The water lapped over my toes, it was not necessarily cold, just a tad cooler then the air temperature. Thick forest surrounded us and brightly colored rafts bobbed into the strong current, turned a corner and descended down the first of many rapids. We weren’t even 5 minutes into the day of rafting and already hoots and hollers were echoing off the branches.

I have wanted to take my kids rafting for as long as I could remember and as we’ve been traveling across the United States, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for the perfect opportunity.

Then one fell in our lap. Adirondac Rafting Company and Currently Wandering got their heads together and asked if we’d be interested in coming on down for a day on the river. It was a minor “off-route” detour from where we were headed next, but we took the risk.

Later that night Chris turned to me a said,

sometimes the path to where you want to be isn’t in a straight line.

This minor detour took us exactly where we wanted to be – on a gorgeous river, with the most capable guide we’ve ever had on a river trip, and having a blast!

Photo Credit: Adirondac Rafting Company and Jess Curren

Our Day on the River

The day began early, but not too early since we were camped nearby. 🙂 An 8:30 check-in time and 9 a.m. gear up time kept us on our toes. I was so glad I didn’t have to pack my family lunches for this day of adventure! My new favorite thing? Lunch included!

After all the usual signing of waivers and such, we geared up: helmets, PFDs, and a paddle for everyone.

It was slightly or mostly overcast, so along with our Keen and Chaco sandals, we opted for quick dry shorts and swim shirts. We rented a neoprene top for our two girls who chill down quickly in water. They could zip the top on or off throughout the day. The rental was $7 and totally worth it as they would have been freezing by lunch.

After a short bus ride, we unloaded the raft, met our guide, and hopped in the river. The rapids literally started immediately! No slow warm up over here!

Our day was full of rapids, swimming, jumping off Elephant Rock and even a bit of surfing? (a.k.a a hydrolic). As a break down: there are 2 rapids on the Indian River section and 13 rapids on the Hudson River section, totaling 15 miles of river traveled throughout the day! That made for a very full day!

Photo Credit: Adirondac Rafting Company

Rafting through the Hudson River Gorge is dam controlled (our first experience of the kind).  This means that the dam is released for a few hours in the morning, allowing for rafting companies to send trips downriver. This is known as rafting the bubble and was a truly unique experience. This also means that all the rafting companies embark on their trips at the same time and our guide mentioned how crowded it can become on the river on weekends or during the busy season.

For another awesome perspective on rafting the Hudson River Gorge with your family, check out this post by Currently Wandering: Running the Hudson River Gorge with Adirondac Rafting Co.

The Details

The Adirondac Rafting Company is a family owned business located right in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Their guides are all licensed and experienced, making our day perfect.

Ages: Our kids are 8, 10, and 12 yrs old. (Rafting age requirements: 8 -minimum age during the summer, 16+ in April, 10+ in May)

Cost: 

Individual rate:                         $89 pp
Group of 6 or more:                 $79 pp
Private raft  (group size 3-5):  $474 Total

Schedule: Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun; Once per day, Departing at 9 a.m., returning at 3:30 p.m.

The river gear is comfortable, modern and maintained to the highest standards:

• Expertly maintained fleet of self bailing rafts by Star, Maravia and SOTAR
• Type V PFDs – sizes available from children’s small to extra large adult (Maximum of 56″ chest/waist)
• Carlisle Guest Paddles – sizes available for children up to tall adults
• Wetsuits and splash gear by NW River Supply and Man of Rubber – sizes available from children’s small up to XXXL adults
• Safety helmets by NW River Supply
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• Full Disclosure: We worked with Adirondac Rafting Co., receiving a 50% discount in return for a blog post sharing our adventure. All opinions are honest and our own.