was extensive, and I loved that he sometimes gave us the "easy way" or the "hard way" option (always the hard way!). He is known for his corny jokes, of which there were many, but he could use a little work on his positive reinforcement vocabulary (nice paddling team! looking good, Amy! etc.). He was very patient with us, though, especially considering we had one team member doing his own thing quite a bit. We did the Lower part of the Youghiogheny River, which is Level 3, with a few Level 4 rapids, and it was an absolute blast. The river is gorgeous, with beautiful views in every direction. I bought a picture online afterwards because I could not resist having a memento of such a great time. I would absolutely use this company again for a white water rafting trip. read more

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Our family of 4 did the premium tour on the lower falls and loved it! Our guide stopped to hike at a couple of falls, we jumped off jump rock and enjoyed a packed lunch at a stop. We were able to swim along at a couple spots on the river. read more

Went on a lower Yough tour. Our guide seemed more interested in his GoPro and was more gruff than he needed to be. I'm sure he wasn't a fan of our group but the feeling was mutual. Probably would go again but with a different tour company with guides more interested in their clients having a good experience. read more

Great outfitter. Highly recommend. Very family friendly. "Trout" was our guide and he did an amazing job. Request him for your next trip. Laurel highlands is a great company. Very professional, friendly and efficient. Got us on the water quickly. Had a wonderful day. read more

Yes!!! Absolutely loved our trip with Laurel highlands. We were a group of 4 college aged people who went down this past weekend for the lower yough. It was a majority of our first times white water rafting and we've all fallen in love. The lower is a great introductory level and for thrill seekers would say it's a little on the easier side. But don't worry if that's you! The guides are so much fun to be with. We had Trout and he was amazing and great to talk with. He could tell that we were looking for more and definitely gave us a fun time doing some more sporty things that gave the experience and extra kick. The overall vibes were great :) read more

Check- in is easy and Trout was amazing at getting all of us situated with gear and training procedures. Andy was our guide and he rocks. He is excellent at timing and the technical part of maneuvering down the river. I was scared at first but with his knowledge and guidance I felt confident. This was my fiance and I's first time rafting. We did the intermediate with III and IV class rapids. We are looking forward at doing the upper yough in the future. The laid back attitudes and jokes from the guides had us smiling all day !! read more

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I've done the lower yough a few times but never with family. Everyone enjoyed it, even when my wife got tossed from the boat! Great guides, good equipment, and a lot of fun. read more

Review haiku ... Flawless yak rental Shuttle struggled on the hills Middle Yough fun day read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Kayaking the Middle Yough - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

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This tour was fantastic! Unlike some companies, LHRT does not require guests to have 2 vehicles present; they shuttle you back to the main parking area. The guides were so funny and helpful. Our raft was commanded by Trout and he was knowledgeable and patiently answered all of our many questions. The tour took about 3 hours with a good amount of rapids (we did the lower Yough). Our group had so much fun! Highly recommend. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

I decided to take my daughter and a friend white water rafting on our free day headed back home. I came across this place. Tip 1: call ahead to any rafting place in the area and rsvp. Tip 2 ask for a discount. I was able to get 20 percent off being. I had to pay for 3 tickets. Tip 3 no flip flops or bare feet. We drove past the small town of Ohiopyle. It is beautiful. Bridges, restaurant, rivers, outside dining.... the works. Upon arriving and checking in we went through a series of instructions from safety, rowing, and suggestions. Since I was on a time crunch I opted to go with an instructor in my raft. Here comes Tanner. Aka Lil T bird. Lol. He stated to be 18 but looked like he was 13. He father who also works there gave me the benefit of a doubt that I was in good hands. And that I was. Tanner literally practically knew everything and did everything for us. We were one of the smaller rafts of like 12 the group session. We had a opportunity to jump in the river and swim in the refreshing water. We also jumped off a cliff. (I did it once)! They do have a "professional photographer" take like 5 pictures during one of the rapids. 4 star explanation: my pictures came out horrible... Tanner barely allowed us to do any kind of rowing.. he was a little Shy and not so talkative and lastly would have to be a few jabs thrown between the employees. Michelle was our host and she was super funny and personable. Over all I loved the experience and so did my girls! read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our guided raft trip on the Middle Yough River. Our 4 hour Journey included 20+ rapids and two swim stops-- we even jumped off a 15 ft tall cliff! Our guide, Marissa, was expertly skilled, knowledgeable and friendly. With Laurel Highlands every boat is assigned a personal guide. This is a huge difference compared to some other options and a key reason to select Laurel Highlands. read more

his is the worst company I have ever worked with that values their customers. I have rafted with them more then 8 times and have brought many different people. I had plans to raft this year with a friend and then was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor and they would Not Refund my money. After being such a loyal customer and provided them proof of the tumor they will not refund my money. I would never use them again and would not recommend them to anyone else. I asked if I could use the credit for next year because I have many other appointments about the tumor this year. They said could not use it next year because in the process of selling. I would think a new diagnosed brain Tumor- a company i have used over 8 times- could have made an exception and could refund. They said if I get a dr letter then I can submit that but only a slight chance they would refund. Yet I submitted proof to them I was just diagnosed with the brain tumor after we made the reservations read more

My family had a wonderful experience rafting the Lower Yough with Laurel Highlands. We were in great hands with our guide Rodney who expertly instructed us through Class III and IV rapids. Our 12 and 15 year olds had a fantastic time, and we highly recommend this company! read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

We did the Lower Yough (Class III/IV) Rapids. The weather was perfect, many animals to see and the experience itself was extremely fun! It was my first time white water rafting, I was a bit scared, but I felt safe with my guide, Jayden. She was very professional, calmed, and experienced. We even did a rescue mission! Overall I definitely recommend their tours, they're very clear and explain everything well to you. Don't forget to tip your guide! read more

I went with a group of friends to Ohiopyle to experience my first time white water rafting. My friend who made the reservations with Laurel Highlands River Tours decided to pick the intermediate level tour over the easiest since he had gone before. As my time on the water approached I admittedly became a little nervous. I was placed into a raft with 7 other people including our guide Roy. Roy gave us the basic overview of what we would need to do on the raft. If you ever go white water rafting make sure you have a guide with you. Roy was invaluable and incredibly knowledgeable about both rafting and the river. He was also very personable and friendly. About half way down the river we stopped to have lunch and, if we choose to, jump off a 15 ft high rock into the deep water. I was one of the few people who took the jump and it was a ton of fun! I just wish the water was about 15 degrees warmer! White water rafting with Laurel Highlands River Tours was a great experience. Just please be careful if you choose to try it yourself. There was one section of the river we came to referred to as "Dimple" that was extremely dangerous. Apparently, there is an underwater cave and if you flip over next to it there is a chance you may get sucked into it. I was told several people each year don't make it back from it. In other words follow everything your guide says when he/she says it and you will have an incredible experience! read more

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Such a fun day! Came here through a meetup.com event and despite the terrible weather, had an awesome time. 2 weeks of train had given us class 4 rapids. Major funs but expect turbulence. Our boat definitely lucked out with one of the most experienced guides, Jared. The crazy water had one boat flipping 5 mins into the trip, and another ejecting most passengers. Jared and the rest of the team had quickly gotten everyone rescued and back in their designated boat. Lunch was a nice break, though I'm surprised how quickly the latter end of the trip came and went. The brochure estimates a 3-6 hour trip, but i think because the water was so rough and the current so fast, we were probably done in 2-3. Fine by me, since this bladder doesn't hold much. Again, can't say enough nice things about the guides. Everyone was fun, funny, and helpful. Also--use this address for the GPS'ing: 171 Dinner Bell Rd. Ohiopyle PA read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Leaves nothing to the imagination, ladies. Rock it. - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

Our River guide was not like any River guide I have experienced on the river. We paid for a guided tour, but got four hours of our guide yelling at those in our group that couldn't keep up, got stuck on a rock (when she noticed) or couldn't get to the side fast enough. We would have been much happier if we did not have to raft with the fear of doing something wrong. There was no laughter and good time had by any of the guests as the tension was felt throughout the group. I would not recommend this company as they have yet to get back to me to discuss my dissatisfaction. read more

My 2 friends and I took th e guided tour for the Upper Yough , we had a blast and the guide leader Zane and our raft guide Kylie were fantastic, great great and friendly other guides on the other rafts , we also stayed over night in one of there Laural Highland rental house - very clean and a block from downtown , Thank you Laurel Highlands- read more

A disorganized COVID catastrophe in the making. WARNING: If you're thinking of coming here as a reasonably safe activity to partake in during a pandemic, look elsewhere. Making money during tourist season seems to be their top consideration at the risk of their customers' health. My girlfriend called the day before during our road trip. We registered for a non-guided trip in yaugh 2 and were told to show up by 11:00. We did and were greeted by a horde of mostly mask-less people milling around the registration area. Some employees wore masks, some did not, and some half-wore them in a half-hearted compliance effort. We were given COVID symptom forms to complete - another formality - and no other forms. I say formality because part of the process is taking your temperature, but this wasn't done until we'd already been waiting with the crowd for 30 minutes. If we were running a fever they only would've discovered this after we potentially infected a lot of others. It wasn't until we were nearing the departure time that my girlfriend asked if there were any other registration forms we needed. The attendants were confused by this and finally suggested we get back on a different line to get those forms. We were perplexed as to why the two types of forms would be distributed in 2 different steps and why no one explained the process to us. The bus was another COVID trap, although I was grateful the driver was properly wearing his mask. Upon arriving at the river entrance it was chaos. We wandered over to the raft distribution area, were told which raft to take, and nothing else. We didn't receive any river guidance. No safety tips. Nothing about where and when to exit the river. We happened to pass an attendant and asked her. She was confused and asked if we'd gotten the safety presentation. We laughed and told her there was no safety presentation. She gave us some brief pointers and we were off. The river was beautiful and the equipment was in good shape, thus why I'm providing a second star. Getting out of the river more confusion ensued. We were told to bring our life jackets back to the store. We did this, and then were told to go back to the attendant window to get our deposit and license back. We did this but no one was at the attendant window. After several minutes of waiting my girlfriend found an attendant and demanded service, which we received shortly thereafter. tl;dr: Placed customers in a high-risk situation of catching COVID. Lack of organization. Poor customer service. Good equipment. Management should take time to think through the process to reduce exposure and ensure employees are fully trained. read more

My friend and my son and I did the zip line/ropes course this fall; it was a fun experience! We had zip lined before but had never tackled a ropes course. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and very thorough in their information sharing at the beginning. One drawback was that we wished the course was longer, just because we liked it so much but they do allow you to do the course as many times as you can within your hour reservation. There was another group doing the course at the same time we were and unfortunately a younger girl became extremely scared and could not continue. The staff worked diligently to decide whether to lift her down from the ropes or if she could walk back to the beginning of the course to exit via the main net. The decision was made to have her return to the beginning of the course. Due to the nature of the lines and the tethers, this required that we stay and wait also at the beginning of the course while they got her off. In all, we lost probably 20 minutes or so of our hour while they got her off the course. The staff did allow us to go a little past our hour time but with other groups arriving for their reserved time, we couldn't make up all of our missed tome. Even with the delays, it was a fun experience that we all enjoyed. read more

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Enjoyed a fun whitewater rafting trip on the Middle Yough course with 4 kids (between 7 and 10 yrs. old) and 3 adults on a Thursday in July. We paid for the family premium option that was more expensive than the basic option, but well worth the expense if you have kids. First, it includes a private guide who launches, steers, and "lands" the raft (worth the peace of mind while traveling with young kids). Second, you are free to go at your own pace and don't need to wait for 50 people in a giant "caravan". Third, you get a private van for the 15 minute drive to the launch site. The kids had a positive experience and hope to return next year! Our guide, Rachel, a WVU student, did a nice job of engaging with the kids. The owner of Laurel Highlands River Tours also runs the Ohiophyle Cafe, which supplies a nice deli lunch (included in your package). The only downside is the whitewater rafting trips take place "rain or shine". Luckily, we had a sunny to partly cloudy morning with no rain, but it's probably not as enjoyable if it rains. The water level was high (between 4 and 5 feet) due to the steady rains of June and July. Rachel explained that the dam had to release some water to avoid flooding the campground. The high water made for a pleasant journey (i.e., no mandatory paddling in the "rock garden" shallows). Overall, I would recommend Laurel Highlands River Tours, especially if you have kids. It is less crowded in the middle of the week. It's worth arriving 15 minutes before your group meeting time so you can get a drink of water, take a restroom break, leave your keys at the front desk, and do your vest fitting. They do have changing rooms inside the check-in area and a unisex bathroom facility in the general store (building next to the check-in center). For young kids or newbies, the Middle Yough course is great (calm with two gentle rapids). Otherwise, grown-ups (12+ years) should opt for the Lower or Upper Yough courses. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Calm, kid-friendly Middle Yough - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

We decided yesterday to go rafting today. The first place we checked was sold out, so we hit up the next place and found this one. I'm glad we did! I've been white water rafting before but my family hadn't . Because of covid, the rafting tours are doing guided only. I wasn't sure how I felt about that before going. It absolutely improved our experience. When we go again, I'd definitely choose the guide in raft option. Our guide was awesome. We found out after this was his first tour back in 3 years. Luckily, he saved that for after the rafting. Haha. The pics were nice. One for 20 or all (11) for 45. We chose the all, which I purchased after on my phone instead of waiting in line. The bus ride back was pretty insane. The driver goes about 70 on their private very rural road. Didn't enjoy that part so much. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

Great family experience! Josh was an excellent guide. Our children 12 and 14 did a great job on the river thanks to Josh's guidance. We will be back! read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

Thank you Laurel Highlands River Tours and our excellent Tour Guide Raymond for an incredible whitewater trip. Raymond was able to put us in all the right rapids for the best experience. We even surfed a rapid!!! Thank you Ray can't wait for the Upper Yough next year. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - #fatherandsontripsummer2022 - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

ATTENTION LAUREL HIGHLANDS MANAGEMENT: Andy, Zane, and Mason were our river guides for the day. They set 2 old guys up for success on a sweet epic trip on the Upper Yough. Friendly, confident, competent, and fun... GIVE THESE GUYS A RAISE! read more

This was a perfect day of being unplugged and soaking in nature. I booked the Lower Yough Premium package for a group of 4. The reservation process was easy. Laurel Highlands River Tours provided a webpage that I could easily access and share with other members of my party. With this personalized link, I could send important details to our group, including waivers. The members of my party could even choose their own lunch options - which was a detail I didn't want to organize. Once we arrived for our trip, we were greeted by friendly and helpful staff. In the parking lot for the guided raft tours, there are clean bathrooms and showers. Our guide for the day, Taylor, was very knowledgeable of the river. He kept our party in the raft all day! He followed our enthusiasm for the day and had a low-key presence all while keeping us safe. We pulled off the river for a light lunch, Gatorade, and water on the rocks and watched other rafters navigate Dimple Rock. Once on the river, I just had to do what I was told - paddle, lunch was organized for me, and I didn't' need to organize any details -Laurel Highlands River Tours did it all for us. Thank you for a memorable day! read more

So good. Great people doing the things they do very well. Could not be happier with how our trip with John on the Lower Yough went. Can't wait to come back to raft with Laurel Highlands again! read more

Great people! Had a great trip with a fantastic guide who kept everyone safe. They have a few different trips for different difficulty levels so you'll find something to fit your vibe read more

I have gone on the Lower Yough 4 times with Laurel Highlands. It is always a great time. The express tour is fun, but this last time we did the premium tour and got more time on the water and had even more fun than when we did the express tour. read more

I was doing this for the first time.Considering the last minute booking ...I had to do level 3 rafting with no personal instructor in my boat. That was I think a learning...first time rafter should always have an instructor in the raft. I fell in the stream for couple of times however the laurel team (which was also rafting with us) was strategically placed to get me out of the river. After the last fall..I went in the raft of Mark (my rescuer) Did couple of currents with him and the experience and learning were awesome. It is at this point I felt that having an experienced instructor in the raft makes if fun..exciting and educational. I would definitely do it for the second time however with a n instructor in the raft. read more

Great experience; Rodney was our guide! He helped us over the rapids extremely calmly and well. A great day.

This was a great experience from start to finish. Having a guide in the raft made a huge difference between past experiences elsewhere. Rodney, our guide, was beyond AMAZING! He made sure that we were as safe as possible while having maximum fun. Safety was definitely a focus. Rodney was a great ambassador for the river, park and the people. Told us all about other local attractions and stunning nature in the area. Great guy! Request him. They are all great though! You can't go wrong. read more

Absolutely FANTASTIC experience!!! Went with my husband, and we got teamed up with another couple in a raft with no guide. There were a lot of guides on the trip, so we had guidance when we needed it. I'm pretty sure our guides were the best on the river, because even though we had such a huge group (8 or 9 rafts) we kept catching up to another company's group that had left 15-20 mins before we did. At one point our leader even sent a few of our kayak guides to help the company in front of us get all their people through. Don't get me wrong-I'm sure white water rafting can be dangerous. But I felt completely safe with this group, there were 3 or 4 kayak guides who go get set up to help you navigate the rapids and also to pick up anyone who falls out of their raft (if your friends don't get you back in quick enough). Then on the ride back to the parking lot, Joey tells jokes! 10/10 would do it again!! read more

We had an amazing day with our guide Garth, recent rains & his expertise made for a thrilling & fun-filled last minute weekend idea. The cold river water felt amazing during this blistering heat wave. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - White water Rafting on the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park. - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

We took our son on his first whitewater trip this summer. We booked w/ Laurel Highlands and we couldn't have been happier. Friday night we drove to the place to find it from the hotel(since our reservation was @0900 hrs, we didn't want to try finding it the next morning.) We didn't know that they had a zip line course there. My son had a blast!!! So we walked around after that and really liked the whole area. Next morning: got there,got in a van, went up the mountains. Got out, had a quick lesson, and got our raft!!!!! Our guide Koty was excellent!!!! I cannot say enough good about him. We will be returning! read more

A group of 8 of us did the double duckie kayaks down the Middle Yough. We had 3 adults and 5 teenagers with pretty much no experience. Check-in was crowded but seemed organized. The bus ride to the launch site was about 20 minutes. Lots of open seats and everyone was wearing a mask. We got about 15 minutes of important instructions before heading down to the river. I take 2 stars off the for the following reasons. The water was extremely low and we spent a great deal of time trying to get unstuck from the rocks. A warning about this would have been helpful. It took 5 hours to reach the end. Maybe because of the time we spent trying to get through the low rocky areas where we were stuck. Once we reached the end we were all exhausted. Everyone had to haul the heavy boats up to the top of a hill. Okay we did that. But when we got to the top, two workers were sitting at their trucks doing nothing. They never came over to offer help to our group to get the heavy boats the rest of the way up to their trucks. I would have left a good tip if they had offered a hand. We were pretty spent. But nothing. Overall it was beautiful and we had a good experience. But people should be warned about the conditions that day and how long it can take to get down the river. And guys at the end--get off your asses and help people get the boats over to the trucks. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Stopped for lunch by the river. - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

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We rented our gear for a whitewater rafting trip today and they were very helpful in getting us out in a raft. The one issue was they gave us the wrong life vests, but they came over later and delivered the correct vests to us. Gerat equipment at a reasonable price. read more

Laurel Highlands River Tours - Tours Near Me - Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania