We booked a tubing trip about a month out and upon our arrival, the weather was dreary, cold, and not exactly ideal for tubing. It was unusual for mid-June for NC. Anyway, my hat goes off to Grant, he upgraded us to kayaks, and our party was very grateful for that! It made all the difference in our trip, as we were able to stay dry. The weather was drizzling and we were cold, but not as cold as it would have been in a tube. Thank you, for making our trip memorable! read more

We did the full day French Broad Rafting trip. It was spectacular. The scenery was gorgeous and our guide, Dave, was amazingly good at his job. His skill and knowledge of the river was impressive. He was was very personable and friendly. There were four rafts in our group, and everyone finished smiling. The provided lunch was simple and delicious. Sun-warmed chocolate cookies are the best! I saw the negative tubing reviews... can't speak to that, but you can't go wrong with the rafting. read more

Great guides took care of us. The cave excursion was taxing and worth it. Not a walk through. We crawled, rolled, swam, climbed and got muddy. A real challenge. Rafting trip was relaxing after that. Just a few rapids. Zeb and Brody great guides. Cliff climbing was hard work and worth it too. Guides Josh and Caitlyn pushed us and it felt like a huge sense of accomplishment. Just ask what you need for each trip so you're prepared read more

River & Earth Adventures - Rappelling - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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Not bad for the price. We went tubing, pretty much self directed floating down a river. The girl taking us back was very sweet and needs a pay raise for sure. It was thundering and rain pouring down and she was helping the other guy put up the boats and kayaks. Overall not bad of a river of ur looking to relax for 2 hours :) read more

Don't waste your time here. I gave this business a benefit of a doubt and they failed. These reviews are fake and from family and friends. Look at the reviews that are hidden on yelp (scroll down to the not recommended button and click on it) and those are the real reviews. Cancelled last minute after I spent thousands coming out for their trip. Also failed to issue a refund even though I asked numerous times so I intend to challenge the payment through the bank. read more

HORRIBLE experience from beginning to end for tubing. These guys were the rudest people we have ever dealt with - a group of 22 for tubing. Very unorganized - rude - no instructions at all - did not want to drive us to the drop off point (even though that is the trip we paid for). We were forced to try and climb a muddy embankment with our tubes at the end of the trip while the three young guys just stood there and stared at us. My 70 year old Aunt fell and hurt herself trying to climb up - and when we asked for a bandage, we were told they didn't have a First Aid kit. I called to complain and was told that they did not have time to listen to me - they were trying to help paying customers. Our group had spent over 400.00 with them yesterday - guess that didn't count. STAY AWAY read more

We had an excellent experience with River & Earth Adventures (REA) (in June 2012). We did a combo caving and white water rafting trip for $100 per person. Expensive, but well worth it for us (parents and 2 boys ages 9 & 11) who are new to both activities. We were staying in the Blowing Rock area and had to drive to Elizabethton, TN which is about 75 minutes drive. The drive on US-321 is beautiful as you wind your way through the mountains. We met at about 10am in Elizabethton. The caving party was about 12 people (3 families) plus 2 REA guides. Both guides were GREAT...full of excitement, knowledge of the area, and friendliness. They drove us in a van to Worley's cave about 15 minutes away. They tell you on the website to dress to get muddy...I recommend blue jeans and long sleeve shirt you don't mind throwing away after caving. Also, I would recommend you find some way to bring water with you as 3 hours of strenuous work in the cave wears you down. The cave was a great adventure, but very physically demanding. My body was sore for the next couple days. My family loved the cave. Between the cave and rafting, they provide a deli lunch....they arrange a bunch of deli meats, cheeses, mustard, mayo, (or you can have peanut butter and jelly) plus bread to make your sandwich. Lunch also included chips, watermelon and water. Nothing elaborate but all we need to replensih our energy. The white water rafting trip on watagua was just what we needed to cool off and relax. Not a lot of work on the raft and the rapids aren't bad at all for a family like us who are new. We really enjoyed the ride. I highly recommend REA. read more

I've noticed some horrible reviews about the tubing and rafting. I can't speak to that, but I can review the caving experience, which was incredible! It's about an hour drive from Boone to the Tennessee location. There's a shed there where the guys got our caving supplies and then we followed them to the cave. There's a port-o-let at both locations and a changing area by the cave, but not much else. They warned us to wear crappy clothes because you WILL get muddy. Our guide was Gunner, who has been exploring Worley's cave since he was a kid. He knew every nook & cranny and was a great guide. The actual caving was incredible - sliding around on mud, barrel rolling through tight spaces, climbing over rocks, and hiking through an underground river. Epic experience! Tips: Wear clothes you can throw out. Long pants and long-sleeved shirt. Bring trash bags, water, a snack. You don't need anything while in the cave - maybe just water. Leave your phone unless it's waterproof and smash-proof. Wear either tall rubber boots or hiking boots with good traction. Bring baby wipes to wipe down afterwards, if you plan on going out in public. It takes about 3 hrs to hike the 1 mile. Go eat at Burger Hut afterwards - you deserve it! read more

We did the kayak trip. The scenery was beautiful but getting out was a nightmare. There is no real marker to let you know you had reached the end. No guide was there to assist you. The current was so strong when we fought to the bank that appeared be accessible, my husband got sucked by the current under the "too low to go under" bridge and fell out trying to avoid hitting his head. I finally managed to get my kayak up the muddy embankment with rocks all around and had to call to get a guide to come pick us up. I made a suggestion that they consider having a guide to help people get out of the river when they are done. Disorganized at the end of the trip. read more

Gunnar was a great guide. He was knowledgeable and great with the teenagers. We all enjoyed ourselves and would recommend giving rafting a try. read more

Booked a rafting trip over the phone 3 weeks before our vacation. Everything seemed to go smoothly. On the day of the trip we drove to the outpost in Boone, NC where we were supposed to meet our guide at 7:00am and discovered an empty shack. We were early so we sat in the car and waited for someone to show up. Five minutes before 7am we received a text from the owner saying our payment never went through and that the trip was canceled. They hadn't bothered to contact us at any other time during the 3 weeks leading up to our trip to tell us about any issue with payment. We pulled up the bank statement where it showed the payment had indeed gone through at the time we booked over the phone. We called the number that texted us and received no answer so we called again from another phone number and this time Grant answered. Grant continued to tell us there was no record of payment so he could not accommodate us. We ended up having to call the bank and dispute the charge to get our money back. Seems to be a very sloppily ran business. Beware. read more

My wife and I came up to Boone for a summer vacation. We wanted to try our hand at white water rafting and after comparing all the options (there are plenty in the area) we gave River and Earth a shot. Josh and Carson were our guides for the day. We both had a great time! Carson was the guide on our raft and he was very fun and a great guide. Both guys were energetic and lively and really made our trip a fun time. We definitely plan on using them again the next time we visit the area! read more

Tubing... Very unorganized and bad experience for our family with children. On arrival there were people complaining that they had been waiting for an hour or more and the only company representative present to check in with was an 8 year old boy...his parents were gone dropping off another group leaving him in charge. Changing room was filthy...discarded clothing, a used tampon on the floor and a 2 month old (was dated) "Stop Work" sign posted on the exterior by the local county planning and inspections department..."No approved building permit" and "No approved zoning". The only toilet facility was a portable bathroom with feces covered floors. Parking was almost non existent with many vehicles having to park on the side of the roadway. To add to the confusion we were told that they would not accept Groupon unless it had been purchased a week prior and then after paying their full price, we met a group that had theirs accepted after only a days prior purchase. Go anywhere else. We stayed since we were already there and it was too late to go elsewhere. Wish we had done more research and planned more in advance. Not sure how they continue to be allowed to operate a business. read more

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Located easy to find on 105, with a float location about 15 minutes away. We had to be a bit more, how do you say, ah yes, relaxed,on this trip so we opted for tubing rather than white water rafting. All in all a great way to chill out is floating down the New River (don't let the name fool you, it's old). Staff was great, friendly, accommodating, said they rented our cooler-tube but actually had one for us. River was running slow that day (not their fault) so it took us just over 3 hrs of floating to reach their second de-rivering spot about a 3.5 miles down. Once we got off the river their van was pulling up to take us back to our car. They indicated due to the speed of the current the day of our trip that it would take about 5 hrs to make it to the 3rd exit spot. Suggestions: - Bring a rope/bungie cord to tie your rafts together. Or chase each other around all day, see what I care. - Pack a large cooler, bring drinks, snacks, sandwiches, foie gras crostinis, whatever floats your raft - there are several "beaches" and large rocks along the way you can pull off to and grub. - Bring a trash bag, if I see you littering in my North Carolina I'm going to spit in your eye. - Bring sunscreen. While it is much cooler in mountains than it is in Charlotte floating down a river on a tube all afternoon is hard work on your skin, as I write this I have burnt-knees, nothing else, just my knees, pretty weird, but they do stick up in the air when one is in proper tubing position. - If you are a bit more of an active person, and maybe have a bit of experience I would probably recommend renting a kayak.. a more active way to spend your day, but know that parts of the river can be tricky during low flow, do not expect you will not have to get out of your kayak/tube at some point to re position yourself downstream. read more

Awful. Understaffed and disorganized. Stretch of river was shallow with almost no current and TONS of rocks for your tube to get stuck on. Took 3.5 hours in the hot sun with almost no river movement. Slow, boring, miserable and NO way out once they drop you off and NO check points along the way if something unexpected happens or you just want to cut your losses and bail... kind of an overall awful experience. Would never ever use this company again and suggest you find a different one! read more

The cave was cool but the company was not. We paid with a Groupon but the onsite guide could care less and charged us full price. $300 After several attempts to get a refund from the office in Boone the stopped taking our calls. The local lunch was cold cuts and PBJ and white bread. read more

Overall our experience with River & Earth Adventures was wonderful. When I called for a tubing reservation for a group of twelve, Ashley made the procedure quick and easy. Chris at check-in was efficient and clear on his instruction to the New River. When we arrived in Todd, Willie, our shuttle driver was ready to load up and go. In addition, Willie was a great tour guide. He filled us in with various tidbits about the area and the New River. The prices for River & Earth adventures were very reasonable. We would love to do it again next summer. read more

Had a great time with Derrick on the Wautaga. He was knowledgeable and safe and really enhanced our experience. Highly recommend.

We booked online thinking that it would be a good first time trip nearby. They cancelled the trip the night before after we had already departed and almost to our hotel in Asheville. We were offered an alternative trip but it departed out of Boone, NC 2 1/2 hours away. Since this was not feasible, the representative (I won't name him directly), stated we would be given a full refund. We had already be given $40 (the difference in cost of the two trips) but the remainder of the refund never posted. I contacted the rep multiple times (be aware, they do business over cell phones only) and he assured me that my refund would be provided for the full amount. So note to everyone who purchases "online", you will be charged a "convenience fee" that isn't posted on the website as they contract a online company to process payments for them. So our refund is showing as only $170.00 even though we were charged $180.20. SO a $10.20 CONVENIENCE FEE. I am going to address that with them as well since that is crazy! The rep is stating he will guarantee a FULL refund, but at this point, just be careful paying online if you think it may cancel. I don't mind using a smaller company, but they should at least have a disclaimer that they don't process their online payments themselves and at least know HOW it works to warn potential customers of additional fees and refund issues. read more

Awful experience! Poorly managed company and really overpriced for having to drive 15 miles from the office to the sticks. When you get there, often times you have to wait for tubes. That's right wait for inexpensive tubes at a tubing place. In our case, we waited four hours to float. Something we planned on as an all-day experience with lunch and a cooler turned into a short trip before dark. Brutal experience!!! Will never return and hope many read this and stay away. Buyer beware! read more

We came with a group of 8 people and Noah was the best!! He was very friendly and outgoing! Kayaking down the river was so much fun and the scenery was magnificent!!! read more

This place has horrible customer service. A word to the wise if you purchase your ticket on Groupon you must make reservations a week in advance however if it rains that day you will not get your money back and your vouchers for them before fitted not to mention their manager grant there is not helpful and is very rude. I called today to book my vouchers for four and he informed me it's like showing up to your flight a week early. He went on to say headed of been a Monday he could possibly help me and I do keep in mind we are in the middle of a pandemic and I was just trying to get my children out to do something fun. Well Grant went on to say that he was the manager and there's nothing that he could do. Very displeased and disheartened by the lack of customer service especially as an essential employee myself we don't get very much time or we can go out and do things because we are needed. I do not recommend this place!!! read more

They overbooked for tubes, how is that even possible? It caused us to have to sit around and wait for 3 hours. After three hours they offered us kayaks and canoes instead, they should have offered that as an option at the beginning. When you are on vacation, there is nothing worse than having to sit around and waste a day. I'm not sure if other places are any better than this one, but definitely worth looking around at other options. read more

Seriously these guys were the RUDEST people I've ever met! We bought the tubing adventure through groupon, which we thought was a great price! When we called for the address we ended up at a tiny little shack were we are suppose to sign the waivers. It had been raining the entire day and thundered a few times not to mention there was a flash flood warning for the ENTIRE area. We ask the gentlemen inside about the address for the river location, He rudely replies with "You bought the groupon you should know". (At this point he has still not told us the address) Then we mention the rain, thunder, and flash flood warning and maybe a rain check, he says "it's part of the experience", we ask for the address again he says "I'm not going to tell you the address if you're not going to do it". We fill out the papers and get out of there as fast as possible just to get away from this jerk! NEVER GO THROUGH THIS PLACE!! I would definitely spend a little more for nicer people to work with. read more

This outfit was recommended by a competitor that did not offer Caving. I've spoken to Grant on several occasions to provide a receipt for the trip so I can close the books on our Boy Scout Troop trip. The trip was the 2nd weekend in March. I've spoken to him 2 times since the trip, the last time back in the first half of April. It's the middle of May and I can not get a hold of anyone. I've yet to receive anything in the mail from these clowns. To any Boy Scout Troops thinking of booking with River & Earth adventures use their competitor, High Mountain Adventures. For the same price as River & Earth Adventures, High Mountain Adventures picked us up at our campsite in a bus, drove us an hour to the cave and delivered us back to our campsite at the end of the day. read more

While all the staff was friendly and the scenic views along the river were beautiful my daughters and I feel the overall experience was disappointing. We arrived at the starting point in Tennessee and almost turned around to drive the 1 1/2 hours back to our hotel. The place was not easy to find as advertised. The office was a hastily constructed plywood shack. There was even a bird's nest in one of the souvenir hats. We assumed they might have been a new business and so we were inclined to make allowances. However we later learned that they have been in business since 2008. There seemed to be a lack of pride in the business. It looked neglected and run down. The equipment was broken and one of the boats was patched with duck tape. When the staff learned that the church that they had been "borrowing" the electricity from had cut them off, some of the male customers were enlisted to hand pump up the rafts. On the trip we did more rafting than white water. The class 2 and 3 rapids turned out to be class 1 to 1 1/2. The guide though very pleasant, was uneducated about the local flora and fauna. The advertised "Eco Tour" consisted of a series of corny jokes sprinkled with made up "facts" and "tidbits" about the area that left the guests feeling that their intelligence had been mocked. Had it not been for the natural beauty we would have been very disappointed with our experience read more

We've had a cave adventure on our to-do list for a long time - finally had a day off of work that coordinated with a school holiday and we took advantage of it. Grant (the owner) was so nice and great with my kids - they never knew that they were learning a thing! They loved that we had "real miners hats with headlamps" - they loved crawling through a 2 foot high passage (optional - there is an easier way for those that opt out of that) - they loved crawling over boulders that looked like they have been untouched since the time of dinosaurs. Grant gave us the option of which way to go - we opted for the way that you returned by wading through a (shallow) underground river. We saw a few tiny little brown bats sleeping, and were able to get very close to them, and an albino crawfish. No other animals are in the cave (because it's pitch black). The stalagmites and stalactites were beautiful - we've never been able to get so close to them (without touching of course) in commercial caves. I'd highly recommend this trip to anyone - and have to all of our adventurous friends! read more