James, our guide on our rafting trip, was amazing. He is an amazing guide who taught everyone in the raft how to navigate in the water as a group within the first few minutes. James loves what he does and has many years of experience. He speaks multiple languages fluently and is knowledgeable in everything! James made our rafting trip truly memorable. Not one second of the journey was boring with him as guide! read more

Bought a new Pyranha Scorch small kayak! Order went well with delivery within a few weeks. Jim answered all questions and was very knowledgeable about kayaking was buying! Transaction went smoothly! This was a 2nd kayak after 45 years with same brand! read more

Steve was our guide for white water rafting and he was awesome. Truly an expert on the route and gave perfect instructions. All staff were very friendly. They even accommodated our dietary restrictions. 10/10 recommend! read more

Our guide Gig was amazing and we had a great time! Rapids were aggressive but not overwhelming and our group had a blast! Will definitely be back to do it again soon. Food was also delicious and much appreciated after the rafting trip. read more

Zoar Outdoor - Ready to raft!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

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Thank you Zoar! This past weekend my family enjoyed the Canopy Zipline Tour. It was truly incredible and the two guides we had made it very comfortable for everyone. They answered all of our questions and guided us through eleven ziplines, two swinging bridges and three repels. Some zips longer and faster than others, but all interesting and smooth. Our family had a mix of ages from 12 years of age to 80 years of age. It was a very special and memorable trip and looking forward to signing up for another Zoar adventure they offer. Thanks again! Jen read more

so sorry for the many typos, I think I was using voice recognition. Obviously badly. But I can also say that we once had a cancellation because the dam was being opened AND there was a thunderstorm. Zoar was friendly, and quickly and efficiently processed a full refund. We will return again and again to this fantastic pace. It's a little out of the way and SO worth the trip. You feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, in the best possible way. THANK YOU! read more

I went for one of their packages - dryway rafting, cabin tent and zipline. Overall it was an excellent experience. I would recommend this. All the staff members were very friendly and helpful. They have 2 rafting options - Gap and Dryway. Gap is like 10 miles, but not much of rapids, Dryway is like 4 miles but has 10 rapids - 3 of them class 4 and rest class 3. I would say Dryway would be more fun. All the time you spend on water, you are in one rapid or another. In Gap you will just be paddling in a raft without much excitement. I went for Dryway. Initial 5 - 6 rapids are all level 3. Then we stopped on the shore for snacks. Brownies, chips and salsa, cantaloupe and water were available. Salsa was really good. After the snack break came the biggest and most exciting rapids - 3 class 4 rapids and 1 big class 3 rapid. So from the beginning rapids gets bigger and better all the way until the end. Once done with the rafting, they will give opportunity to swim a little bit for interested folks. Then you will be transported back to the starting point. A buffet awaits you. To my big surprise food tasted excellent. Food was mostly vegetarian, and the things which tasted exceptionally good were all vegetarian dishes. Chicken and bbq beef were the only 2 non veg dishes, and both of them were good but not outstanding. Chips and salsa was my favorite. Salsa was home made and excellent. Remember this is the same salsa served during rafting snack break. There were fresh fruits, pasta, salad, coleslaw salad (my other favorite), some rice/bean combination, veggie taco and veggie burger. All the veggie items were very nice and tasted better than chicken and beef. Lunch ended with chocolate or vanilla cake dessert. The night stay was in one of their cabin tents. That is a good way of camping without having to take the pain of setting up our own tent. Inside each cabin tent there are 4 Twin size (kind of) cots. There was a small lantern in the room. Also there were some ear plugs, which I didn't use. Once or twice I heard a goods train passing by at a distance. I suppose ear plugs were to cut out that sound. There was a small gas grill and a propane tank in each cabin tent, which I didn't use. No bedding will be provided. I had my sleeping pad and pillows. Tents got pretty cold in the night. Next time I should layer up before sleeping or take a better sleeping bag. The tent had 4 windows for ventilation, and a fire extinguisher. There were a couple of chairs in the patio. There is a communal fire pit. They will provide the log and ensure that it is lit after dark. You can take your own marshmallow roaster, chair, coolers, beer etc and sit around and enjoy. As there is only one fire pit, there will be many folks around the fire. When I went there were around 20 people. Next day 9 am was our zip lining. Right next door there was a breakfast place. But I didn't feel like having breakfast. Previous day's lunch buffet held strong. Plus I had some bread and breakfast bars. So I managed with that. Then we reported at 8:45 and took a coffee from them (free). Before zip lining you lock everything in car and give the car keys to them. Zip line was a lot of fun. There were 11 zip lines, 2 sky bridges and 3 rappels. Zip lines were longer than anything I have seen before. Guides were very nice and will comfortably navigate you through each of that. It took us about 3 hours to finish the entire zip line. read more

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Whitewater rafting trip. The staff was great! They were all very friendly and helpful. Zoar Outdoor is located on route 2 in Western MA directly across the street from the Deerfield River. Very beautiful area. After a brief safety video and briefing, we were given our rafting kit, loaded on buses, and brought up river to the raft slip, this was about a 30 minute trip north west. The raft trip ended across the street from where we started. An easy exit, we got out of the boat, returned our kit, and walked across the road to watch the video, and purchase souvenir photographs. We had an excellent day on the river during our 10 mile trip. My 14 year old son and I did the Zoar Gap trip which took most of the day with an hour break for lunch at a nice riverside picnic ground in the mountains. You can bring your own food( appropriately packaged) if you would like. They store it in a water proof bag and stow it on the raft. If there is even a hint of rain or you just don't want to get completely soaked, bring a three season jacket or rain coat. Also, you will be out on a river dress accordingly. NO open toed shoes! This includes flip- flops. You can rent shoes and wetsuits. If you have any medical issues like allergic reactions etc. I would either bring your own Epi Pen kit and medications with you, and stow it in the water proof bag, or possibly think about finding a less isolated outdoor experience. Be warned, white water rafting can be physically strenuous. The only issue I had was the lunch that was provided. Not that it was bad, it was well packaged and pre-made( not to order). If you have food allergies or don't like mayonnaise bring your own food. Zoar Outdoor is not really able to accommodate food allergies or pickey eaters. Mayonnaise was on every sandwich. I don't know why. They could just have provided packets on the side but they there were none available. My son hates mayonnaise so he only ate the chips, pickle, and cookies provided which got him through the remainder of the trip but not exactly a great lunch. One man we were with had a dairy allergy. I'm pretty sure he was not able to eat any of the food. I'm not sure why he didn't make sure a head of time if he could eat the food.I wish I had known the sandwiches had mayonnaise on them a head of time. Not a huge deal, we got over it. The trip was super fun! I would love to go again and will definitely choose Zoar Outdoor again. read more

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Have taken two of their white-water rafting and enjoyed both trip immensely. Their staff is well trained and the whole operation, from start to finish, is well organized and professional. I found their staff knowledgeable and entertaining. read more

Spent an amazing 2 days here. Day 1 we did the zip lines and day 2 we did the Zoar gap rafting. We had a tremendous time. Look forward to going back next year to try the more challenging rapids, I just hope we can get Zach as our guide again. read more

Zoar Outdoor - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

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Wow! I have enough bruises for a lifetime, but I'm still smiling. A friend and I spent two days in a novice whitewater class. Day 1 had us on flat water (pond) to practice and learn basics including the necessary wet exit. Patience and a sense of humor by Tim kept us happy. He was a great sport and we spent a lot of time laughing both at and about ourselves. We had a different instructor (Amanda) on Day 2 and she was very understanding of our desire to tune down the river and spend some time improving our new skills. She also spent extra time ensuring a better boat fit for me. We spent the morning and lunched at Sherman Reservoir before moving to a stretch of river that had enough current and few bumps to add to our adventure. We were able to spend some time just chilling in a cool corner of the river on this very hot day. All the gear and lunch are provided. Plan to be wet and stay hydrated. Both instructors have an intimate knowledge of the river and where the best runs were for us. I would highly recommend Zoar to anyone who wishes to challenge themselves and learn a new skill. Thanks for keeping me safe. It was a blast. read more

A-MAZE-ZING! A-MAZE-ING! AMAZING!!!! Seriously... it doesn't get better than this! We booked a zipline tour with Deerfield Valley/Zoar Outdoor with a Groupon we had purchased and it was the best decision I've ever made! Normal cost is $85 so with the Groupon it really made the trip worth it. And if you've never tried ziplining before, definitely try it out. It will be one of the most amazing experiences ever in your life. Especially if you love the outdoors, like I do. I'm pretty much an adrenaline junkie and ziplining definitely took care of that. Shortly after check in, Kate and Kim (who BTW were some very awesome, funny, and friendly guides), got us into our harness, helmet, gloves, and various other gears that hung from our bodies like a ball & chain as if you were a prisoner (j/k!). This gear actually is what holds you up on the cables while you're pretty much like 50 feet in the air, so respect the equipment. After we were all geared up, we were taken up on a small hill to learn how to zip, break, signals, and how to self-rescue ourselves should we stop too early (which we luckily didn't have to do!). After some practice on our technique, we were driven up to the "Initiation" by a couple of ATVs and before we knew it, we were flying through the trees and even rappelling down a few of them! Half way through our tour, there was a stop for some hot chocolate which definitely hit the spot since it was starting to get cold. For those of you that decide to do this in the late fall, I mean autumn season (they don't say the "F" word here), be sure to layer up. I had 4 layers and was pretty good throughout the day except for a slight chill towards the later end of the day. We finished our last zip at base and walked back down to where we started off. Here we got to see a slideshow of our photos which can be purchased for $14 each. Or if you have a smaller group, the better deal is $10/person/group - so for the 2 of us - cost us $20 for a CD. $40 max for a group so depending on how large your group is this could work out even better for you. I just wanted to say a special Thank You to Kate & Kim for doing an excellent job and for making sure we got back safe & sound in one piece as well as being thorough and going over everything with us. And I'm especially proud of Grams for going with me and not backing out even though she was scared. She was great through it all! And no she did not cry and there's pictures to prove she did do it! I would definitely return for another trip! read more

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Staff was great! Very friendly and helpful, the facility was clean, and such great price on the rentals. They really care and love what they do, I highly recommend using this place for your next adventure! read more

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My guide Andy was an absolute legend he made the trip awesome and kept all of us very safe and was very very nice to talk to I would recommend Andy and if I could give him a raise I would read more

Zoar Outdoor - Me and shoog post Zoar rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

I had a fantastic weekend at Zoar Outdoor! We spent two nights in a cabin tent, which is a great camping experience for beginners. The cabin tents are on stilts in the trees and come equipped with four cots, a gas lantern and a gas grill. The camp site itself has bathrooms and coin operated showers nearby, a big parking lot, and a little shop where you can buy equipment and a few snacks. Activity wise, we did the Zoar Gap white water rafting trip and the zip line canopy tour. The rafting trip was awesome -- the river is just gorgeous and the guides were great. The Zoar Gap is not challenging (but it is long -- about 10 miles) and is great for both kids and adults. It was the right choice for my first time rafting, but I'd love to come back and do the class IV rapids. I absolutely loved the zip line canopy tour. The course included 11 zip lines, 2 sky bridges and 3 rappels -- it's a tree-based course that leads you from the top of Hawk Mountain to the valley floor 600 feet below. It was pretty awesome and made for some amazing views. Our guides were funny, helpful and told us lots of interesting facts about the area and the trees. This is definitely an activity for most ages and one I'd highly recommend! read more

Zoar Outdoor - Cabin tent - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

What an awesome trip. Went zip-lining with my family to the Deerfield Valley Canopy Tour. 3-hour trip, 11 zip lines, 2 bridges, & 3 rappels with water & snacks mid-tour for only $92/person. It was great. Our guide Sandy & Emily were awesome: very cool & chill. They explained all the safety rules. Gave us some background information about the trees & how each zip line got its name. Yesterday was the hottest day in the fall and we wanted to see the foliage. The view was okay, but we all had fun zip-lining. Word of advice. Put on bug spray. Wear comfortable shoes. Have fun!!! read more

Came here to try zip lining as a birthday present to my dad and holy cow did we have fun! The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable and made everything easy from check in to check out! We did the 3 hour zip line canopy tour and Bryan and Bailey were our guides. They were so friendly and helpful and made us all feel comfortable and secure throughout the trip. If you happen to get them as guides, you are in for an awesome trip! All of the zips are fun and pose different "challenges" and the views are so pretty! Highly recommend and can't wait to go back!! read more

We spent the day zip lining with Josh and Bailey. They were wonderful! I was terrified but went through the whole canopy tour without a hitch. Bailey's dad jokes were on point. Fantastic experience for a first-time zip liner! read more

Went Zip lining today with a couple of friends-what a great time we had! We were led by Liz and Heather, who were so much fun. They were friendly and helpful and really made us all feel comfortable and secure. Highly recommend!! read more

I spent a day at Zoar doing the ziplining in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon. The ziplining was a lot of fun. It was very well organized and the guides were excellent. They really took safety seriously and I appreciated that, but they also made it fun. We had folks from 8 years old to 50+ on our trip and everyone had a great time. We started around 8:30 and were done by noon. In the afternoon, we did the guided kayak tour. That was also a lot of fun. The video instruction they provide should be fine even if you've never kayaked before. They will provide wetsuits and booties free of charge if you want them. It was a warm July day when I went so they weren't necessary. You will absolutely get wet and there's no place to really store anything on the kayak so when they say "leave everything in your car" you should listen to them. They'll hold on to your car keys. Kayaking down the river was beautiful. There were a few little rapids but nothing major so again, even with no experience you'll be fine. The only issue with my group was that there were a couple of people who couldn't/wouldn't continue for whatever reason and we had to wait for them for over a half hour. So trying to hold your place in an eddy for 30 minutes in the hot sun isn't a lot of fun (at least not after the first 10 minutes). It would have been better if the weak links hadn't been in the last group sent so all of the guides would have been able to see what was going on and help them earlier. But that's a quibble. The scenery is so beautiful along the river. There were blue skies, mountains and bubbling water all around. We met some nice people from England and had a great day. Everyone who works there, from the time you arrive until the time you leave, is awesome. I just wish they'd left a tip jar somewhere for the kayak guides (since you can't really carry your wallet with you on the kayak). I definitely recommend doing a Zoar Outdoor adventure. read more

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! That's all I have to say! Ziplining was one of the most fun things I have ever done! I live in NY and wasn't going away on vacation anywhere anytime soon where I could zipline, so I decided to google ziplining anywhere on the east coast. And I found Zoar Outdoor! So, my boyfriend and I randomly decided to go on a roadtrip one day [6 hrs each way] to MA. Luckily for us, we went on a Thursday [2009], and so we only had 4 people in our group, including us. Our guides were Vivian and Vanessa [They were extremely friendly, nice, and funny!] and they made our experience the best it could be! I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to have a fun, thrill-seeking adventure! And when you get up to the highest trees, the view is phenomenal! read more

Zoar Outdoor - ziplining awayyy! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

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Had a great time zip lining with the family today, thanks Bailey and Sasha you made our day!

Awesome!!!! Family of 4 --kids 13 and 15. We all had a great time. Becca and Jadin were fantastic and fun. Loved it!!!! Very clean during COVID read more

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We went whitewater rafting here twice and both times it was amazing! The Gap rafting is more chill, with only one rapid, and the Dryway was more intense, a lot faster, but still manageable for everyone. After rafting, they served us a delicious BBQ lunch (with plenty of veggie options), which was perfect as we were all tired and hungry. The guides were amazing and very friendly both times, highly recommend! read more

Had a blast. From the white waters of Deerfield River, to the beautiful view from zipping through the 84+ ft trees on the mountains. Not to mention the great staff. They make the trip even better with their bubbly and enthusiastic personalities. Defiantly something I will be doing annually!!! read more

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Easy to find the business and friendly whitewater rafting guides. Some boats were showing some wear and tear but our run was successful and fun. Lunch was disappointing because our trip was suppose to included a BBQ lunch but we were given sandwiches. Would recommend rafting though. read more

Excellent white water rafting 2ish hours from Boston. We arrived around 1030am and started rafting around 11am. Our rafting guide, bob, was amazing and also makes excellent ginger beer. We finished rafting around 3-330. They fed us afterwards (steak, chicken, salad and vegetarian options), included in the total cost. Everyone was super nice. Highly recommend this white water rafting tour. read more

Took family rafting. First time for grandkids. They loved it. To was a great guide. Lots of laughs along the way. Had a nice riverside lunch. Great day. Will definatly be back. read more

I went kayaking with my sister and her husband a few weeks ago through Zoar. The entire experience was wonderful and so seamless. I had a good feeling about the place from the minute we got there. Kevin was super helpful and friendly and everything was very well-organized. Ian, our guide, was absolutely fantastic. We happened to be the only 3 kayaking on that particular trip and Ian took the time to show us different techniques and make sure we were comfortable on the rougher waters. All 3 of us had a wonderful time. I will definitely return next time I'm in the area! read more

The guide was pleasant but made no effort to correct the paddler in front of me continuing to hit my paddle with hers, even when this was brought to his attention. read more

Let me tell you the truth. Ziplining is BADASS! I never thought I'd do something this adventurous in my whole life. But, you know what? I did it! I did this a few days ago and my arms are still paining! A good kind of pain, not a bad kind of pain. Kim and Kate were our guides and they were exceptional. You get such a rush of adrenaline. This honestly was the best time I've had outside on a very chill Autumnal day. I cannot wait to come back and zip through the trees! I felt safe and secure the whole time. I can't say enough good things about this. Just do it! :) read more

I had an amazing experience on the zipline canopy tours this past weekend! They walk you through everything you need to know and the staff was great! They made it a lot of fun. I liked the progression of ziplines from short and slow to longer and faster. As a first time zipliner it gave me a chance to feel comfortable and made the long zips less intimidating. It's a beautiful area and would like to go back in the summer for some white water rafting! I would definitely recommend. read more

This memorial day weekend I took my third trip with Zoar. All of those 3 trips have been the "Zoar Gap Trip", with different groups of people, it has always been a crowd pleaser and I would do it again when entertaining out of towm guests. This trip over memorial day weekend was colder and rainier then we had expected, but the staff still provided a great time. One of these days I hope to get a chance to do the Dryway and Zoar will be my first choice. read more

My aunt organized a family rafting trip (Class 2 & 3) for 17 (17!!!!) of us. I was nervous, I had never been rafting before and I'm not the most physically fit person on the planet. We arrived at 10:30 for our trip and we were brought into a little cabin for a quick orientation and then we received our life vests, paddles, and helmets and boarded an old school school bus to take us a few miles up the road where our trip began. Our guide, Joe, was awesome. He was passionate about what he does, and really tried to make sure that everyone had fun. He was also a great guide - his instructions were clear and it made us flawlessly get through the Zoar gap. I can't wait to see pics. If you are hesitating or nervous about going - don't be. We had ages 14 through 60 on our trip and every single person had a great time. We are talking about going back next year to try the class 4 rapids! read more

My sister and I rented a kayak from Zoar. All employees are friendly and informative. Watched an instructional video. Transported the kayak to the reservoir for us and gave us good instructions. Would highly recommend. read more

The wife brought me here for my birthday, and it was a gigantic amount of fun. We were the first group to go (9:00 a.m.) on opening day for the season, and there were just the two of us along with the two guides. They were very professional and deliberate with the safety checks each time we clipped into a new zip, but they were also hilarious and fun to hang out with (so to speak) during the 2.5 hours or so it takes to get trained on the equipment, ride up the mountain and zip back down. We went in April and the trees were still bare, so we had some great mountain views along the way. Apparently later in the season there's a greater illusion of speed after the trees leaf out and you're screaming down a green corridor with leafy walls a few feet away. I'd love to go back at different times of the year. . . I bet it's amazing during leaf season if they stay open that late. I'm not crazy about heights, and I don't always like traveling at high speeds if I'm not familiar with how the equipment works and my own skill with the gear. Neither of these were any problem here, though, and it was exciting without feeling dangerous or out of control. I highly recommend the concept, the location, the staff. . . really a lot of fun! Next time I go, I'll try to get a group of friends together, as I think it'd be even better with a bunch of pals trash-talking and egging one another on to attempt ill-advised stunts. read more

Went on a family zip-lining + rafting trip and stayed in the lodge by the activity centers. Very friendly staff. Bob, our rafting guide, took out 6 rafts and stopped the trip briefly to basically rescue a tuber who had possibly broken her leg. He helped lift her onto one of our rafts, get her to dry land, and contacted the local hospital to get an ambulance and crew to her. What a pro! read more

Went there with the wife to get a little outdoor fun. Overall we had fun zipping down the mountain, albeit a little slow due to the large group sizes ( we were in a group of 7 and there was a large group in front of us). Info: $92 per person (sorta steep) 250lb weight limit 10 years /80lb minimum They have camp sites ( no campfires though) if you want to stay over as well as rafting and other outdoor services. Pros: - The Ziplining itself is Very fun. Takes about 2 hours to get through them all ( 10 lines I think) . The long ones are really fun and you get up some speed. -Easy drive from central CT , about 2 hours. -This place has double ziplines and you're hooked to both of them, which is reassuring. - The staff helped us get into the gear and took us through a mini training session (very easy). Throughout the staff were attentive and helpful and professional. - Safety was clearly a consideration. You are double hooked to either the zipline or the tree you are on at ALL times. At no time are you completely unhooked while in the air... Cons: - We arrived and checked in and they ask you to fill out a waiver form, which is a little hairy because it essentially asks you to waive ALL rights, even if their staff screws up or their equipment fails! If you take the waivers seriously then you might not like that. We opted to try it anyway as the equipment looked to be in good shape. - They took us up to the top of the hill via 4WD rangers, 3 of which would not start at first, which could be indicative of maintenance lapses. - People who are afraid of heights might have issues here... some of the platforms were 70ft up or so, but see my comment about safety above. read more

I had a fantastic time. Me and two friends did the Zoar GAP tour and although it was pretty easy we had a lot of fun. Our Boat the "Big Blue Butternut" bashed through the rapids with ease, thanks to the help of our super friendly guide S. Will come back here to try the harder rapids. read more

First time I went to Zoar was taking my teenage son on a Kayaking trip. Since then we have come back a number of times for everything Zoar offers. I have experienced just about all the offerings in this region and no other place or company even comes to close to Zoar. The process of booking a trip is easy. The people are super professional, personable, and highly trained. From the river to the mountains, the Zoar takes you to the most beautiful spots in the region. But most of all, they create an experience for you that really leaves you feeling the magic and beauty of the natural world. I have been from the White Mountains to Patagonia to the Sierra Nevadas and would recommend to anyone near or far to come to Zoar. M read more