Such a cool place to raft close to NYC! We spent 5 hours down the river on a raft. There were 5 of us on the raft with 2 coolers. We went on a great day because it was not crowded. According to the radar and weather it was supposed to rain but it only drizzled which was doable. We parked at Matamoras so we ended there. The bus took us to our starting point. It was the perfect amount of time for us. We had a great time as we listened to music, chatted and had snacks and lunch. Next time, we want to go white water rafting somewhere! It was $280 for 5 people totally to $56 a person which was steep but we had a great time. read more

Indian Head Canoes - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Matamoras, Pennsylvania

See all

I went river tubing with a friend, something we've done with different companies every year for practically the last decade. I think it's important to note for this story that we are both normal, healthy BMI, 30s women who work out regularly. We are not overweight or very inexperienced and we were not drunk when this happened. When they launched us into the river on the NY side and told us we'd have to make it to the PA side to get picked up, I knew it wasn't going to be a relaxing trip. Most river companies drop you off and pick you up on the same side because it can be very hard (or impossible) to cross the river in a tube without a paddle. For 2 hours, we truly struggled to get to the correct side of the river. The current was strong and not only could we not make it to the PA side, the current was constantly pushing us into trees and rocks on the riverbank on the NY side. We got out on the riverbank and relaunched twice. We got out of the tubes completely and swam twice. We stayed in the tubes and kicked as hard as we could (probably spent a full hour kicking). The best we ever did was get to the middle of the river. It was exhausting and we had maybe 20 minutes total of actual relaxation. When the trip was almost over, we knew we weren't going to make it over. My friend luckily had cell reception and called the company to ask what we should do, while I got out of the tube one last time and kicked as hard as I possibly could. As we passed the Indian Head pickup point, the worker on the riverbank saw us passing by and got in a kayak to come tow us back. As he got within shouting distance, he started yelling at us that we had do "do something!!! You can't just lay there!" despite me being in the water kicking. He continued to yell at us as he approached, asking why we didn't get on the correct side of the river. His anger surprised me and was completely unhelpful and rude. He towed us to shore and by that point we were maybe half a mile down from the pickup point so he asked us to carry his kayak paddle back for him, which we did, and he ran off. We claimed up through the bushes and started walking down the road, carrying our tubes and the paddle. The school bus spotted us about a quarter mile away and took us back to the dropoff point, where I went inside to check in our tubes. Immediately, the manager started asking me questions. "Why do you have a kayak paddle? Didnt they tell you to get on the right side of the river? Why didn't you do it? Why didn't you get out and swim?" At no point did he or anyone even ask if we were OK. This was a completely terrible experience. I'm mostly just really surprised that they were such absolute a-holes about the situation. There are a lot better companies than this one. AVOID. read more

Started at Berryville for a 18 mile canoe trip. Stopped at Pond Eddy to have a picnic lunch and decided to call it early. This company was pretty great about getting us back to our original end point where our car was parked. I would recommend Indian Head Canoes. read more

A few friends and I tried to go rafting at a spot up the road, but their wait time was ridiculous. So we took a little walk down to Indian Head Canoes, and were on the river within an hour. Prices are about the same for all the rafting spots in the area, so there really wasn't much difference. They had two options for rafting trips, long and short. It was already a bit past noon, so we ended up taking the short trip. It's the same river as all the other rafting spots in the area so it really isn't any different. But it was plenty of fun without the wait. read more

I'll start off by saying our group had a good time regardless of the craziness of this place and the events that ensued which is why I gave two stars instead of one. Our group (7 adults/ages 28-42/0 kids) booked a camp site at Knights Eddy and the 6 mile tubing trip. On arrival we checked-in and paid which was an easy process. The staff gave us a map to the campground which we thought was going to be a campground with a semi-secluded site and riverfront access. We drive across the street and quickly realize this is not what we expected. This was field camping. There is nothing that separates campsites and we were literally camping right next to other groups. This did not meet our expectations at all as there is nothing on the website/pictures about field camping, close quarters, no privacy. We feel like Indian Head Canoe wasn't 100% forthcoming about the campsite accommodations. We all were excited to be out of the City so it's whatever and we're going to make the best of it. As we are setting-up we notice the campers to the right of us are fishing and cleaning fish in our boundary. Naturally, we asked them to move to their space and clean the fish at their site because it stinks. They did with no problem or at least that's what we thought. First night rolls around, we are sitting around our fire pit enjoying the night when suddenly a Karen from the fish camp next door starts yelling at us because we have music. Saying she has kids and they can't sleep. (I won't get started on this argument because I've never understood why someone's decision to have kids should determine the actions of others who don't have kids. That was your life choice, Karen.) Our music wasn't loud, the issue was our fire pit literally backed up to their tent. We can't move the fire pit and Karen wasn't willing to move their tent stating they were there first. She goes to bed angry. The next morning was tubing day. We get up early, start cooking breakfast and get ready for the day. We were minding our own business when Karen appears again and starts in about how we need to move to another site. Her family shows up because you have to walk through everyone's campsite to get anywhere and keeps her moving forward to the raft launch. We escape the negativity for now. Finally, it was our time to go to the launch. Do not expect any instruction. These are high school/college age workers- working hard, but not communicating. They said you will see a bridge, stay to the right and the offloading launch is the last on the right. That is all and they walk away. It is up to you to get your tube off the pile. If you are a group bring rope to tie together. They will not have one for you. Also, make sure you reserve a cooler tube ahead of time. They sell out. The tube trip was suppose to be 5-6 hours. It wasn't even 4 hours. We got on the river at 12:30pm and got to the offloading spot about 4:00pm. The river looked low and they said life jackets were not required to be worn that day so we were confused on how the 5-6 hour tour was 3.5 hours. Another instance where Indian Head canoes wasn't 100% forthcoming. We get back to our campsite from tubing and this is when things get crazy. We notice another party had moved into the field to the left. As soon as we got back, they came up to us and asked us to move because we were in their boundary. At this point, no one is driving we just got off the river and we have been drinking all afternoon. One of our group members starts talking to the workers and shows them how small they are making our site and if we move, everyone needs to move. The workers said we could stay and the other campers understood crisis adverted. HOWEVER, while all this was going on, the port-a-potties that were provided were full. It's also Covid and everyone in the campground was sharing so no one wants to be in them. Anyways, one of our members had to use the restroom very badly so he decided to go to the river and pee by some brush. When he was peeing, the Karen from next door starts yelling again saying she and her daughters saw his manhood. She started yelling and complained to the manager. She also called the POLICE! So the police and the owner show up for someone peeing in the river. Karen said he was exposing himself which is 100% not true. This lady was trying to get us to move the entire weekend! Anyways, our group member that dealt with the moving issue earlier spoke with the cop/owner and smoothed things over. At this point, everything could have been avoided if Indian Head Canoe was forthcoming with the accommodations or did so much as to chalk the boundaries off. The frustration is they charge per person to camp, but do nothing to help the campground. It's a huge money grab and it's obvious. We will go camping/tubing again, but not at this outfitter. If you're camping here, I would highly suggest asking for campsite 1 or 10 D. You won't have groups on both sides and good luck! read more

Ownership does not have any accountability or security. My family and I stayed for a weekend paying almost $1,500 to sleep on their grounds and couldn't sleep both nights. The noise from the neighbors from 11 pm until almost 5 am both nights shook all of our tents. No one could sleep, the kids were crying, fireworks set off at all hours of the night that sent the dogs into a panic. There was no cell service and from 11 pm on there's no one on the ground monitoring activity or fielding complaints. We complained the following day and nothing was done. We had to call the police. Management told us noise is not their responsibility and there was nothing they could do. We paid for 2 nights of sleep and didn't get that. We've stayed at many camp grounds in the area in the past and recommend staying anywhere but here at least find a place that accepts some sort of responsibility. read more

Horrible experience! Not organize business. Pointless to do a reservation because you have to wait forever on site .Rates changed from quote over the phone, from when got paperwork on site, to when we finally got to paid. Basically price changed three times. Got there and after waiting in line forever to get the waiver waited for over two hours until we had enough. We kept being told we would get placed "on the next bus", but instead we kept noticing people who got to the place after us were leaving. They had no organization or system to track who's next. Wouldn't recommend to anybody. Total of three hours wasted. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. Unable to give zero starts, but it's what this business deserve. read more

It hurts me not to give them more than 4 three stars. I've used Indian Head for years; hell some of the staff know me by name. The staff has always be professional and courteous to me and my family/friends. The rafts are in great shape and so are the canoes. The kayaks are ok; the seats can be a bit beat up and uncomfortable. The only two reasons I don't give it five stars are- 1-You may wait forever when waiting for a bus ride up to the start of the trip. I sat there for 45 minutes waiting for more people to fill the bus. That's BS. The trip only takes 20 minutes round trip. Could have been there and back twice. 2-The campgrounds aren't great. I've stayed there multiple times; it is really really cramped. No privacy and you will hear every word your neighbor says. Last time there- drunken crew loud and obnoxious all night. People from the other side of the site were yelling for them to shut up. No security at all. When complaints came in the next morning, security guy tried to cover his ass to no avail. The owner promptly kicked out the offending DB's and apologized to everyone; that was great and professional. But still cramped... Have Fun read more

Wonderful experience! This was my first time tubing the Delaware. We opted for the short (3 mile) tube from Barryville. We were there on a Friday so not crazy busy and did not wait for a bus at all. Actually the bus waited for us while we put on sunscreeen. Tube and lifejackets were new. Bus driver gave a safety briefing before sending us off. Water level was very low so a trip that was advertised as 2 hours took 4. Water very calm and placid so we had to be actively involved in our tubing adventure and not just waiting for the river to push us along. All in a wonderful family adventure! We are all discussing improvements for our next trip. read more

Fun fun fun! I went here on a school trip recently and the rafting was extremely fun. We did go in the middle of the week though, so I can imagine it not being as fun if it was crowded. Tip: go on their website first, print up the waiver before you get there. That way as soon as you arrive you can get started. read more

I could not have been more disappointed with the staff and experience at Indian Head today. The first issue is that there is separate management at the base camp where you register and the staff at the base of the water where you board your raft/kayak, etc. There is little coordination between the two. Shortly after boarding a raft with my wife and two young daughters, the raft became stuck. I yelled back to the staff for help and no one came. I then exited the boat and pushed the boat. In so doing, the boat took off without me. Leaving my wife and two daughters floating away and myself with no way of catching up. Again, I reached out to the staff for existence. I was hoping they would offer to have one of their workers take me down to catch up to my family. That would have made sense. Especially, where no one else was boarding a boat at the time and workers were standing around doing nothing. However, the reaction of "management" could not have been different. Rather than helping me, they gave me two options. Walk along the rocks and hope to catch up to my family OR float down to catch them without a boat. I asked if that was seriously their suggestion and was told that there was nothing else they would do to assist even if with my wife and daughters in potential danger. I started to try to walk and upon realizing I would never catch up and might break my neck walking on the rocks, I tried to float. The water was about 3 feet deep and full of rocks so while i made some progress, my legs were torn up from being scraped along the bottom. If not for a couple of nice strangers, I am not sure how I would have caught up with my family. This is no way to run a customer service laden business and this Indian Head management should be ashamed. When my family finally made it to the end of the run and arrived back at the original base intact. I spoke to the manager who told me that she would comment to the owner, but because the two operations are run separately she could not do anything else for me. I gave her my number to have the owner call me...a phone call I am sure will never come. read more

Awful Company. Thieves actually. We booked a few weeks in advance for 9 people. Paid $20 extra for cancellation protection. We get there 30 minutes early for each adult to sign their release and for adults to sign the children's release. My husband brings all waivers to the office as designated and they ask for him to bring in my daughter whom is 3 years old (will turn 4 in December) so they can weigh her. Ok fine. On their scale she weighed in at 28.6 lbs and told my daughter that she wasn't able to go rafting because she wasn't 30 lbs. Of course, she's so upset because we all really hyped up the adventure and she was looking forward to it. This is a 3 year old girl who's been kayaking through the Mangroves of Florida in a tandem Kayak, been swimming in beaches on both the Atlantic and Gulf coast multiple times in her life, been boating, and swims in pools all summer long. All recreational activities have been done in her USCG approved life vest which we brought along with us to go rafting. We are parents whom love to responsibly bring her on adventure's and experiences.. give our daughter amazing memories with family (and yes, she does actually remember everything). So know I'll get to where this company is disgusting.. my husband comes back with my daughter to our group and tells us what the women in the office said. I go back in and explain how ridiculous it is that because she is 1.4 pounds off (on their scale) they are ruining an extended family day when we all drove up there. I have a scale in my master bathroom that she'll sometimes go on after I weigh myself and she's above 30 lbs, she goes to the doctor every 6 months and she was just over 30 lbs in June. The ladies in the office say they will return money for my husband and myself minus the cancellation fee of $90+ And the others in our party would be charged for the cancellation as well even though they were booked under one reservation. Plus we paid the extra $20 when booking online for cancellation protection which they said cannot be used 'day of'. So the options we are left with because of their scale is that we lose out of $90 for our family and we wait around for the rest our party to be done rafting or everyone cancels so we can still have a day together as a family and our other family members would be charged a cancellation fee. I will go as far as saying they have rigged scale so they can pull this with any younger child they see on a waiver form.. how easy is it is for them to pocket money for people that drive all the way up there and are forced to cancel. I counted 6 children waiting to board a bus for rafting that were obviously just by looking far smaller then my daughter. I will fight to get every dime back. This company has an office full of scammers and the women were literally laughing about it. read more

I've Kayaked on the Delaware a few times with another company ... I will keep them out of this for the most part. I found Indian Head Canoes because the other company was completely rude and had un-kept equipment so, I wanted to move on... India head was amazing. The staff, from the start of making a phone reservation, having to cancel because of rain, and re-making the reservation was ALWAYS very nice and accommodating. Then on the day of our trip, from check in all the way to getting on to the river, all the staff that we came across on 7/25 (so managers know who :) ) were super nice and friendly. Last but not least, the Kayaks were DRY and CLEAN! so happy I changed to them -- I will be kayaking again with them read more

The only downside of the review is the misinformation Indian Head provided over the phone. The Friday night before we went, I called the number on the website, which had someone to actually speak to at 9pm! That was cool! She told me for the 5 hr tubing, that I had to be at the Barryville location no later than 11am for the last bus. I called the next morning to confirm and was told they don't provide transportation from Barryville anymore, and that I needed to go to Matamoras..i was like huh? Then I called again and was told, no it's okay.you can go to Barryville...so I questioned her, she went to manager and was told, no you're right..you can only do the 5 hr tubing from Matamoras and no bussing anymore from Barryville, and that basically you need to be in the river by 1230p...after that, no more entries into the river. The good was we didn't have to rush to get there by 11A! Otherwise I have to say, it all went like a breeze. Plenty of parking at Matamoras, very simple check in at a small cabin (that also sells stuff like rope, water protection, bug spray, lotion,toys, etc). You pay, get your wristbands, get yourstuff together, walk across the street, down the small hill and there you pick up your tubes. They don't provide rope, be ready and smart and bring your own..otherwise they sell it at the cabin.The ride down the river was great, and it did take 5 hour water time. We stopped a couple times and hung out on a rock platform. The water is not that deep, can actually stand on the sides of the river. The cooler tube was great, bring your own food and beverages (beer). Be good to nature, bring cans..not bottles. Was told we had to be at the end spot by 6pm, or they'll charge for extra time..which i think is because you're making workers stay late. We didn't wait more than 15 minutes for the bus. It was actually pulling up when we got there, but they waited for people to come off the river. Not a problem. It was great see so many people out on the river, in rafts, canoes, kayaks and tubes. Everyone having a good time. what's not to like? There are other local outfits providing rafts/tubes etc...I liked the Indian Head was quick, lowkey, really no line to contend with. read more

Worst night on the river in 45 years. Barryville campground was a complete zoo. Partyers going all night, people setting up at 2 in the morning and cooking until 5am. Do not bring your family there. read more

We had a good time on the river, but many members of the staff were incredibly and unnecessarily rude, yelling and shaking his head at multiple customers who simply were unsure where to park their cars or where to wait to be called. The parking attendant was also rude. I overheard a staff member ask another staff member, "are you in a good mood or a bad mood today?" after witnessing him yell at a customer. The bus driver was also dismissive and unclear to all of the passengers. He made all of us strangers squeeze into the back instead of spacing us out when there was absolutely room to do so. Also when asked what stop we were at, he "didn't know" and provided no help to people in determining if they were supposed to get off the bus. read more

The campsite is nice enough, but DON'T CAMP IN BROOKSIDE!!!!! The campground next door kept coming over and stealing fire rings and picnic tables, then two parties near us showed up at 10:30 to begin setting up camp. We had headlights in our faces for an hour. One group that showed up late at night played loud music from 11pm to 7am, which is supposed to be quiet hours. Supposedly, there was security patrolling the area, but the music never stopped. The Riverside camp site seems much nicer. We complained and got a refund for the kayak trip we cancelled and the second night because we managed to get no sleep with the jerks near us. They definitely need a policy change about people setting up camp after dark and if people are being excessively loud during quiet hours, they should not be allowed to stay. We might try IHC again but definitely on the river front. read more

Our group of 4 had a great time kayaking. Wish we had done rafting instead! The down river was tons of fun with unexpected twists and turns. Also fun with low water levels. You can also bring food and drinks!! Wish we had known that... This is a short drive from NYC and next to great ice cream shops. Service was great and workers were very friendly. I highly recommend this place, I look forward to my next visit read more

Indian Head Canoes - Bus ride to the drop-off point - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Matamoras, Pennsylvania

See all

Was in the area for the July 4th weekend this year. Unfortunately the day we wanted to go canoeing rained so we waited until after it stopped (around 2:30) to hunt for a company that would still be open. Indian Head was the last place open in the area and they were very accommodating. The equipment was in good shape and the staff were friendly enough given that our interaction with them was pretty minimal. We did the 5 mile canoe trip and it took around an hour and a half. Canoeing was the right way to go for two people as the Delaware doesn't have big enough rapids at that point to really be exciting in a raft. But if you're just looking to relax, rafting would be fine too. read more

Me and my family visit this rafting company every year and most times 2x a year in the summer. We have never had any issues with them Regarding anything there staff is always pleasant and knowledgeable. When you arrive a bus drops you off at your starting point to get on the raft and you will paddle back to were you started. Bring your own food, snacks, and drinks beer is allowed but must be cans only they do not want glass chunks floating in there river respect that. You go out on your own and enjoy the day you can either paddle quickly to get back or relax and let the river guide you some of the way either way it's a wonderful day beautiful scenery and quietness. There are other rafting companies and people on the river be advised. No need to rush back I belive you have until 6 before you get a late fee check in with them to be sure wear your life jackets because you are out there on your own there is no guide so be safe and enjoy rafting read more

Indian Head Canoes - Ducks in the river - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Matamoras, Pennsylvania

See all

We arrived on time for a reservation with 14 adults and 6 children. We waited for 30 minutes on a line despite having the reservation alongside groups without any advanced reserving. We paid with one credit card, while other parties had multiple forms of payment which just prolonged the process and the length of the line. We then waited 1.5 hours for the shuttle bus to bring us up the river to the launch site. The wait for the bus was unorganized and beyond ridiculous. read more

I Drive up from Florida every year to visit family my mom always talks about going down the river but we never did until about 3 years ago . now we go every year & the only company we trust is Indian Head. The Staff are quick with reservation & if we have any trouble they are on top of it to help us especially if we miscount & we need something extra they are right there to give it to us ! Its a very no hassle attitude environment and they are amazing at keeping the kids entertained during the safety talks as much as the parents. All in all, Indian head is the best way to go for rafting and/or canoeing experience !! read more

This review is for a day of rafting only, we did not camp. My entire experience was great with this company. I made a reservation a few days prior to my Sunday, August 6th rafting trip with three other people. We arrived at 9:30 AM at the Matamoras base and check in was very easy and seemed well organized. There are bathrooms, changing rooms and they sell ice for your cooler. A bus had just left so we had to wait for another one but it was at the most 20 minutes which they told us buses run about every 15-20 minutes. The bus takes you up the river to your starting point and you end at the base where you parked. At the starting point, there are restrooms, rafts, life jackets and oars and brief instructions. If I had to complain about anything, it would be the bus ride, seemed like she was driving very fast on a very twisty road on a cliff... a bit scary lol. We did the Pond Eddy to Matamoras trip, a 9-mile, about 5-hour rafting trip. We were in a 4-person raft and we fit 4 adults, a large cooler, a back pack and a large beach bag. The rafting was beautiful with several rapids that were exciting but not too overwhelming and we were able to navigate. There were several places to stop along the way. Be sure to wear water shoes, not flip flops! Also bring your stuff in a waterproof bag because everything in the raft will get wet. Very scenic and a wonderful day overall! read more

First rafting trip with grandson on the Delaware. Excellent and courteous service by the staff. Made it easy to fill out forms. Well organized. Plus the weather and the river conditions were great. Biggest advantage using Indianhead. Children under 12 free when with 2 paying adults. Didn't see that offered at the others. Saved read more

My family and I (7 of us) had a great time here. The staff when we first arrived were great. I wish the "launching" was a bit smoother? We are not big outdoor people, so perhaps we did not come prepared. We all did tubing, and it was very difficult for all of us to get into the tubes, because the rocks were crazy at the bottom of the river. The float? down was nice, and we stopped at one point to have lunch. When we finished, the guys at the bottom did not help us AT ALL with our tubes. We had to carry them into their vans. We also had to be transported back to the first location in order to get our cars. The female staff at the end of the... river float/the driver were not friendly at all. However, we are already talking about going back! read more

My family comes up from The state of Florida every year. The only thing that is on minds in rafting on the Delaware river for years we went to other companies but after running into one of the staff members no the river and their group helped out my dAd that had gotten away from our raft we decided to change to Indian head canoes. When we make our reservations they are always quick and informational. Sometimes we have to wait for the bus, but I understand that we have to wait our turn. The staff is very nice and all of them are every on top of things. They even interact with the kids to keep them interested during there safety talk. It's great to be able to have a great company to make our vacation even better!!! read more

Indian Head Canoes made my experience one I will never forget. The staff was very informative and friendly. I will only continue to use Indian Head in further adventures on the delaware river read more

A group of us did a two night camping trip at Indian Head which also included the river trip. It was fairly priced and the campsite itself was nice. The river trip was a really great time except once we finished when the staff were extremely rude and talking down to us as we tried to empty our rafts. When we got back to the camp and went into the store, the one woman behind the counter was being extremely rude to a customer who just had a simple question. Another camper who was in the store actually told the lady that he has never seen such poor customer service. Later that night we were at our campsite and continuously were yelled at very rudely to go to bed. We weren't playing music and there were only 4 of us awake and this point and the staff were standing outside our site staring at us. It was extremely uncomfortable and odd considering most of the site around us still had music on. The next morning, the campsites near us were up around 5-6 am screaming at the top of their lungs and did not get in trouble at all. Overall, they were entirely too strict at the campsite so unless you are fine going to bed at 11 pm which is when their quiet hours begin, I would not recommend staying here. read more