wilderness voyageurs

Very Scout friendly. While they help make it an affordable trip, they make it very easy for me to bring a group of Boy Scouts out for a day of rafting.

I would give Wilderness Voyagers zero stars if i could. I took the beginners kayak course, a 2 day course with an instructor named Josh. The trip began with Josh putting me in a kayak that I could barely fit into - Josh said that it was because the shoes that I was wearing had too thick a heel; it was a basic pair of sneakers. So he said that in order for me to fit into the kayak, I had to either a) buy a pair of shoes from the store (can you say "extortion"?), or go on the trip without shoes. I looked at the store shoe selection and felt that the least expensive $45 pair was still too much for a single purpose pair of footwear. As the trip began, I asked Josh if going without shoes on a kayak trip is advisable, and he said no, it is not. And yet, that is EXACTLY what he was having me do. I guess getting me a bigger kayak did not enter into the equation for Josh. As it turned out, I could barely cram my feet into the kayak I was given. If there is a height limitation for kayaking at this place because they do not have kayaks for people 6'-2" or taller, I feel that that should be clearly stated on the website.The second day was supposed to begin with "rolling" instruction. Josh did an excellent job of showing ONE of the four students who took the course how to roll the kayak; spending about 20-25 minutes with the one student, and less than 5 minutes with each of the others. At the end of the second day of the course, my kayak turned over in some rapids, and since I received almost no rolling instruction, I had to pull myself out of the kayak and swim ashore. While in the rapids, I ended up breaking my toe on some rocks, something that would most likely not have happened if I had been given a kayak with adequate footroom for my feet and the pair of shoes that I brought. I felt that, as an instructor who is paid to teach students all that is advertised about the course, Josh had a complete lack of respect for me, a paying customer. For anyone wanting to learn how to kayak at Wilderness Voyageurs, I would suggest you request an instructor other than Josh.

Just so everybody knows, I am not a 20 yr old. I let my 16 yr old talk me in to this. I agreed to do this. I always knew about this service but I never really cared to do it. The morning of the trip we got alot of rain in the somerset area. I fish the yough alot, this isn't something I was worried about. We'll was I wrong, the little side streams that flow in to this river made it a overflowed fast river. I am sure on a regular day this is fun, but I will never do it again. This company has guide lines when they are aloud to send their guides out. These conditions were very harsh and not what I signed up for. It's a business. They want to keep the money flowing and you do sign a waiver form. I felt like we could've died. They should be able to get you back to your suv if you choose to quit. I would've paid that 300 yards into this drowning event. Buyer beware.....

My nephews, friends and I have had GREAT experiences with kayak instruction from Josh! So much so that we specifically request him every time we go kayaking OR rafting! I am the biggest scaredy cat and he is ALWAYS patient with me! I would not have made the progress I have made without his patience and help! I've even learned to roll from him and that's probably the most difficult skill of all to learn. When I do what he tells me to do it works! He also regularly teaches rolling on Wednesday evenings and leads Friday night loop runs for FREE. I have learned so much from Josh and consider him a friend.

Went rafting on the lower Yough with a group in August. We had a lot of fun, half of us were beginners and the other half had gone a time or two. It was a good river to start on, next time I want to try something more serious or give the duckies a try.

We had a great time on the lower yough. It was for my 14yr old birthday. He is hooked lol. Our guide really made the experience much more fun. He was knowledgeable and fun! Looking forward to another Deluxe trip soon.

Our Boy Scout Troop 440 from Silver Spring, MD absolutely loves whitewater rafting with Wilderness Voyageurs. Its a highlight of our year and one of the first trips to get back on the plan for next year. The guides are know what they're doing, they make the adults feel confident that everyone is safe and at the same time, they have a great sense of humor and everyone (Scouts and adults) has fun. The folks in the office are friendly and flexible. We've also had our meals arranged as part of the package, and camped at Benner's Run all organized through Wilderness Voyageurs in just one phone call. The food was delicious and plentiful, and the campground was convenient and we loved it. All in all - a great trip every time!

Gear, services, lunch, guides were all excellent. Most importantly we had a mixed group of experienced rafters and non. All had a great trip on the lower yough. Would recommend to anyone and will be coming back soon.

Wilderness Voyageurs does a good job of providing for a good time on the Lower Yough. While this was my first whitewater trip in Pennsylvania, I have gone whitewater rafting a number of times out west. The biggest difference with this experience along the Lower Yough versus previous rafting trips was the fact that you don't need to have a guide with you in the boat. While this was a slight cause of concern for some in our group at first, it didn't bother anyone by the end. The conditions were pretty good with solid class 3 rapids along the route, and the scenery was beautiful. Our group of fourteen included a number of guys from California who were truly surprised by how pretty this part of the country is.Our group of fourteen was divided into three boats of five, five and four and we managed to have a lot of fun rafting together. Indeed, it's a great activity for any vaguely adventurous group to experience. I would happily return to Ohiopyle and head out with Wilderness Voyageurs if given the chance, and would certainly recommend the experience as an easy day trip from Pittsburgh.

We had a fabulous biking adventure from Boston, PA to Georgetown, MD - courtesy of Wilderness Voyageurs. Their support team worked diligently to ensure that everyone had a safe and enjoyable ride – delivering us to charming B&Bs, preparing colorful and tasty lunches, ensuring bikes were ready for each day’s ride, suggesting optional side trips as well as providing historical information about the various locals that we saw along our six-day journey. Because of our travel arrangements, we rented bikes from W V and were very pleased with both the quality and performance of our bikes. We found October to be a great time for this ride - we enjoyed the cooler temps as well as the lush canopy of fall colors throughout our ride. It was a great experience and we have already recommended this trip to our cycling friends.

This was our third bike tour with Wilderness Voyageurs and it was great as usual (Gettysburg, Chesapeake, and we just returned from the GAP/C&O 6 day). Our guides for the GAP/C&O, Taylor and Adam "Sherpa" were great in every way (also a shout out to Bill and Gary from prior trips - Gary, I think Taylor is stealing your jokes). The guides were great company and provided excellent support and encouragement when needed. The SAG van with lunch ready was a welcome sight each day. Hotel/B&B accommodations were very good. The guides did a really good job of accommodating a wide range of biking skills. Kasia even helped us with last minute vehicle/bike transport arrangements. We are looking forward to our next bike tour with Wilderness Voyageurs!

Ten of us took the Greater Allegheny Passage Bike Tour (GAP) this September with Wilderness Adventures. It was a memorable trip. We started really the night before with our guides, Bill and Gary, adjusting our bikes and making sure everyone's was a comfortable fit. For the next 4 days wewere treated to lovely scenery, great food, beautiful accomodations, and a lot of laughs. We visitedsmall towns and mansions, and rode on well maintained bike paths. Met alot of fellow travelers on the way. I can't say enough about the service that Wilderness Voyageurs, and Gary and Bill provided. They were prepared and gracious in all circumstances. I highly recommend the GAP andWilderness Adventures.

Ken and Bill are wonderful travel guides. In spite of two days out of four of less than optimal weather, they managed to keep our group comfortable and dry. The professional guides at Gettysburg and Antietam were knowledgeable, personable and highly informative. The rides were beautiful and the routes well thought through and safe. The accommodations were for the most part excellent (except for the Antrim. The bathroom was poorly lit, showering in a jacuzzi just doesn't work well and it is inexcusable to have one thermostat control the temperature for an entire floor). My only criticism is that the lunches were totally uninspiring. But all in all, I highly recommend Wilderness Voyageurs -- this was my third adventure with them -- and the Civil War ride.

We did the Lower Yough rafting tour. It was late in the season but the water was not very cold and we enjoyed a smaller group size because it was so late in season. At the conclusion we purchased the pictures which were very nicely done and upon looking around their store I found all of the items very reasonably priced including the prices to rent wetsuits for your rafting adventure. Our guide was very fun and conversational. I would recommend everyone give it a try!

Our tour guides, Rod and Raina, were EXCELLENT and made a great trip even more fabulous.Each day was literally perfect.Gorgeous scenery, super fun biking companions, some excellent food.Side trip to Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater was a highlight.Thanks for an amazing trip, Wilderness Voyageurs!!!!