We went rafting with Paul and had an amazing time! We had 9 in our group from ages 12-45 and he did a great job entertaining everyone. The rapids were not as crazy as they were last time we went a few years ago but it was still fun. The only disappointment was that they tell you to get there 45 minutes early for no reason and they got there late so we were standing around with nothing to do. read more

I hate to leave a lukewarm review of an experience that should have been one of the highlights of our summer vacation. However, our guide Caleb (who is probably a perfectly nice guy under different circumstances) does not have a clue how to interact with kids. His irritation that we had children in our party (and non-athletic kids who needed guidance on how to paddle at that) was quite apparent for the entire duration of our voyage. It put me on edge, feeling like I had to be apologetic for not having raised big strapping boys who'd spent their summers on the water, and I ended up spending the time barking orders at my kids because I was nicer about it than he was, and wanted him to lay off. At one point he started shouting at us all to paddle, then immediately realized we were paddling straight into a cluster of rocks and told us to stop - but it was too late. My eldest son and I went flying over the side of the raft. He was plucked from the water immediately, but I wasn't so lucky. My husband held out his oar for me to grab onto, but by then the raft was already too far away. I followed the instructions I had been given for such an event, floating and bobbing along until another raft pulled upside of me and was able to pull me aboard. Mind you, this experience didn't upset me: I didn't get hurt, I never felt I was in any real danger, and now I had a story to tell. But when my rescue raft dropped me off in the raft with my family, Caleb proceeded to chew me out for "letting go of the raft" (huh? I was never holding onto the raft?) Later on, my kids told me that after I'd fallen over, when no one knew how to proceed (try to save mom or keep moving?) he actually screamed at them to "Paddle, damnit!" The views were absolutely gorgeous. And we got to see a bald eagle. read more

My family of four (2adults and 2 kids) had an amazing rafting experience! Paul, our guide, was super friendly and made things even more enjoyable. My kids had more fun than I even expected! read more

We had so much fun with our amazing guide Sam! Highly recommend this company! Friendly and easy booking experience over the phone, easy check-in, smooth process from start to finish on the day of the trip!! Don't forget to tip your guide!! read more

Big Bear Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

Came half hour early and they were late by an hour. Not a Karen but unorganized and a hot mess. Guides friendly enough but after the delay the corny jokes fell flat. I wouldn't recommend. Roll your dice on someone else. read more

First, this type of experience is always about the guide. Melinda was phenomenal! We had four adults and two kids age 11. We went on Friday, July 28 at the 4:45pm trip. Check in was fine at the location where we were broken into smaller groups, assigned a guide, given our equipment and then safety spiel. Soon we were on the way. Melinda was amazing with the adults and our kids. One was a little overheated due to the bus ride/stop and took him while to get adjusted. She was able to balance conversation and providing the commands we needed to follow for the trip. She always made sure the two 11 year olds were in good shape. Getting off the bus was a little chaotic as you have multiple companies trying to unload at the same time. Since we had to wait for the boats to be unloaded several people got overheated seating on a bus in 90+ degree temps with no moving air. Some started to take off their helmets and were treated to a stern lecture to out the hat back on. Some care could be added to the transition from the bus to the boat. read more

Big Bear rafting was great and everyone was so nice. We got a Groupon for a family of 6 - ages 17 to 53. We are first timers and decided to do the lower river. Not wild hair on fire rapids by any means but super fun with a little white water, chances to swim if you want and time to check out nature as well. Our guide was Carl. We noticed him straight away and were glad when we found out he was our guide. Very knowledgeable and lots of experience; pretty sure he could have done our trip with his eyes closed but he was great and excited for us to give rafting a try. If our boys were only 5, 7 and 9 instead of their current 17, 19 and 21, we would be totally comfortable with this as a first time trip. So fun at any age. Thanks, Big Bear and thanks, Carl! read more

We went white water rafting today. Sam was our guide she was fabulous. Zach was the lead guy and he is hilarious. We got there early as we were told to do so but you really don't need to get there 30 minutes early if you are organized and together. We had fun. We did the lower pigeon scenic tour. Next time for sure we will do the upper pigeon tour. Thanks Sam for a great day! And best of luck in your future endeavors. read more

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Just finished up a rafting trip here with Sam as our guide and it was so much fun. Sam was awesome (fun, energetic, and definitely knew what she was doing). My wife and I had a blast going down the class 3/4 rapids on the Pigeon River. This was my second trip down the river and hopefully not my last. I encourage everyone to try Big Bear for their next rafting trip. read more

Big Bear Rafting - Big Bear Rafting!!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

We had so much fun on Lower Pigeon, we did Upper Pigeon right after! Drea, our raft guide, knew every rock in the river, was super friendly and informative, and made us feel confident. read more

Big Bear Rafting - Before we left! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

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We had an AWESOME experience today on the lower pigeon river with Jay as our guide! He was so welcoming, funny, and made the whole experience worthwhile. Was very patient with my nervous 5-year-old son and even let him 'help' guide towards the end of the trip. 10/10 would recommend Big Bear Rafting who is on vacation or just wants to have a fun afternoon! Thanks for everything guys! read more

Zach was our guide and he was awesome! He was skilled, safe, professional but a lot of fun! I told him I felt nervous because I had never been white water river rafting before. He made sure we were safe. I never fell out but he still mentally prepared us for falling out of the raft. My husband "rode the bull" of the raft and he had a blast. When it was over both my husband and I wanted to go back and take the next tour--that's how much fun we had. I did the "Upper Pigeon" option at 11:30 --Wednesday. It was an easy 10-15 minute bus ride to the river entrance (much shorter than I was expecting). I would totally take kids, felt safe the whole time. read more

Family of five with three kids who had never done it before so this river was a perfect start for them. Nothing too extreme but entertaining and bumpy enough and splashy enough to keep them interested. Montana was our guide and she was super friendly, Knowledgeable, and helpful. We got to "surf" and swim as well. She managed to pull us all up too. The scenery was ok. We had bbq at a little food truck afterwards at the exit point. The gift shop is nice and the facilities are nice. The bud could use a little help but Clayton the driver was super friendly and awesome. read more

Excellent! Highly recommend! Montana was our tour guide and she was AWESOME. Shout out to Montana's mom Heidi, your daughter is a legend. Please give her a big pack of Ramen LOL read more

Big Bear Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

Montanaaaaaaaaaaa I Hope you're reading this... you were such an amazing guide and I was terrified as hell. But you made sure I was good and my sister whose birthday it was had a great time as well. JUNE 9th was our experience on the lower part.We sang the titanic song, the happy birthday song,we also met a great family and we all became one... we're coming back however this time my sisters are challenging me to the upper portion!!! Lol If you're hesitant about going to this place please know as first timer no experience this couldn't have been the more Fulfilling. I enjoyed myself immensely, at one point I was so calm I forgot I was floating on a river... TAKE ME BACK RIGHT NOW!!!! read more

Big Bear Rafting - Can't really see me or the guide Montana but my red and black bun is hanging around back there - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

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Uncle Nature, our river guide, provided a fun, adventurous ride down the Pigeon! Can't wait to do it again.

Absolutely amazing company! The staff are so awesome and the trip down the river was amazing!!!! Highly recommend if you want to take a rafting trip, use this company!!!! read more

Awesome Time!! Zack was such a good guide. Very confident but also entertaining and funny. We will talk about this trip forever! read more

I have been rafting on this river 3 times with 3 different companies. Big Bear has been the best. I had Melinda as my group's guide and she was WONDERFUL. She was very encouraging, funny, knowledgeable, and fun. I would recommend this company to anybody! And I would definitely come back. read more

Stay away. There's several other rafting businesses that can treat you better. They were rude, lied about not being able to do anything because it was a Groupon when 1 this was a medical reason and 2 the site says no special instructions, regular refunds apply. I had massive panic attack when the vest was put on then pulled uncomfortably tight(his words). I was told that it could be loosened. A rickety old bus drove us to drop off and then he said it needs to be tightened. I had to ride scary bus again back to find out I'm stuck paying for 4 people when only 2 went. The 2 that went said it was nothing impressive. Friends & family vacation here often but this place will NEVER get any of our money again. read more

First time, family of 4 with teens. We had the best time and can't say enough about this great group! Starts with a bus ride and safety rules done in a stand up comedy routine! We were well taken care of by our leader Jack guiding us through the rapids. Splashing and crashing was so much fun and the water is so clean and gorgeous. Felt great on a hot June day! We were all smiles and had a GREAT time! Option to swim at the end was a treat. A photographer got great shots of our trip you can purchase. The facility even has bathrooms and a couple showers to change. Really a top notch colorful fun group of guides that make it so much fun! Can't wait for next time! read more

Big Bear Rafting - Great photos available to purchase! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

Our trip was awesome!! Our guide, Zack, was hilarious and very friendly and super knowledgeable about the River and how to navigate it. One of my kiddos was super nervous as it was our first time doing this, and asked 5 minutes in if we could do it again when we finished lol. Their prices were reasonable and the USB of photos was worth it and affordable- $35. Highly recommend! read more

Big Bear Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

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If you're on the fence about doing this, DO IT! Whitewater rafting had been on my bucketlist for years. On a recent family vacation to Tennessee we decided we would give it a go. The whole trip was smooth sailing. Andrew was our guide. He was excellent! We always felt safe and Andrew made sure we knew what to do at all times. This is seriously one of the funnest excursions I've ever been on, and I've been on some pretty cool ones. I went in not knowing anything about whitewater rafting and learned so much just on this one trip. I'm seriously hooked and would do this on a weekly basis if I could. They even have a photographer that takes pictures of your group. You can buy the flashdrive at the end of your trip if you choose to do so. Loved this company so much! read more

Absolutely loved my first experience rafting! Melinda, was amazing! You should 100% as for her when booking! Such a great place, great experience, and loved the staff! Book here!!!! read more

The worst trip. I will not blame the guide, I will blame the owner, who let the guide go out. The guide we had was so inexperienced. We hit so many rocks which jolted us forward, we got stuck on one rock, the guide hit the bridge with our raft, and the guide fell out. We had to duck multiple times due to tree limbs. I have been white water rafting multiple times and this is the first time I DID not feel safe. read more

Great guide Jeremy. Fun on the lower river. Beautiful sites, organized, and safe. Drea was a great leader of all the guides. Would do again on the upper river. Thanks for the excursion! read more

Bought a great Groupon and had a blast rafting. Kaelyn was great and we all had a great first experience white water rafting!

11 family members went yesterday rafting! Our guides were Zack and Jeremy were amazing- you can request them! We go every year and alternate the companies. But now we are staying with Big Bear. Knowledgeable, friendly guides, and great experience. read more

Big Bear Rafting - Highly recommend this company! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

We found this company through Groupon and were overall happy with our experience. Jeremy was a fantastic guide! He really knew what he was doing and we felt safe the whole time. He was personable and fun. The other guides were pleasant and helpful.The ladies working the computers were really nice and very patient. The couple of things we weren't thrilled with: 1. the ride was pretty short. The website said two hours but it was only a little over an hour. We got off the bus at 5 pm and we were getting back on the bus on at 6:15 pm, after disembarking the raft and waiting for the guides to load up the rafts. 2. The photos were pretty disappointing, especially considering the price. They were all taken from the same angle, same spot and several were blurry. Overall, though, it was a fun experience. read more

Great river guides and a very fun rafting experience!! Romie was a ton of fun! Definitely recommend them for your trip down the Pigeon.

This was such a great experience. We had a part of 9 and all got to ride in the same raft. Our guide Jeremy was awesome. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun. I would highly recommend this as it was the highlight of our trip so far. read more

Awesome! We had an amazing time, my mom was super nervous but our guide Emily made her feel very calm. We had an absolute blast and everyone we dealt with was very friendly. There's so many rafting companies in this area but we would absolutely choose this one again and again. read more

Soooo much fun. Our guide Jeremy was awesome. He made sure we got a few thrills and all had a great time. They went the extra mile to make sure it was fun. The lady in the office where we checked in was so very helpful. She pulled out a map and showed me the best way to get to Smokey mountain visitor center and the closest walmart. She went above and beyond. Just wish I could remember her name.... Would recommend them for sure..... read more

Melinda was our guide and both the process and the adventure were awesome! GG. The family (ages 10-16) had lots of fun!

Absolute best experience with our guide and crew with a group of 10. I will be recommending this place to everyone I know. Felt safe the entire time and had great conversation with our guide, Daniel. Had the MOST fun, and laughed the entire time. They split us in half, 5 in each boat, but made sure to always keep close to each other the entire time. They make this such a fun experience that the time FLYS by and makes you want to go again. read more

Every year, I find a new adventure for my birthday. This year I chose whitewater rafting and I am more than excited that I did. First, the price is well worth the thrill! Second, our guide Zack made it so fun; I'm an environmentalist so learning the USGS and historical aspect really pulled out the geek in me. Third, my teenagers absolutely loved every minute. I will definitely be coming again! read more

Spring break 2023 was a blast! We took our 12 year old daughter and 11 year old son white water rafting! What a great experience... made even better with our guide Drea! She made sure we all got wet, knew what to expect before it came, and just an overall good conversationalist! If your in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, I definitely recommend checking them out! read more

ZACH PHILLIPS. The best home-grown river rafting guide we have ever had! He may look like a duke's of hazard hillbilly picked up by the gas station to man your boat, but by golly, he can! We were a group of 6, moseying along the river and all of a sudden got stuck on a ROCK! He got us out of there in a heart beat and back to rafting in no time! He kept us laughing the whole time and we had so much fun! He also kept us informed when we were approaching certain level of rapids (class 3-4) and how to manage them, which I appreciated! We were all first timers in different age ranges (7 to 65 years old!) and our nervousness was gone by the time we got in that boat! If you are hesitating with this group-- DON'T! All the guides were awesome and great, I saw that they man their boats like a champ! Definitely go with Big Bear Rafting, you won't regret it! Such a great experience, we will definitely go with them again, and of course, pick our favorite guide ZACH! :) read more

Big Bear Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Hartford, Tennessee

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We went this weekend (June 20, 2020) and had a perfect trip! The check-in process was simple enough, just fill out a form for each family member. Our guide, Jeremy, was kind and entertaining. Since we have a 3 year old, we had to do the lower Pigeon float. Since I've been rafting before (on the upper), I was fully expecting to be fairly bored. However, I was pleasantly surprised! There were a few interesting rapids and our guide was trying to teach us how to surf the rapid! Our 3 year old did wonderfully. They let him unproductively paddle at the front of the boat, which kept him entertained. They didn't feel like we were a turn and burn operation. We were allowed to get out and swim alongside the boat if we wanted (too cold me for). The guides joked around with us (you will get wet). Overall, we were pleased with this smaller operation and wouldn't hesitate to use them again. They do have a spot on the river where they take around 16 or so pictures of your group for purchase (about $35 on a thumb drive). If you are super sketchy about COVID, this may not be for you. You are crammed on a crowded school bus to drive between your entry and exit points. read more

Jeremy was such a fun tour guide!! Overall great experience rafting with this crew you can tell all the guides love what they do. We took the upper river tour and it was WILD! Would definitely recommend this company. read more