Caleb was an amazing tour guide ! Also Nick was very nice and everything moved smoothly!

Great time white water rafting! Our guide, Bryce, was very entertaining and made the trip very enjoyable. 5/5

Thunderous Round of Applause! Seven of us braved the 48 degree waters of the Nantahala River under the expert guidance of our "captain" Nick. He showed us all the wonders of rafting, never missing the opportunity to plunge us into the biggest rapids and bounce us (expertly) off the many rocks and bumps along the 4+ mile tour. We had the Best Time! Highly, highly recommended. Will definitely return. read more

My family (two adults and two teenagers) decided to take this white water rafting trip today. The location was great and the people were friendly. Our tour guide, Hanna, was fun! She had a good sense of humor and was very nice. She fell in twice during the rafting trip and was laughing both times. She made the trip more enjoyable having her as our guide. I would definitely go again! read more

Fantastic trip on the river today! This is a well-run outfitter with wonderful staff. Bryn was my guide, and he was great - perfect combination of fun and knowledge of the river. I can't recommend Rolling Thunder enough! read more

We had a great time!! We had two parties of four so we took two boats. Vincent was our guide and we had a great trip. Two girls got to ride the bull and no one went in the water. We were the last raft as Vincent had the first aide kit. We waited on a boat with out a guide and had fun with the beaver sharks and fellow rafters. Love the pictures taken by the photographer and note that if you come with more than one boat you can get all boats on one thumb drive cheaper than each getting your own. The bus ride to and from the office is quite an adventure in itself also!!! We would maybe try the level 3-4 Rapids next time we are in the area. This was great for those with children or first timers. read more

Rolling Thunder River Co - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

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Our family went on an afternoon rafting expedition. Our guide was Hannah and she did a fantastic job! For all three of us, the price was fair. They provided us with Personal Floatation Devices and made sure that they were adjusted correctly. The PFDs were all in excellent condition and they had plenty of all different sizes. Everyone also got a paddle that suited their height. Then we all loaded onto an old bluebird school bus with four rafts tied to the roof and an old mountain man named Paul drove us about 5 miles up the river. Along the way, Sparrow, one of the guides, gave us the safety training about how to and not to hold the paddles. Because you don't want to give your friend summer teeth. you know. Where she has summer teeth in her pocket and summer in her mouth. Once we got to the place where were to put in, our guides unloaded the rafts quickly and efficiently and we were gouped together into our four rafts. After another quick how-to session, we were on our way! Altogether, we were on the river for about two hours over mostly class 2 rapids. Our guide was very informative about the things that we passed, pointing out landmarks along the way. For example, we passed a haunted and abandoned library. We saw deer and other wildlife and we got into a splashing competition with another raft. Thoroughly thrilling and entertaining! I highly recommend this particular rafting company. As a bonus, they had a camera set up very near the end to take pictures of us as we went down the one and only class 3 rapids. Backwards!! For an additional $20, we got a CD of our pictures with no copyright - ours to do with as we pleased. And a free granola bar. My one and only regret is that I didn't buy the t-shirt that said, "Paddle faster, I hear banjo music!" read more

Comfortable campground, hot showers, cute general store, great management. Our paddling trip here was perfect.

I went rafting here with friends during our N.C. summer trip. It was so much fun! Our guide was Nick and he was fantastic! Nick made the rafting trip so exciting, helping us do spins on the rapids and other tricks with the raft. It was my first time ever white water rafting, and I was nervous, but they made me feel safe. Nick provided all the necessary instructions to keep us safe. I cannot wait to come back and ride again! read more

Had a great time rafting! Charley was an excellent rafting guide, keeping us entertained the whole time, and making sure we were safe. The river was scenic, and the rapids were fun, though not threatening. read more

We had such a great time on our rafting trip on the Nantahala on 6/27 with Lucas! He was a great guide on the river and shared a lot of interesting and fun facts about the area. Our whole experience with Rolling Thunder was awesome - very fun, professional, and well-organized family experience. We highly recommend! read more

I love this place I started going in vacation with some close families about 5 years now and the other family has gone for 11 years. I gotta say that it is the best and when I say that I mean that the best rafting company in Georgia and north Carolina the guides are so good my favorites are Wiggy and Nick. I went on June 16th and they are the best we had 19 people and had the best time. They always make sure your safe but most importantly having fun I love the apperal Thunderwear. Anyway keep on rolling and please give Wiggy a pay raise along with Nick. read more

Awesome rafting trip with Nick today! It was the first time for our boys (10 and 8) and they had a blast. The customer service was exceptional, and they make it really fun the entire time, even on the bus ride to the river. We will definitely be back this summer. read more

Rolling Thunder River Co - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

Today my family and I went rafting. Wiggy was our tour guide and I just had to take the time to give some props all around. Wiggy was great - funny & professional. We found the price extremely reasonable for what we got (roughly 2 hours on the river, transport there & back and a bit of entertainment along the way). Our guide said he'd only been there 3 months but we all would have guessed it had been much longer due to his knowledge of the river and confidence & expertise leading the way. Their staff seems very well trained in handling the journey along with providing knowledge of the nearby sights. If you're ever in the area and looking for something different to do we recommend this! read more

Excellent day on the river. Guides are friendly and safety conscious. Our guide was Thomas and he was awesome. Great sense of humor and always positive. Nick and the crew run a fun trip for all. read more

We had so much fun with Rolling Thunder rafting the Nantahala. Our guide Jake was awesome! He had so much knowledge about the area and was super patient with our younger daughter. We have rafted this river several times and used some of the bigger outfits however our experience with Rolling Thunder was superior! They provided a fun, energetic rafting experience with a friendly, down home attitude. read more

Went for the first time, ever white water rafting. Enjoy my time, the bus ride was enjoyable, they prepared you before and made sure you were strapped in. The guides were nice and the pictures turned out great!!! I had an awesome time and would do it again!!!! read more

We had a great time on the Nantahala with Rolling Thunder. Our guide NIck was outstanding providing us great information about the river while at the same time making our trip safe and fun. Other than being cold water (it is 48 deg year round), the Nantahala is great for families or those a little worried about white water rafting. If you go in the summer you won't even notice the cold weather. The ride is class 2 with one class 3 in at the end. Lots of relaxing and taking in the sights of the river without too much work. Highly recommend. read more

Thought it was great. Three of us went rafting today. Tater was our guide and he was great. We had fun going down the river. We we're running late and didn't have time to eat. They ended up stopping for us to grab something real quick. Which was super great and nice of them. Tater also recommended a place for us to eat and it was so good. Thanks for that :). So all in all.. great rafting experience and really nice people. read more

Most fun you can have in freezing cold water! My husband and I were a part of a 10 raft troup that rafted with Rolling Thunder River Co this past weekend. From beginning to end this group of guides were well buttoned up, well organized, full of energy and determined to make our time rafting an unforgettable one. They did not disappoint! Nick was our guide in our boat and made the time on the water exciting and fun! My co-workers that were a part of this large party had great things to say about their guides as well. If you are looking to raft the Nantahala, this is the company you need to go with. The staff is very attentive, very friendly, and their desire to make sure you have a good time and feel safe is evident in their interactions with you! Thanks for such a fun and amazing time on the river, Nick and crew! Well done. read more

We were 4 families that had traveled from South Florida to the Smoky Mountains region for vacation. We're so glad we booked Rolling Thunder for our whitewater rafting trip! The guides - Nick, Danna, Wolf, and Bumper - made the trip memorable and enjoyable. They provided us with interesting facts about the river and the area. We had 11 kids among the 4 families, ranging in age from 9 - 12. The guides made the rides exciting for the kids, but reassured the parents. :) The guides also adjusted the excitement level based on kids' reactions. It was one of the kids' birthday that day and Nick made sure she made it into the water - awesome! Great ride, great trip! We will do it again! read more

Me my wife and 4 kids were very happy with our trip on the Nantahala today. None of us has been white water rafting before but do have experience on the water. Kayaking/ boating. We chose to use the 2 person rafts and go down river in 3 different rafts. Staff was very friendly and even though we didn't have our own guide the other guides kept us entertained and safe. Would definitely choose rolling thunder again for any future white water rapid trips. Thanks for the amazing time and memories!!!!The Solt Family. North port Fl read more

Rolling Thunder River Co - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

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We decided to go to the mountains on a whim and just wing it. We got to our cabin late and started to look around for a guided white water trip.. Most places were booked, until I found Rolling Thunder! Thank Heaven the others were booked, because I really loved their attitude, they were professional with a really friendly vibe. Nick was our guide and I cannot say enough good about him. He knew my 11 year old daughter was scared and he made her feel safe. (Thanks again Nick). The other river rafting companies seem to be corporate owned.. This is a "smaller" operation BUT this is actually a great thing. We are going back, and I will book well in advance. I do suggest you book a guided (Or at least Guide Assist) for first timers. It makes the trip so much more enjoyable for everyone. This was one of the best trips we have had as a family. THANKS ROLLING THUNDER! read more

Rolling Thunder River Co - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bryson City, North Carolina

My family and I went on a rafting trip with this company. Everything flowed very smoothly from the prep/educational process to transferring us to the water sight. This was a great ride for beginners or families with younger children. We truly enjoyed ourselves and there were no glitches with the ride. However, we were super excited to get a photo of our ride down the rapids but when we went to pick up our family photo, we were told that our group's photo was not processed as the camera had broken and there was no back up. We were so disappointed because this was a lost opportunity to have our trip documented. Let's face it, when you are actively flowing down the river, you can't exactly take your own pictures. This really dampened our good time. I still regret it to this day. Despite this, I would still recommend this company because they delivered in every other aspect, professional and efficient. read more

Excellent experience. Have done their competitors before over the last 2 years and must say the mood, attitude and exuberance of Nick, Jackson, Jillian and the rest were awesome. Rapids are rapids and the Nan is an awesome river, but these guys are the best and make for a very enjoyable experience. Heck we even scheduled for another run in 2 days. read more

Great trip down river. Second time visiting with this company and they are awesome. The guides are always awesome and appreciative. They have just enough crazy to be fun and enough responsibility to be safe. Went with two families and they tailored each boat to the people in the boat. Our trip was awesome and fun. Our friends had a little one and wanted a tamer trip and they got it. I noticed the NOC boats going down river quicker (last trip) and it seemed like they were more of money business where Rolling Thunder seemed more like a family business. I recommend them. read more

Just got home from a great afternoon of rafting. Our guide was Allison and she was terrific- very knowledgeable about the river and excellent at navigating the rapids. The people working here are all super friendly and laid back, but they also take safety seriously. It was awesome!! Can't wait to return! Thanks- read more

What an incredible experience for my kids (age 12 and 14); we went down the Ocoee River on the full day trip with lunch. The upper river took us through several level IV rapids and through the Olympic kayak run. Best white water in the entire area without a doubt! Make sure you're locked in! We stopped for lunch at the midway point which was a catered event with BBQ soft tacos, slaw, and baked beans. Some of the best food I've had on this trip! The second part of our trip down river included several level III rapids and were an experience to remember! My kids and I would highly recommend Rolling Thunder River Co. and ask for Ilan as your guide; he's a great guy, very knowledgeable, and experienced. He guided us through an awesome experience! read more

Excellent experience on the Nantahala river with this company. Great customer service, very well organized with reasonable prices. The tour guide was excellent and very personable. One of the reasons we chose this company was because they allow for individuals to pay for their part of the group online. Very convenient. Will definitely be back to experience more that they have to offer. read more

Blast! My 2nd time, ole ladys first. These guys know how to make the white water rafting a great experience. They made it enjoyable with stories of the river, jokes, recurring themed jokes, and great guiding by Cat. Highly recommend. They also made it safe feeling for the ole lady. read more

Totally recommend this company and the adventure! Our family has three children ages 10 and under and there were no problems with them whatsoever. It was safe and fun for the kids too. We had a blast! The guides were knowledgable, friendly and very funny. You will miss out if you don't have this experience! Thanks to Rolling Thunder River Company. read more

Great company. Had a great time on the river. They make everything easy including taking photos of your excursion.

Our guide, Garrett was very engaging and knowledgeable. We had a great ride down the river and the scenery was beautiful. The whole trip went very smooth. I would highly recommend rolling thunder for a rafting trip. read more

Great time with my family for our family reunion! We had 2 rafts with 2 guides. Both were fabulous and helped us have a great time at the skill level we were at. Cam did a great job with the boat that had my two young (8 & 9 year olds) nieces and they loved it! Kat also did a great job with more fun maneuvers for our adults-only boat. This is our second time going and we'd love to go again. read more

My friend and I wanted to experience a guided rafting trip before ever attempting one on our own. We are so glad we decided to go on a guided trip with this company! Our tour guide, Bryce, was kind, funny, and knowledgeable. There were kiddos in our raft and he did wonderful with them! The entire staff was professional and personable and made us feel welcome on the river. If I ever come back to Nantahala with family in the future, I will be returning here! read more

Had a great time rafting with Bryce! Came up for a weekend trip to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was a lot of fun. Met a few of the other guides as well and everyone was crazy nice. read more

We came here on a family vacation with a baby so the 6 of us we're having to swap out who could do activities. They set it up so all of us could do the rafting at different times and the prices were less than a third of what we were quoted at the NOC! We all had an amazing time and they also gave us a good deal to do zip lining at the place just next door. Would definitely use them again read more

We had the best time rafting today. We did the guide assisted trip and Cat was our guide. She was great, the weather was great and the river is amazing! Oh and the prices were great too! We will return time and time again! read more

This was the first time my husband and I have been white water rafting. It's been on my bucket list since I was a teen and Rolling Thunder made my experience everything I thought it would be. Our guide was Mike and although he has only been a guide for a short time, he is very knowledgeable with what he is doing and about the area itself. All of the guides on the river that day made the trip fun and safe. I highly recommend them! read more

My Son and his Fiance planned this Labor Day weekend for her parents and us and his 78 year old Grandmother. We shared a really Great mountain cabin in Bryson City. Our Son was the only one of us that had been white water rafting before and he had also been on this river before with Rolling Thunder River Co. We chose to have a guide; Crystal. Cons: The wait between check in time and actual departure, (Boarding the Buses) seemed to long. No other complaints. The water is COLD!!! Be prepared. Everyone of us had a Blast! They made the bus ride fun. (Old School Buses, but no big deal. Kinda fun!) Thank goodness it was short on the way back as we were Cold and tired! Crystal did a great job of guiding us and getting us through the hard parts! None of us became Swimmers and none of us got "Summer Teeth". (You'll have to go there to find out what I mean!) We WILL GO AGAIN and all of us had a Great time thanks to the Whole Staff. (Oh and the Front Desk people were as good as the guides.) Great FUN! read more