We have been on a class 4 River before but this one was much more. We experienced multiple class…read more3's that were amazing before even reaching the 4. We got hung in a rock in a 3 sideways and had to get rammed by another boat to attempt to free us at 1st and OMG this was an experience! Highly recommend this outfit and Ed our guide!

Gone here twice now and they do a great job! Make you feel very safe and the rapids are fun. They…read morehad 2 class 4 rapids that were intense. There is times where you are just floating down the river and can admire the surrounding views. The pictures at the end are $35 but you get all of your pictures and they are quickly sent to your phone, I think this is worth it!

We visited Gatlinburg TN in late June and didn't decide to book whitewater rafting until a few days…read moreprior our reservation. We had no issues finding a date available, but some scheduled times were already booked out, so make sure to reserve ahead of time! There are SEVERAL whitewater rafting companies and I cannot speak for the other companies, but I had a very pleasant time with Rafting In the Smokies! Our rafting guide was incredibly knowledgeable with the nearby area and was competent in keeping us safely down Class III and Class IV rapids across ~5.5 miles down the river! Very family-friendly and a fun experience, even for people who have never whitewater rafted! TYPE OF RAFTING: Upper Pigeon River Rafting - Class III/IV (note: Lower Pigeon rafting is apparently more like a "lazy river" - type of experience!) PARKING: Plentiful Scheduling: Easy to schedule online, they called the day prior to confirm our trip and advised us to arrive 45 mins before our scheduled rafting trip! PRICE: Affordable and there was a promo code on their website! They also do coupon books too (you'll find them everywhere in Gatlinburg lol) Location: Technically in meet-up at their HQ in Hartford TN, so make sure you account for driving time! They bus us to the TN-NC border. FAMILY-FRIENDLY? Yes! I saw plenty of teens and parents on the rafts, especially families that have never white-water rafting! DIFFICULTY: I didn't have any trouble staying in the boat and only saw one person (out of probably 50 people) fall out, but was safely pulled back into a raft! RECOMMEND? Absolutely. It was a great outdoor activity to do with family and I really enjoyed the views of the Smoky Mountains while rafting! Make sure to wear sunscreen since the rafting isn't very shady!

This was an amazing experience for our family with two teenagers. My daughter has learning delays…read moreso we wanted something that would be suitable for all of us so chose the upper river with class 1-2 rapids. The trip was perfect with several fun rapid dips and splashes but also calm moments to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Other raft riders even got out to float for a bit. Our guide, Moss, was awesome at accommodating our family and made it lots of fun and very knowledgeable with maneuvering the river. Highly recommend!

An awesome, very well organized experience! We did the lower level (class 1-3 rapids) because we…read morehad some older adults in our group that were nervous, but if you've ever been in a bit before please do the upper level! Our guides were good sports though, and they made the best out of us choosing the less exciting option. The online reservation and pre info was helpful. They check in process was super smooth. They sell whatever you may have forgotten (water shoes, glasses straps, etc).

Upper pigeon forge trip was awesome! Our guide Max was super friendly and made the trip even more…read moreenjoyable. Definitely recommend!

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.

We had so much fun ebiking in Banff last summer that i thought it would be fun to do in Asheville…read moretoo. I booked the easy ebike ride which was a 12 mile bike ride into Tennessee. We had a 2pm start (1:30pm arrival) and were the only people registered so private ebike tour for us. TJ was our guide and he was training someone so we ended up with 2 guides, which was great. Both of them were very knowledgable about Asheville, nature (i learned what poison ivy looks like) and biking. It took me a few minutes to get my ebike bearings, but then were off. The first part of the ride was on gravel, which was a little tricky, but it was all good when we hit the road. It also started raining and we got pretty wet...i couldn't decide if the rain made the ride miserable or more fun. Maybe both! The biking itself wasn't too hard and honestly we probably could have done it on regular bikes and gotten a workout, but i do find ebiking super fun. We stopped a few times, which helped with our sore butts and learned about the area. A few hours later we said goodbye to our new friends and headed back to Asheville (about an hour away). They also offer many other activities like white water rafting so recommended if you're looking for a little adventure.

The Extreme Upper Pigeon trip was tons of fun. If you have no experience but are athletic you will…read morebe ok on the extreme. Guides are great, Ava and Ciera guided my family of four successfully through the trip. I was the only one with experience and I was the only one who fell in, my fault though.

It was the first time our group of four had ever gone rafting. We all had a little nervous…read moreanticipation, however Bart was awesome! He gave us instructions before we began and settled our nerves. We did end up tipping the right side of our boat and three passengers went into the water but because Bart had told us what to do the other passengers were able to pull two guests in and Bart pulled me in. I was really worked up with adrenaline and I was on the verge or hyperventilating and he calling talked my breathing back to a steady pace. The rest of our trip was amazing and I was actually very happy we topped early into the trip to see it was ok and I could enjoy our trip. He was great explaining a lot about the area and the effects Helena had on the area due to flooding. If you can request a guide request BART! It was an amazing day!

Emma was an incredible guide that handled the entire trip with grace and expertise. Her…read moreknowledgeable approach and lively candor kept our family well informed and entertained the entire trip. I've never been on a River Rat rafting trip before, but I know that I'll use them again in the future! 5 A+ well done.

We had the BEST experience with River Rat whitewater rafting! From start to finish, everything was…read morerun so well--extremely organized, clean facilities, and perfectly on time. Every staff member we met was funny, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Our guide, Ocean, was AMAZING! She knew it was our first time and went out of her way to explain what to expect, making us feel confident and excited. She turned our first rafting trip into an unforgettable adventure--full of laughs, thrills, and a few "core memories" we'll be talking about for years. If you're thinking about going rafting, do it--and go with this company. You won't regret it! We did try other rafting companies after and that was a mistake. We will always come back to Ocean & River Rats.

Yallllll!!!!…read more Y'all!!!!! HANDS DOWN the best experience I have had white water rafting!!!!!!! I guess i should say head down!!!! SlimJim (Jake) but his Georgia given name is now 'woodpecker'. I'm horrible with names so that's what he was named for the day. He is an expert at what he does. We had 5 adults and a set of 13 year old triplets (that were basically level expert, already). We worked as a team. We laughed. There was no child, woman or man left behind. Just my dignity. I got pulled in the "swimming portion" by my girlfriend and just knew peanut butter ball (woodpecker) wasn't gonna be able to get me back in that raft and boy was I wrong. That man picked me up so effortlessly and efficiently that I accidentally turned into the human scorpion (Rob Dyrdek's show 'ridiculousness' for reference). We were all laughing so hard because I was left stuck upside down which was even funnier. Helmet stuck. Life jacket conformed into a turtle shell and I was just stuck and laughing along with everyone else. Now--- No. Im not a big back woman partaking in bigbacktivities that I shouldn't be. . Just a little thickum, if you will. The entire day truly made this vacation one for the books. Jake lead with precise guidance, was very professional and an all around genuinely great human being that ensures your safety as well as makes you laugh like he's known you for ages. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this adventure with your friends, your family, strangers--- or-- heck even just with ol SlimJim, himself!!! Thank you so much for such an absolutely incredible experience. You were made to interact with others to pass on your joy! - GA Jen Ray and Skye Ledford. #shedidnotDDTme

We had an excellent experience with Big Creek Expeditions! The entire staff was kind, professional,…read moreand organized from beginning to end. Our guide, Darrell U., was outstanding. He was extremely knowledgeable, gave clear instructions, and made everyone feel safe and confident on the river. His experience and positive attitude made the trip even more enjoyable. If you're looking for a fun, well-run whitewater rafting adventure, we highly recommend Big Creek Expeditions. We'll definitely be back!

This was the very best part of my entire trip. The business itself was super accommodating when we…read moregot brave enough to switch to the upper river from lower river. (Do the upper! It was such a blast) The girl in the office was so kind, and offered us so much information. Our guide, Emily, was so kind and absolutely hilarious. They kept us laughing, drenched, well informed of the history and nature surrounding us, and above all, they kept us safe. I loved having them as a guide, but honestly, every single guide around us was equally as thrilling and hilarious, (I'm talking about you, Dan) So if you don't get randomly selected for Emily's tour, I know that every one of those guides loves their jobs, and would take you on the greatest trip.

Loved this company! Everyone is very nice, the process went very smoothly, and the ride was very…read moreenjoyable! We went with a group of 6 and they accommodated us all into the same raft. Our guide Johnny was on his first ride and did a super job, Tristan was supervising. They both were funny, kind, and provided an all around great experience. Only wish the trip could have been longer than 1.5 hours!

We were seeking adventure and had so many options for whitewater rafting. We decided on this…read moreparticular company for a couple of reasons 1. We could fit 4 in a raft 2. It had a coupon for $12 off!! We called on Tuesday night about 7:45 (they closed at 9) and talked to Teresa who was able to schedule our foursome for a trip at 2:00 on Wednesday. She was so helpful and gave us some tips for travel to Hartford. Once we got there we checked in with a very competent and thorough young lady. We took a short bus ride to the "put in" point. On the 10 minute ride some of the guides performed fun comedic routines which kept us from thinking about how hot we were on a bus with no AC ( except open windows), decked out in life jackets and helmets while holding our paddles upright. :-) We got paired with a river rafting guide named Brantley. He gave us great paddling instructions before we even entered the raft. Since we had all been river rafting before, he explained that the trick to having a more exciting trip is to synchronize your paddle strokes. We had a great time with Brantley. We truly appreciate his concern for our "fun factor" and especially our safe trip down the river.

Been on family trips for more than ten years. We've tubed and canoed but this was by far the most…read morefun. Guides are friendly and fun all while giving the sense of trust that they are looking out for your safety. Our group was 4 parents in one raft and 5 young adults in another (each raft can hold 6). Be sure to tell your guide you want to "surf the rapids".