The reward of the spider lilies after (easy) paddling is so amazing. It is even prettier in person than in pictures, and going through the lily maze in the water puts you right up close. It's the best way to experience this short-lived phenomenon. Our group was small, the crew members were informative, helpful, and very friendly. The trip was very well-organized and worth every penny. I would definitely recommend this trip with NCOA. read more

As an experienced paddler, I expected professionalism from a kayaking provider for the Rocky Shoals spider lilies. I booked in March, received an automated confirmation then had to email the company three days prior to the end of May trip for an updated confirmation bc our trip day coincided with a festival. It was then our group received confirmations three days prior to our trip. - Our group of 10 included novice kayakers & no instruction was given to them. Several struggled on the River. - Incorrect information about the lilies was given on the trip. At least have educated guides! - Our lead guide left us so we had no idea which way to maneuver through the lilies. My friend & I assisted two paddlers who said they were uneasy. After leaving a poor review on the business's FB to alert novices this is probably not the best outfit to take you kayaking, I received snarky responses from the owner (including a phone call), called a bully for posting my accurate account of the trip & then bullied by the owner's friends for my negative review. With that, I say AVOID THIS BUSINESS!! They are unprofessional. An organization is only as good as it's leader & it's no wonder this is a trash operation. read more

My daughter booked the lily kayak trip as a gift for me. The confirmation email had a cancellation policy stating it could be used within a year if the trip was cancelled(I have copies). NC Outdoor Adventures did cancel the trip due to wind. Later another email stated it could only be used within a calendar year. When we phoned the organization they stated the first policy was a typo. Bottom line--they would not let us rebook within the calendar year without recharging us. It does not really seem to our problem that they have two different policies posted. The person I talked with on the phone first said the confirmation letter did not say that the policy stated a one year window to rebook rather pointedly stating I was untruthful. When I sent her a copy she stated it was a typo on their part. Really--they do not read over their own confirmation letters? It does not seem to be the best way to run a business. We would never rebook with this company. read more

We have a wonderful time with thrifty adventures! Scott did an amazing job of making sure that we felt safe and comfortable on the Toe river. They provide really great customer service with a great personal touch. Glad we drove that extra mile to get to them as it was well worth it! read more

NC Outdoor Adventures - We had a fantastic time on the Toe river. Scott took such great care of us and did everything possible to make sure we had a great time. - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bakersville, North Carolina

After the third trip cancellation for the Landsford Canal Spider Lillies, I can't recommended. Flooding and Covid causes are out of their control but I received emails stating the trip was on when it was actually cancelled. read more

We went white water kayaking on the Toe river with Scott. We had a great time, even though the water was a little bit low. My daughter and I had a spill on the final rapid, was really a fun time. Swimming in the river was a nice way to cool off. Great way to spend a morning in the mountains. We'll try again if we get a little more rain this month. read more

NC Outdoor Adventures - Taking a break to cool down in the river. - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bakersville, North Carolina

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Simply amazing customer service. I needed to buy my daughter a climbing package for Christmas. When I spoke with Christy in the office, she went above and beyond to create a one-of-a-kind gift certificate. She was friendly, accommodating, and helped make my gift much more special than otherwise it would have been. Extraordinary customer service. read more

Poor people to do business with. Here's why: They created a meetup site: Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup's mission is to revitalize local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference. Meetup has been a place where locals form a group based on common interests and can have a sponsor (a business) who perhaps pays dues, offers discounts, or provide kayaks/ equipment for a fee for the meetup. So, as I moved from the great area of North-Central California (San Francisco: not really the North if you look on a map) to Charlotte (ended up in Charleston) I decided to try to find like minded rock climbers and hikers. After going to the White Water Center and seeing people climb in tennis shoes, I cringed at the thought of what I lost moving back east. Lo and behold, I saw a group called NC outdoors. They call themselves Thrifty adventurers. When I signed up to go on a weekend backpack trip, I was very excited. Then, a few weeks before the trip, I noticed I was the only one signed up. As the day was approaching and no one else had signed up, and no time or place had been set up with the pre meet to discuss the trip, I backed out. I asked for a refund, but was told not to worry that there would be plenty of other trips over the winter.... There were NO other trips posted over the winter. (The trip was in November). As January approached, I sent another email stating that I hadn't seen any trips planned, and I again asked for my money back.... no response. So, a couple of days ago, I asked AGAIN. This time, I got a message from a Christy Thrift. It was a question asking if I got any of the email. Well, I didn't get any email except that one. I told her no that this was the first one. She replied that she would send the old email, but she needed a good email address. (First off, a DOH moment for her: I RESPONDED, SO OF COURSE IT'S GOOD). Some people should not be allowed to use computers. So, this went back and forth for several messages. Then she said she had been trying to email me since 9/8... Ok, that should be a clue that if I didn't respond, I didn't get the messages. She responds that if I didn't get the messages that she would contact meetup. I told her that it has nothing to do with meetup, but google (my gmail account) as the messages probably went to spam. (this is out of meet ups control). I finally got this message back: I tried to reach you via meetup and email several times before the trip in November. I would be more than happy to copy you on all of those. We did not cancel the November 2nd trip due to weather. 1. Again with her saying she emailed me several times. (I'm not a liar and I am tired of explaining that it PROBABLY WENT TO MY SPAM BOX). 2. I did NOT think the trip was canceled due to weather. I thought it was going to be canceled due to the fact that NO ONE EXCEPT ME HAD SIGNED UP FOR THE MEETUP. Yes folks, that's right. A youngish female going solo on a backpacking trip. Did I mention that I was new to the area and didn't want to end up on a trip with only a guide? Have you not heard the horror stories of rape and murder from meeting someone online? It would have been different if there were 5 random people at least going... but there weren't. Was I supposed to take a chance and risk being raped and murdered with my body being left out in the convenient forest? This company has a meetup site where they say they are "SPONSORED" by Thrifty Adventures: this is false advertisement because the meetup IS Thrifty Adventures. I haven't seen stuff this shady since I lived in Grenada! Oh, my favorite line from Christy was in response to me telling her that after the many many condescending prose that I would take to social media regarding my experience. She threatened that if I did, she would contact her lawyer and sue me for "slander".... I told her to look up the definition. It would be impossible to get me for slander given that would have to be the spoken word. Also, what I have said are the facts from how I see them. If they hurt her business or reputation, maybe she will quickly learn how to speak to and not at customers. If I had a nickel for every business who has threatened regular consumers to try to bully them from taking to social media, I'd buy Ms. Christy Thrift some manners. read more

Ordered amazon local deal for reppelling. Will not call back. Impossible to schedule. Guess they take your money and run. Their website was absolutely useless at the times we tried to schedule. In time, maybe they'll be more organized. We will never put our lives in their hands. read more

If your considering taking a climbing class with TA I say, do it! My husband & I just took thier anchor class & we absolutely loved it. I tend to be a slow learner but our instructor Darrell made it really easy to understand & I ended the day feeling confident with what we learned. I feel really fortunate for having been able to take this class with Darrell. Such a great teacher, incredibly experienced & so knowledgeable. Already looking forward to taking another class from them here soon! read more

Just had a repel trip with guide Mitch from thrifty adventures. This was awesome. I wanted to schedule some quality father daughter time with my 17-year-old and we had a blast. We went to Table Rock North Carolina and Mitch took care of us gradually pushing us outside our comfort zone going from no experience with repelling to finishing the afternoon with a 130 foot repel into the Devils Cellar!! I highly recommend any athletic family who is looking for time to build memories this was a fantastic day. I would definitely do this again. read more

I was referred to Thrifty by a good friend and long time climber last summer. It was my first time climbing ever (indoor or outdoor) and to say I was frightened was an understatement. The Thrift's soon had me feeling at ease in the harness and quite addicted to the adrenaline rush. They were more than fair in their pricing, they made me feel safe even as a first timer, and I would definitely use them again (and have). If you want real personalities, true passion for the sport, and someone who honestly enjoy sharing their love of the climb with others, you cannot go wrong with Thrifty. Good luck and great climbs! read more

My group had a great time... The only complaint was there was an overwhelming exhaust odor in the shuttle that almost made some of them sick... But that was the ONLY complaint... Everyone was very nice and we had a lot of fun!!! read more

We enjoyed a 2.5 hour tubing trip down the Toe River. Signing up was quick and easy (they had same day availability), they provided drop-off, pick-up and very friendly service! We hope to book again with them!! read more

It's a little sketchy, the place where you go to check in is someone's house, only to get in someone's run down van to be taken to the river. There was no communication, no guide to help with anything, they just drop you off and leave you. We even had to call for them to even come and pick us back up because they never came back!!! In all honesty I took my kid here thinking it would be a fun day, the part on the river was great, but because of everything else I wouldn't of taken any kid there! I definitely would of left before we even started if I wouldn't of been with a group! We come up that way a few times a year, but I will definitely be taking my business elsewhere! read more

Had a blast on the Intro to Rock Climbing trip today. The guides were both knowledgeable and professional, while keeping the entire day light and fun. I would highly recommend them to anyone wanting to give it a try, the views are amazing, and they're even better when you're hanging onto the Nose. read more

I have had the pleasure of meeting Thrifty Adventures and joining 6 or 7 of their Adventure trips!! They have all been Awesome!! My first trip was Rappelling at Crowders. Then we moved up to Pilot Mountain. I started going to the Weekly Climbs at Crowders with them. I had no climbing experience and they instructed me safely. Best of all they have all the gear and the groups are small! This means you can do the wall as many times as you can. The coolest thing that I have ever done with them was rappel Big Bradley Falls in Saluda NC. Pictures are on my facebook and great memories in my mind. Thrifty Adventures needs to be on everyones adventure list. Best of all they have family trips, couple trips and things for church groups or scout groups. read more

Great experience - Professional Climbing Team who Educate WHILE they lead the Adventure. Scott and Amanda are great leaders for this experience read more

Scott and Christy are amazing. Knowledgeable and caring, made our family kayak experience memorable, safe and fun. I would strongly recommend TA for your next adventure read more

We spend the morning and into the afternoon at an intro to rappelling class on Pilot Mtn. We showed up and Scott took it from there. We were shown the gear and how it worked. There were some first timers and very experienced people in the class, but everyone had a great time. We will be doing this class and maybe some advanced classes soon with Thrifty Adventures. read more

Not the best for tubing. We rushed to arrive 15 minutes before our scheduled time as instructed then sat there waiting for 20 minutes for someone to arrive to meet us. The float was a short stretch (1 hour not 2) through a sort of dingy part of the river right beside train tracks. I've floated the Toe before and there are other areas that are much more beautiful. That said, we were given the opportunity to do it twice which was nice. However, my kids weren't interested in seeing the same stretch of river all over again, especially once they'd gotten out and been shuttled back to our car. The morning of our float, I inquired about the weather. It was looking grim where I was and the forecast was calling for scattered thunderstorms so I was curious how the weather was in the area. The reply I received was their No Refund policy with sections bolded and highlighted for emphasis. I never asked for a refund and never expected one. This response was unnecessarily passive aggressive and made it seem like the company was more concerned about holding onto my money than ensuring my family's safety. Bad customer service from the woman in the office (just be nice!) However, the gentlemen who helped us in and out of the river were very kind and helpful. Not the worst tubing experience but could've been a lot better. read more

I have been on several trips with Thrifty Adventures and really enjoyed all of them. Scott is a great teacher and very patient.

Thrifty Adventures is a great company to learn with. Scott is a wonderful teacher, and will ensure that you have a great time while learning. If you're in the NC area, I highly recommend you take a trip with them. read more