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White Water Rafting

Best White Water Rafting in the Mid-Atlantic

Experience the ultimate white water rafting adventure with Wilderness Voyageurs! With exhilarating and family-friendly rafting trips in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia, you can find our rafts on the best rivers in the region. From scenic rafting in Ohiopyle to thrilling excursions down the Cheat Canyon rapids, our trips cater to all experience levels, with children as young as five welcome to join in on the fun. Whether you crave heart-pounding rapids or prefer a leisurely family outing, our dedicated team ensures your experience is extraordinary. See you on the river for an unforgettable adventure!

Why Try White Water Rafting With Wilderness Voyageurs?

  • We are the first & most experienced white water rafting outfitter on the East Coast. With over 55 years in business learning every detail of the rivers, we have fine tuned the rafting experiences we offer from put-in to take-out.
  • We offer “guide escorted” rafting tour options in Ohiopyle and fully guided. You can captain your own raft knowing that you have expert guides escorting you in kayaks and ready to help at any moment. Perfect for individuals wanting to grow their skills navigating the river!
  • White water rafting is a memorable family-friendly activity. We offer easy rafting options that are great for kids as young as five.
  • We run trips on the best rivers in the Mid-Atlantic states. Whether you’re looking for rafting in Pennsylvania, Maryland or West Virginia, we can serve you there!
  • Our expert guides, easy transportation, stunning river views, and many rafting trip options make these adventures fun and exciting for all ages and experience levels.

Our White Water Rafting Trips

Check out all of our white water rafting trips that cover all ages and experience levels here! From exciting rafting in Ohiopyle to gentle and scenic floats with your family and high adrenaline Class 5 runs, we have a trip perfect for every group!

Lower Yough Rafting

MOST POPULAR!

Level: Moderate
Rapids: Class 2, 3+
Age Limit: 12
Trip Length: 3-5 hours
Good for: older children, adults, adventure

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Our most popular adventure, the Lower Yough Rafting Trip includes Class 2 and 3+ white water rapids that offer fun and excitement for enthusiastic first-timers, older kids (age 12 and up) and experienced adventurers. The Lower Yough is the heart of white water rafting fun for thousands of people every year!

Middle Yough Family Rafting in Ohiopyle

FAMILY FRIENDLY!

Level: Easy
Rapids: Class 1, 2
Age Limit: 5
Trip Length: 3-5 hours
Good for: younger children, families, leisurely floats

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The Middle Yough Rafting Trip has no big rapids to navigate, making it the perfect self-guided trip for beginners and families. While this trip is gentle enough for small kids, the easy Class 1-2 ripples and splashy water keep the trip exciting and fun!

rafts on upper yough heinzerling rapid

Upper Yough Rafting in Maryland

Level: Challenging
Rapids: Class 3, 4, 5
Age Limit: 16
Trip Length: 4-5 hours
Good for: adults, rafting enthusiasts, high adventure seekers

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This blood-pumping, adrenaline-boosting Upper Yough white water rafting trip is full of class 4-5 whitewater – the most challenging rapids commercially run in the states. This trip is perfect for anyone in Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Cleveland and Columbus looking for some exciting class 4+ rapids.

Middle Yough Pedal and Paddle

Middle Yough Pedal and Paddle

BIKE & RAFT TRIP!

Level: Easy
Rapids:  Class 1, 2
Age Limit: 8
Trip Length: 5-8 hours
Good for: families, full-day adventures

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Boating and biking unite for one fantastic adventure in Ohiopyle! Start your day biking through Ohiopyle State Park’s Great Allegheny Passage and then transition to the water for a gentle scenic float back to Ohiopyle. Great for families that want a full-day adventure!

Cheat Canyon River Rafting in West Virginia

Level: Difficult
Rapids: Class 3, 4
Age Limit: 16
Trip Length: 4-5 hours
Good for: adults, rafting enthusiasts, high adventure

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The best of West Virginia white water rafting, our Cheat River Rafting Trip winds through a remote canyon with a whopping 40+ rapids. This trip is perfect for groups with previous rafting experience. This is a free-flowing river with varied water levels, so it only runs in the spring. Only 3 hours from DC and 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh!

Cheat River Narrows Family

Cheat Narrows Family Rafting

Level: Easy
Rapids: Class 1, 2
Age Limit: 8
Trip Length: 3-5 hours
Good for: younger children, families

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This Cheat River rafting trip is a perfect introduction to the world of white water rafting. With gentle class 1-2 water, no big rapids, and opportunities for swim breaks, it’s perfect for families who want a fun and relaxing day on the river.

Savage River Maryland Action

Savage River Rafting in Maryland

Level: Challenging
Rapids: Class 3, 4
Age Limit: 16
Trip Length: 3-5 hours
Good for: adults, rafting enthusiasts, high adventure

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The Savage River is some of the most exciting Maryland white water rafting you can find. This river offers continuous class 3-4 rapids for non-stop adventure. Less technical than other advanced rivers, this trip is excellent for groups that have some previous rafting experience and are ready to test out more significant rapids. The Savage is also the site of the World Cup Whitewater Slalom events in the 1990s.

Stonycreek Canyon Rafting

Stonycreek River Rafting in Pennsylvania

Level: Moderate
Rapids: Class 2, 3
Age Limit: 12
Trip Length: 3-5 hours
Good for: older children, adults, adventure

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A perfect balance of exciting and beginner friendly, our Stonycreek white water rafting trip is packed with class 3 white water rapids. From self-guided duckie trips to fully-guided rafting excursions, there are multiple ways to take on this exciting creek just an hour outside of Ohiopyle!

White Water Rafting Near Me

With white water rafting near Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and other major cities, you can find thrilling and fun river adventures near you!

Pennsylvania White Water Rafting

Outpost for Rafting in Pennsylvania: Ohiopyle, PA

White water rafting in Pennsylvania offers a diverse experience with stunning views and the opportunity to combine your trips with biking activities, swimming and lounging by the shore. White water rafting the Youghiogheny River is excellent for young families to seasoned pros, depending on the section of the river you choose. These Youghiogheny river trips are only an hour from Pittsburgh, making it the ideal Pittsburgh rafting day trip!

West Virginia White Water Rafting

Outpost for Rafting in West Virginia: Albright, WV

We offer two exhilarating white water rafting trips in West Virginia on the Cheat River – A.K.A. The Grand Canyon of the East. These two Cheat River rafting trips fall on opposite ends of the spectrum, from the family-friendly Cheat Narrows relaxing float to a rip-roaring advanced white water adventure on the Cheat Canyon Rafting Trip. This white water rafting is an easy 2-hour drive from Pittsburgh or 3.5 hours from Washington, DC, for an easy weekend trip.

Maryland White Water Rafting

Outpost for Rafting in Maryland: Friendsville, MD

Our white water rafting trips near Maryland are packed with adventure, perfect for an adrenaline-pumping excursion rafting near Ohiopyle. Our Maryland raft trips include an advanced section navigating the rapids of the Upper Youghiogheny River, known as the best white water rafting in Maryland! You can also whip your way down the Savage River on an advanced rafting trip on the Savage River, which became famous for holding the U.S. Olympic Trials and was the site of the 1989 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.

White Water Rafting FAQ

From info on white water rafting the Youghiogheny River to understanding the different rafting trip options, we want you to be informed and prepared to hit the water! Here are some frequently asked questions about our white water rafting trips.

What is the best family-friendly white water rafting in Pennsylvania?

There are several family-friendly options for rafting near Pittsburgh, PA, in Ohiopyle! The Middle Yough rafting trip (minimum age of 5 years old) is one of our favorite recommendations for kid-friendly rafting fun. You can even make a full day of it with our Middle Yough pedal and paddle trip (minimum age of 8 years old)! For families with kids age 12 and up, the Lower Yough is a fantastic half day trip.

What is the difference between self-guided raft trips, guide-escorted raft trips and fully-guided raft trips?

We offer three different types of raft trips:

  • Self-guided raft trips: Rent a kayak, canoe or raft to embark on a journey down the river without a guide! These are only available on milder sections of the rivers.
  • Fully-guided trips: An expert guide is in the boat with you, navigating the river and calling the shots. This is the only way we run our advanced river trips.
  • Guide-escorted raft trips: A middle ground between the first two types of trips, this option includes expert guides taking on the river with you by kayak, but you are the captain of your own boat. You navigate the river, but a guide will be nearby every step of the way. This is a unique way to grow your skills on our moderate Lower Yough raft trip!
How much experience do you need for advanced white water rafting trips?

We recommend having some previous rafting experience before hopping on one of our advanced rafting trips on the Cheat River, Savage River and Upper Yough River. That said, with our expert guides, even rafting novices can have an amazing time taking on the exciting class 3, 4 and 5 rapids of these thrilling rivers!

Do you offer kayak and raft rentals to raft the Youghiogheny River?

Yes – we offer rentals for self-guided trips down the Youghiogheny River. Middle Yough raft and ducky rentals provide an easy, gentle self-guided river experience perfect for families and relaxing trips. The Lower Yough raft, shredder and ducky rentals are only recommended for those familiar with the rapids on this river and with previous river experience.

What is the Rafting Adventurer’s Club?

The Adventurers Club is for experienced rafters who prefer the river less taken and are waiting for that coveted high water. When rain storms or unscheduled dam releases boost our river levels enough to raft, you’ll be the first to know about it! You can sign up for impromptu rafting trips that jump on the unique opportunity to run an off-season white water extravaganza.

These trips are only for people with previous class 3-4 rafting experience who know what an advanced river feels like. Interested in joining our Rafting Adventurer’s Club? Read more and sign up here!

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