White Water Rafting for Father and Son
 

Hi, I have been out of the country for 1 1/2 years and when I come home at the end of June I want to take my son ( who is in Calif) ( he is l4 years old) white water rafting or fishing. He is really wanting to go hunting, but I don't know...We can go anywhere in the states. Any ideas! Thanks

Would recommend Western River Expeditions. See you travel agent for a brochure. They offer several trips on various rivers the most notable being the Colorado (Grand Canyon).

Hi Ken,
We went white water rafting in West Virginia on the lower New River, which was our first experience. There is also the Gauley River which is very challenging & popular in the spring and fall. There are many outfitters in the area - it is one of the most desirable WWR sites in the U.S. at the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, that is called the Grand Canyon of the East- breathtakingly beautiful mountains. It was mostly class iii rapids with one class iv the day we went in Aug. A 14 y.o should be able to handle that & the guides were great- (except he did deliberately dump out half the raft at one point), The upper New is much more sedate & is also used for rafting. We used North American River Runners
1-800-950-2585.

You can stay at the lodge at Hawks Nest State Park- 1-800-CALL WVA that is a nice lodge at the top of the gorge w/ a beautiful view! There isn't much else in the area for lodging. Definately an experience to remember- have fun!

Hi Ken,
We went white water rafting in West Virginia on the lower New River, which was our first experience. There is also the Gauley River which is very challenging & popular in the spring and fall. There are many outfitters in the area - it is one of the most desirable WWR sites in the U.S. at the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, that is called the Grand Canyon of the East- breathtakingly beautiful mountains. It was mostly class iii rapids with one class iv the day we went in Aug. A 14 y.o should be able to handle that & the guides were great- (except he did deliberately dump out half the raft at one point), The upper New is much more sedate & is also used for rafting. We used North American River Runners
1-800-950-2585.

You can stay at the lodge at Hawks Nest State Park- 1-800-CALL WVA that is a nice lodge at the top of the gorge w/ a beautiful view! There isn't much else in the area for lodging. Definately an experience to remember- have fun!

I recommend taking a trip to Jackson, Wyoming. There is great rafting, hunting, mountain biking, incredible scenery/wildlife. The town of Jackson itself is very fun with lots to see and do - super restaurants too. Stay in town a couple days (rafting companies are right in town) then take a drive through Grand Teton National Park (be sure to take in inner road starting in Moose, WY for some amazing animal and mountain views). If possible, stay at the Grand Teton Lodge Company - they also offer a wonderful scenic float trip & dinner on the Snake River. Five minutes from the Lodge is Colter Bay which offers fishing, canoeing and motor boat trips (very reasonable) on Jackson. Lake. I have spent two summers in Jackson and found there was never a shortage of fun outdoor things to do!

Hi Ken,

If you really want to spend some time with your son, might I suggest a 4 or 7 day trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon? I did it 2 years ago and had a fabulous time. You camp at night in the Canyon, the views are spectacular and the experience would be wonderful. There are many companies that arrange these trips and I'm sure they are all fine. I got my info through a AAA book, and I'm sure they have more recent info. It was not terribly expensive and I"d do it again in a heartbeat. I have also been down the New River (mentioned above in another post), but I believe the Grand Canyon might be more of a bonding experince for you (if your son is interested in something like this. It could be a nightmare if he's going under durress.)

kit