My friend and I are looking for a weekend away before I leave the country. We've thought of going white water rafting in Virginia. The weekends available to us are Memorial Day weekend and the first weekend in June. Would it be too cold then?

Also what are you recommendations as to which outfitter to use, where to stay, etc? We're looking for some sort of overnight package. Our budget is around $300pp for the weekend.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Hi there - Your post says WV, yet in your email you state Virginia. Two separate states entirely since 1864.

I'm going to assume you mean WV since I'm from there and the whitewater is better.

Late May/June will be cold anywhere in the state. You most likely will need to wear wet suits which are generally available from the riding group.

If you want northern WV, you should look into the vendors around Harpers Ferry. This is where the Shenandoah and Potomac meet and some varying ranges of rides available. There is a group called River Riders that has specials on their page for a complete (lodging included) weekend.

If you want southern WV, you'll be looking at riding on either the New or Gauley rivers. In my opinion the rivers in southern WV offer more advanced riding, however there are still all levels available. This is where the majority of the activity takes place so there are numerous vendors. You might check out wvrafting.com for more information.

Hope this helps.

The last few years we have gone rafting with the scouts on Father's Day week-end on the New River. We use Songer's which is a little north of the New River Bridge. They have camping facilities as well as cabins. A day of rafting will cost about $75 which includes lunch. Saturday is the most expensive day to raft, Sunday and Friday usually a little less, not sure about a holiday week-end.

Suprisingly the water in mid-June is usually warm. The New River flows north, starting in the Carolinas. DH and DS did the New River one year at Memorial Day and did rent wet suits.

The NEW River is a lot of fun. It should be warm enough to have a good time. You may not be jumping off the raft to swim alot, but you are just sitting there in the sunshine (hopefully) and it can get pretty hot.

The Gauley River is very adventurous, class IV & V, but I think they only run in April and October when they open the dam, now that is cold water!

We usually stay at a days inn or something and have a steak dinner the night before our trip.

Happy planning & have a great weekend!

Sorry I'm not a rafter -- hope this helps some:

Check out: http://www.wvexplorer.com/Recreation...ng/default.asp and http://www.wvexplorer.com/Whitewater...ry/default.asp (scroll down to read about the region).

http://www.wvaraft.com/adventures.php?id=18 says "The Upper New is usually best for families with children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old."

http://www.wvtourism.com/spec.aspx?pgID=63 says "The mild yet rippled Upper New is perfect for float and fishing trips, " It also says:
"Don’t be fooled by its name. The New River is actually considered the second-oldest river in the world and, as it cuts its way through the 1,000-foot-deep sandstone gorge, it creates some of the best and best-known whitewater in the country.

Conditions on the unpredictable New River vary throughout the seasons, making for an assortment of rafting trips on any of its three defined rafting sections. The river drops 240 feet over one 14-mile stretch, boasting class I to V rapids and making it the biggest whitewater river in the east.

The mild yet rippled Upper New is perfect for float and fishing trips, while the Middle New beefs up the excitement with class II and III rapids. The famed Lower New runs through the heart of the gorge and underneath the longest arch bridge and the second-highest bridge in the United States – a peaceful setting for an exhilarating ride on rapids roaring to class V.

Scenery on New River trips is incredible. The New River Gorge’s average one-mile width justifies its reputation as the "Grand Canyon of the East."

Also, goto tripadvisor.com for a lot of advice, go to the WV forum, then type in "white water rafting". There is a lot of advice from the past year about rafting outfits etc.

I just returned from a rafting trip in WV. We booked through Class VI. They were wonderful!

Class VI has camping and cabins on site, but since there were only two of us - and I don't camp we stayed at the Quality Inn a couple of miles down the road. It is not posh, but the rooms were clean.

Depending on where in WV you want to raft: River Riders in the Eastern Gateway for Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers; Cheat River Outfitters in Mountaineer Country (that is Preston County near the Maryland border); on the New River (Gauley season is October) is in southern WV where there is Songer, Class VI, Ace, and New River Adventures.

Any of these would be a good choice. All offer many different packages and each of the rivers offer great rafting and fantastic scenery.

We went on the New River out of Thurmond. Don't remember the outfitter but enjoyed the rafting trip a lot!

If this is a once in a lifetime trip, you're cheating yourself if you don't do the New River. In my opinion, and I've rafted numerous times & places, best river east of the Mississippi and the scenery is spectacular. A host of companies guide the New and they are all good and comparably priced. Just do a check on-line. You can choose between two sections of the river - the Uppers and the Lowers. Uppers is more more mild than wild. Do the Lowers! Get wet suits to stay high and dry and avoid getting chilled. Let us know how you like it!

PS Ace is probably my first choice for New River rafting. I lived in the area for many years and worked in the rafting industry. As I said previously, lots of good companies and everybody offers first class service. Get advanced reservations as trips do fill up. Your outfitter will give you an honest assessment as to whether water temps require wet suits at the time of your trip. Take sun tan lotion or you will get ROASTED from sun, water, and wind. May not fit your budget but the New River Gorge also offers incredible rock climbing. Raft and rock combo will require two full days. Or just take some time to drive the back roads in the Gorge. Awesome! One of my fav places in the USofA!