usa raft

We took a group of 15 people out for a business trip. We did the caving one day, stayed overnight in the cabin, then did a full day of rafting. Caving was incredible! It was a good mix of open caverns and tight crawls (though the tight crawls were optional). Ben was very knowledgeable on the cave history. We stayed in Crockett cabin that night. We all enjoyed the rustic ambiance and the cozy atmosphere that the fireplace created. The owners of USA Raft were so NICE and extremely accommodating. They even had firewood already chopped for us when we arrived. We went rafting at the peak of leaf-changing season, so the views were indescribably beautiful. All of our river guides were super fun, all the while keeping our safety at the forefront. Great river, great cave, awesome people!! Highly recommended!

Had great white water rafting experience today on the Nolichucky river today, I chose USA raft for our rafting company, from our reservation process to our trip they were great. Our guides today were Loren ,Ben and Joe. They were professional , experienced and very fun! Our raft guide was Loren he was great. He kept us safe and amused. Would definitely us USA rafting company again.

I'm an outdoorsy girl but since I'm from South Florida I don't get to white water raft very often. Highly recommend our guide Ben and the other guide who's name begins with the letter L. That being said, this was THE MOST FUN, EXCITING and BEAUTIFUL white water rafting trip I've ever experienced. The gorge is absolutely gorgeous(haha) and the guides are beyond professional, knowledgeable and entertaining. All of the safety procedures are explained in a clear and humorous way. The staff all have a warm and welcoming smile on their faces at all times. I went as a chaperone with a school group and they were attentive and patient with our kids. We did the entire day trip and were on the river from about 11a.m. to 4p.m. with a 45min break for lunch at 1:30p.m. provided by the outfitters which was delicious. Most of us were in the personal duckies and they were GREAT! Highly recommend you get the duckies, you will get wet and have lots of fun. Be prepared for an extreme day of paddling and riding the rapids, you will feel like you are on a roller coaster it is such a blast!

By far, one of the best experiences I have ever had! The scenery was amazing, the river was wild, and Lauren was top notch! He knew exactly how to position and steer the raft so that we were going through the rapids safely, while still creating an intense, exciting experience! He was knowledgeable of the area and pointed out all the fun facts as we were traveling through the gorgeous Appalachian mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. I would only recommend USA Raft on the Nolichucky River for your white water rafting experience in Tennessee. It’s worth the drive! And I would recommend requesting Lauren! Perfect experience!

This is my 3rd trip with USA Raft. We took the French Broad half-day trip this time, which was perfect for my mixed crew of of children/adults/athletes/non-athletes. It provided plenty of excitement for us all, and was not too strenuous for the younger or less active participants. There were enough rapids to keep everyone laughing and squealing, enough calm patches to let folks get their breath. The jumping rock was fun, the swimming rapids very exciting and refreshing. Each guide we've ever had has had their strengths and weaknesses. Some were more natural at banter than others, but all made every effort to provide a safe but exciting trip.Don't miss it!

Staff was great from USA Raft. Water was a little low, but My family had a great time on the Fun Yaks!!!!

This trip was awesome! They scare the hell out of you on the way to the departure point, but it is all for safety. You will have a great time! I went as my first time white water rafting and had the time of my life. The rapids are strong but the guides do everything to keep you safe. Also, the lunch halfway through is awesome. I would love some of the fried chicken right now... AHHH AGONNYY!

Great rafting experience, truly a fine establishment Our guide Ewok was knowledgable and funny but truly an ugly guy. When Ewok was born the Doctor slapped his momma.

Wanted to take my son on a rafting trip in the western North Carolina (Asheville) area. Many places were already closed for the season, but USA Raft was still running the upper Nolichucky River on the Tennessee border. Water level was fairly low at 500 cu ft / min; so no rafts running. We went on Duckys. In Duckys this is a very physically demanding trip, 4 hours of rapids and paddling. I am 63 and think that I am fairly fit for my age, I bike 50 to 100 miles a week, withn rides of 40 miles common. The river has class III-IV rapids and lots of them, I was dumped in the river on several occasions, and by the end of the trip I was tired. All the staff were great, office staff was very helpful over the phone and in person, the guides were professional, helpful, careful, and very attentive to safety. Pre-trip training discussions where extensive. This was my second trip with USA Raft, the first was several years ago in late spring, taken on the 6 person raft, a physical trip, but much less demanding than paddling the Ducky. Conclusions: rafts are awesome for most everyone, Duckys are for the physically fit who want even more excitement. either way a "10"

My family and I decided to go on a last minute, end of the summer, white water rafting trip. What a great decision!!! Everyone at USA Raft was extremely amazing. Cathy checked us in and was very helpful and informative. Joe was the best rafting guide I have ever had. The rest of the guides were also very encouraging and friendly. The lunch was very good. We are definitely going back and I would highly recommend USA Raft to every single one of my friends and family in a split second!!!

My family had a reunion north of Asheville in mid-August and decided to go rafting on the Nolichucky. We had two groups set for two consecutive days. Our first day was the Upper Nolichucky and Joe, our guide, was great. We had 7 in our raft, and we each took turns at the front of the raft to get more of the experience like being at the front of a roller coaster. We had such an incredible time, and the Nolichucky Gorge provided awesome scenery. Our second day had a group of 16 and we did the Lower Nolichucky, and several of us took the duckies. We all swapped between the duckies and the raft throughout the trip. Even my 74 year old Mom went down the river with us. She had to check that one of her bucket list. We also had a 6 year old and two 9 year olds and they had an incredible time swimming and playing at the base of one set of rapids. From reserving our groups with the office staff, to check in, to the experienced guides, you cannot go wrong with USA Raft!!! And the area around the Outpost has so much to do to entertain the kids, we just had such a great time and plan another trip with USA Raft next year.

This was our family's favorite raft trip so far. This was an accidental find on our part, seeing as we usually go down either the Natahala or Pigeon Rivers and it was beyond enjoyable. The guides are funny, smart, and totally willing to teach. We all felt very safe and comfortable. We will definitely be returning!

Had a day free while dropping son off for college and what better way to bond than a family rafting trip. Professional and friendly. . . Nice river and lunch. . . Would recommend highly!

My husband and I (in our 40s) and our two daughters (ages 10 and 13) started on the French Broad River trip which was part of our dude ranch package. My husband and 10-year-old went on the lower Pigeon River trip a few days later and loved it! The 10-year-old felt completely safe and especially enjoyed the class 4 rapids. Grant was our guide both times. He was both informative and entertaining. We learned about the river, wildlife, ginseng root hunting, and his upcoming History Channel show, Appalachian Outlaws. We may have found our new family activity!

My senior class and I just finished a trip at USA Raft. The experience there was unforgettable. We arrived at around 9:30 at night and there was someone there waiting to greet us with a fire already roaring in the fire pit. Our cabin was huge and we had bunk beds with three bunks! It was easy to make yourself at home and smelled like the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Our view was breathtaking -- you stepped out on the front porch and the Nolichucky river, complete with an unreal backdrop of the Appalachian mountains, greeted you and invited you to come swim. The next day, we did the 8 1/2 mile trip down the Nolichucky...the first half was mainly Class 4's and the second half was mostly 1's, 2's, and 3's. I had the privilege of going down our whole trip in a "duckie," which is a one person raft. Would choose a duckie over a raft without a doubt. Although some others had trouble handling theirs, I am used to the handling of them (very similar to a kayak) and it was a blast. The guides were very entertaining and were able to joke around in flat water and then give us clear, precise directions on where to go in the middle of class 2's, 3's, and 4's. After making it through a tricky rapid, they encouraged you with "well done!" or "good job!" which felt nice and like you're efforts were being noticed. Stopping for lunch was a treat--fried chicken, potato salad, pasta, rolls, and a cookie were all provided by USA Raft. After eating, we proceeded on the second half of the trip. When one member of the group got injured and had to be brought back to our cabin rather quickly, it was handled by the lead guide very professionally and efficiently. While we were waiting for them to get situated, other guides allowed us to jump out in flat water and swim around. After maneuvering the second half of the trip, we reached the take out and carried our boats back up. That night, the food cooked for us was amazing -- pulled pork barbecue sandwiches, potato salad, green beans, baked beans, and cole slaw. For dessert there were big tubs of ice cream. After dinner, we decided to take a small hike on the Appalachian Trail, which was fantastic. The views were unbelievable. This morning, as we were leaving, I went out and stood on the river bank and said goodbye to the river and to USA Raft. My only complaint is that I didn't want to leave!