If you haven't been white water rafting, I suggest you go. You might pee** yourself a little but it is so worth it!! It's a good hike up in cheese land and I was only expecting maybe a class 2 or 3 (class 6 being the highest). Big surprise when we did a class 4. Sounds scary I know, but I learned that picking the right guide/ tour company is key. It makes a difference when it comes to safety and your overall experience. NA is all about having fun but being safe. The owner and our guide Matt was hilarious but also made sure that we knew what we were doing to keep us far away from any injury's. And like he said you really get to know the people in your raft because at some point you will be on top of them. There actually isn't a whole lot of rowing and the intense portions go by in a flash but at least with the help of a hiking trail and another boat you end up doing the intense parts twice. Other then that you are shooting the shit with Matt and the others in your group. Matt has a wealth of knowledge about the area and about "adventure" type stuff. I think it was the perfect combo of relaxing and heart racing experience. I would tell you more but to be honest this is really something you should experience for yourself. I will say that we all had a blast and not one of us ended up in the water... well, at least not from the rapids. I would totally do this again!! ** You're not actually allowed to pee in or out of the boat. Matt will ask you if you would like for him to come to your work and pee on your desk or something, no, then don't pee at his place of work. read more

See all

We had an unbelievable day out on the river yesterday. Ben, our tour guide was fantastic and very accommodating. Our time out on the water couldn't have been any better. It was exciting and the views were beautiful. We will most certainly be back and telling others about you all as well! In reading other reviews here, like Catherine's from 6/30/18, I couldn't agree more. The reviews you see here are spot on. Safety. Office staff, it all! read more

Everything was great! The instructors were awesome and the experience was indescribable!! Def would recommend this place for anyone. Make sure you sit in the front of the raft...it's the most exciting! The only complaint I would say is that the trip was too short, wish we had more time to continue going through the rapids. Other than that put this on your bucket list! read more

Great bucket list trip! Went with three friends and had a blast. Our guide Mike was great. Loved the trip. Would definitely come back!

Awesome whitewater rafting trip! Got to ride the class IV section of the rapids twice and survived- each time. We went early September and the water was a little chilly but still swimmable in the river. Our guide Jason was AWESOME and kept the whole ride interactive and fun. Northwoods Adventures offers a really reasonably priced photo/video package and all of the pictures are great quality too! Would definitely recommend this trip with this company and their people! read more

Chad and Ben were great. We had Chad as our tour guide. He did a great job explaining everything. The actual rafting trip was awesome. It was my first time rafting and he explained everything before we got to the rapids. Great experience. We will be back next year for sure. read more

Our second time whitewater rafting on the menominee, had an absolute blast! Prices were $50pp, 40 w/an online discount, but we scored an even better deal on groupon. About a 5hr drive from chi, highly recommend! read more

We had a great time! The guides were very knowledgeable. The outpost itself is worth a visit. We will be coming back!

What a blast!!! Northwoods Adventures provided an awesome whitewater experience for our weekend getaway. All of the staff made you feel right at home and part of their family. Our guide was Ben B and he was awesome! He was hilarious, fun, and a really good raft guide. I felt safe the entire time and loved rafting down the rapids with him as our guide. The company also takes pictures from shore and the raft guides capture video from go-pros attached to their helmets. They provide water shoes and wetsuits for rent if you need them. Their store called The Outpost was a really cool renovated shack that sold all kinds of outdoorsy stuff and souvenirs to remember your time on the river. I would highly recommend this company to anyone traveling to the area. read more

Our guide was Matt. He was great. Very funny and you can tell he loves what he does. The shop is very small. One bathroom. Two changing rooms. NO SHOWERS! So after being in the river, hopefully you have somewhere to go to shower or else it's a long ride home smelling like river. The river is pretty calm the first half. Matt goes over the basics and make learning pretty interesting. The end is where the excitement is and he does bring two rafts so you can go again. I would definately recommend if you have never rafted before and would like to try it. I am ready for bigger badder rivers! read more

My family and I did a 3 hour private rafting trip and we all loved it! We had 6 people in two rafts for a total of 10 people and 2 guides. Almost all of us had been new to rafting and the river was a GREAT first rafting trip. We also had a couple people in our group that were pretty nervous and I think they had the most fun! We had Denver and Jason as our guides and they did a great job of informing us about the rapids while keeping the trip lighthearted and fun. Would definitely recommend to anyone and would do it again! read more

Northwood's Adventures has been around for a year and one month as of August 2011. It is a small business that is really well run. They have almost everything available for rental. There's a bar next door waiting for you after you've finished (or before). While heading towards the rapids, we saw another business (Thornton's?) that had a bigger group. I like how small our groups were - there were 8 of us on our raft. The owner and guides have a good sense of humor and are very detailed on the safety of your rafting experience. Our guide was Lane. He was very knowledgeable, clear on instructions and outgoing. Most of the experience is wading towards the rapids. I've never been rafting before, so I have nothing to compare it to. I was expecting that it would be several minutes of insanity, but it's about 6 minutes of insanity if you opt to go through the class IV (or was it III?) rapids twice. If not, you've only had about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes of fun. We were told that it was the best place to raft in the Midwest. 6 minutes of insanity was probably best for me. I would be in over my head if I thought I wouldn't go overboard with continuous minutes of insanity. I'm sure the guides would agree to that theory. I cannot swim, so for those of you who cannot, don't be worried if you'd like to try it out. The water seems shallow for the most part and the instructions on what to do are drilled into your cranium before you head out. You will be just fine. You will carry your raft to and from the short bus. It will be nasty when you have to carry it back to the bus. No fear - you can rinse yourself off. They show you a slideshow of photos of your experience when you are done in the office. I am convinced that pictures of a rafting experience makes you look like a badass to your friends who haven't experienced it. My guess is they too think you go through several minutes of insanity in a raft. Seriously - patronize these guys if you want a Midwest rafting experience. It is money well spent and you will be in good hands. read more

The guys at N.A. were great! Very informative/knowledgeable and at the same time hilarious! Matt & Phil were pretty quick with getting us gear and onto the bus to the launch point. The info-session on the bus was not overkill but still good. The comedic relief, I think, retained attention. Our guide was Matt and, although a Colts fan, he was pretty cool. He really knew what he was talking about. I would recommend him to any group. There was not as much rowing/paddling as I thought there would be and the crazy/intense portions of the course were only about 5 minutes. The remainder of the time was more getting down technique, just learning about the area and shooting the ish. But they do bring a couple rafts so once you get a run-through on the river, you get to hike back the short distance and do it again. Pretty cool! We got to top it off with some swimming in the river/lake, which I can't even remember the last time I did. Makes me want to get a lake house or something...seriously! Good times. I gotta go back when the dams are blown away/removed and it becomes THE RIVER WILD!!! He'll tell you all about that when you go... read more

First-Class rafting experience!!! A definite MUST-DO!! Our guide, Steve, was AWESOME!! NA offers pics and videos available immediately after the rafting trip, photos and videos are affordably priced to give options of individual pics, individual videos, or full suite of all photos and videos taken. Only suggestion to NA is to consider adding an additional GoPro mounted to the front of the rafts to capture photos and videos of the rafters reactions. read more

Was I terrified? Yes. Did I want to pee my pants a little when we hit the first waterfall? Absolutely! If you're like me and you've been itching to do some thrill-seeking activity since you've been cooped up from COVID shutting down everything, then this activity is for you. They've got such good customer service and they're not overly nice and fake like a lot of the businesses I go to these days. They will make fun and you, and be savage, but in the best way possible, so it feels like you've known them your whole life. Jason, Denver and the other girls name that I think was Fee deserve a raise for delivering such a great service. I will be back someday with my kids that don't exist yet, so you guys better not shut down anytime soon. read more

This was an amazing experience. Our group of thirteen teens, adults and seniors had a great time. The guides are knowledgeable and are very mindful of safety and experience level. The ladies in the office were friendly and helpful. The river experience was so much fun. There was ample opportunity to get in the water and play. After getting back in the rafts we went down a fun drop and beautiful white rapids. We were able to make a short walk back through a wooded trail and do the falls and rapids a second time. I would recommend this experience to anyone. read more

My husband and I have been coming here every year since 2011. The business is very safety conscious and makes it fun for everyone. Our guides are very knowledgeable about the river and teach you what you need to know to get through the rapid with a big smile on your face! read more

Best Groupon purchase to date! Our group of 9 friends decided to head up the UP for a weekend getaway & this was the perfect way to end a great trip. Not only was the staff incredibly responsive during booking, but they were genuinely interested in making sure everyone was safe & having a good experience while out on the water. My group's boatman (& owner), Matt, was great. He not only made us feel confident in his abilities, but was also a blast to talk to. We could definitely see his passion for what he does, & I particularly liked hearing about his plans for the company in the future (great stuff to come). If you're looking for a unique & fun rafting experience, I'd highly recommend Northwood's Adventures. Be sure to book far in advance on the weekends, because the secret is out about this company. I'm definitely looking forward to our next visit. read more

These guys are awesome! Our group was split between first timers and experienced rafters. The guides took the time to put us in the right groups, and hit the rapids in more challenging attacks for the more experienced group. Even the shore lunch was excellent. No boring sandwiches here. Wraps, veggies, chips and salsa, and cookies for dessert. Look no further, Northwood's Adventures is your trip. They have the skill to take you on the most challenging rafting experience outside of Colorado. read more

Our guide, Austin, was awesome! We had a blast and my only complaint could be that the trip wasn't long enough! For someone's first time though, it is a good length to get the hang of it and decide if you want to go back for more! read more

We have made this trip twice this summer and everyone raved about it. Our first guide was Eric and our second was Austin. Both were professional, knowledgeable and very experienced. The company was easy to work with. I would definitely recommend them and look forward to going again! read more

Had a great day on the rapids with my family. Amy was a terrific and fun guide. Highly recommend for all ages. Very doable for beginners. Not a ton of rapids, but enough to keep things interesting and fun. Recommend bringing water, insect repellent and sunscreen. Keep flexible with your experience and you'll have a great memory! read more

This was the best! The guides are all young, relatable, they are extremely knowledgeable and they love what they do. Their guides are among the best--people from all over the country and even a guy from Brazil. I would go back to Northwood's Adventures over any other place simply because the experience here was so good! My guide was Ben and he did a great job! read more

Highly recommend BUT... if you have young children under 12, I would pass. At that point the price is too high in my opinion for what amounts to a swim in a very calm section of the river and a kiddy white water section and a very long walk only to get in The raft for 5 more minutes and get back out again. If you have another adult and can switch out to go down the most adventurous part of the voyage then it might be worth it for you. I just know that for the price for myself and two children I was hoping for more excitement. Also if you have to get out for the main event you will not get any photos in the actual raft as a keepsake since all of the photos are taken at that time when you are walking to meet your team. You will get a few photos on land with your group. If you are without youngsters then I highly highly recommend this company, they were great to work with. One guide even gave my daughter a hair band for the trip. Jason was excellent and my kids had a lot of fun jumping in and making him lift them out. It definitely is worth it if you can experience the whole thing. My family and I plan to come back when they are old enough to participate. read more

Our guides Jason & Ben were very knowledgeable, excellent tour guides , and great hosts. Piers Gorge is a great spot for new and experienced rafters. We had a group of 8 with 6 being new to rafting. The Northwoods Outpost was recently remodeled and great meeting spot. I would suggest filling out the waivers online prior to arriving. read more

Matt was our tour guide today & he was pretty great! A little ditzy at times ;) but it made it fun! My whole family definitely recommends coming here, very personable group! read more

I just went here a few days ago so this is still fresh in my mind. I had a group of 15 so I had to book far in advance to ensure we all went out on the same trip (most mid summer weekends were already booked in April). We had groupons so it was only 25 per person. The guides were cool, we had 3 for our big group. Very knowledgeable when explaining everything to us while we rode the bus to the river. Even threw in a bunch of comedic relief to relieve some tension (we were all first timers so some nerves were there). So the actual river and white water rafting part wasn't what I thought it would be, while at the same time it was. Here's what I mean. We get in and we had maybe 30 minutes of calm water while we slowly drifted down the river. During this time we learned the basics of rafting. Then we just swam around and did jumps into the river. Kind of cool, but kind of boring too. Then we actually got to the rapids part. For this part I envisioned it being crazy, and it was, it was just so short. Obviously that's not a knock on NA, it's mother nature's fault. For the crazy class 4 part, we got to go twice since each group had 2 rafts, so that's good at least. Then after those rapids, it's back to calm river again and you can just swim around again for a little before you have to head back. So yeah, it wasn't what I thought it would be just because from movies and videos i thought it would be crazy rapids for like the whole river. Still sweet though, I'm sure we were just on the beginner river and for half off I can't really complain. The whole thing ran so smoothly too from booking to getting gear to the teachings down to the pictures they take that you can purchase. Def recommend checking this place out if it's your first time. read more

I highly recommend Northwood's Adventures for a beginner-level, entertaining, fun-filled, white water rapids trip! The rapids go by quick so I'm glad we had the chance to do them twice. I had an amazing time and can't wait to schedule a class 5 adventure with NA next spring. Matt was our guide and he did an AMAZING job from start to finish. Before our trip down the river, the instructions/guidelines for rafting were made extremely clear, detailed, and foolproof. After reading the post from Laurel S. on 9/11/11 I was shocked since I was on the exact same adventure as her and witnessed an entirely different sequence of events. Not only did she not follow the instructions given to all of us beforehand but she didn't follow the instructions of her guides while on the river. I was impressed by the immediate response of the guides to switch into "rescue mode" while going through the rapids. Not only were they in control of the situation the entire time but they took the necessary steps to ensure the "swimmer" of the safest rescue possible. Thank you, Matt, for a great adventure!!! read more

Fantastic trip!! Our guide Matt was awesome. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. I was hoping for crazier rapids! Matt informed us about a trip in the spring that he leads with class 5. Count me in! Also I was on the same trip that Laurel S. referenced in another review. I thought the Northwood's team did a great job with rescue. They followed all proper safety measures to ensure that everyone got to safety. The most important step is to listen to the guides. We all have natural instincts, but you really need to follow the experts. Can't wait for the spring trip! read more

went white water rafting with this group the weekend we were camping in this area. the staff was very friendly and funny. we had a great time with the whole experience even with the fact my fiance was tossed from the raft and injured her hand - by no means the rafting company's fauly. we hit a rock just right and she was trampolined from the raft. their prices are very reasonable. it seems like there is a lot of competition in the immediate area as there were at least 25 rafts in the river as we went down it. i am happy with the company we chose as it seemed the others had lesser gear and instruction. looking forward to rafting again in the near future with Northwood's! read more

Went white water rafting today and had a great time. Guides did a nice job, gear was good quality, and trip was fun. Got to swim a lot on the river, paddle and of course do rapids. The white water is pretty good, but short, so they have you go down it twice. Overall had a great time, definitely a highlight of our up trip! Very reasonably priced as well. read more

My friends and I had a great experience with Northwood's Adventures. I would highly recommend this outfit to anyone interested in white water rafting in the UP. They were very professional and very focused on safety while also being very fun and down to Earth. After witnessing some of the other area companies and their apparent lack of professionalism and clear lack of safety considerations, I was very pleased and thankful for having chosen to go with NA. I would say the only con, which has nothing to do with NA, was that the Menominee rapids were few and not very long in duration. But for a first timer and getting to do Piers Gorge twice, it was still a total blast! If you decide to go white water rafting, do yourself a favor and go with this group. My friends and I are already planning on returning next Spring/Summer. I would also like to make a small shout out for the good, inexpensive drive up camping experience we had at Lake Antoine Park (only about 20 minutes away from Vulcan, MI). Thanks again to Matt and Northwood's Adventures for an experience that I will not forget! read more

We loved our Northwoods Adventure rafting trip! The rapids were pure fun! Some in our party were unsure and a little nervous about them, but our guide, Marcelo, did a great job. He gave clear instructions and was very confident and able. We wished we could have gone down the rapids 6 more times!! Two trips down was great though, we would definitely return. Thank you to Marcelo for a great trip. read more

We had so much fun with Chad!!!! He was the best! Highly recommend taking this trip for everyone.

Amazing experience. We bonded so well with Zak our guide. He gave us a great time! The other raft passengers were so nice and fun. The go pro experience made it even better. We were lucky enough to surf and have a passenger fall out of the raft. Super sweet! read more

I have never been white water rafting before. Not knowing what to expect, I was willing to give it a try. I read the other reviews and they seem to mirror my experience. The guide that I had was named Eric (looks Native American but said he is from Puerto Rico). He was humorous which I think was good - nerves might be a little high not knowing what to expect. They do cover the things one needs to be aware of, paddling, what to do if one falls out of the boat, what to do if the boat tips over, etc. When all of this is said, one may get a little nervous. It sounds scary! But as others have said, the first half hour is spent in flat water learning to paddle as a team. The first rapids, as we were told, were a warm up and are considered a Level 2 rapid. After that, there is more practice paddling as a team in calm waters. Between this rapid and the "big one" the guide will point out the photographer in the trees, getting ready to take pictures of the group. They actually turn out very well but I do wonder how many spend the $46 dollars for the cd of pictures????!!!!! So as others have mentioned, a second raft is brought in tow so that the group can experience the class 4 rapid twice. I made it through the first time but fell backwards into the rear of the boat, near the guide. This was better than falling out of the boat but I did drink a lot of the river water as waves kept crashing over the boat. When the group gets past this rapid, the guide will pull the boat over and the group will get out and trek back to where the second raft is waiting. Everyone loads back in and does it all again. I know my second attempt went much better as I was able to sit up the second time and was able to actually see what was happening. It is about 10 seconds of uncontrolled chaos, made that much more exhilarating when the guide tells everyone to paddle just as the group is going over the "fall." It is scary but it is fun! I would do it again, but I'm pretty sure I would want to practice on sustained rapids of a lower class before I took on class 4 rapids much more. It was a great experience and I recommend to any who have not tried it. read more

My husband and I had an awesome time! I was kind of nervous and wasn't sure what to expect and our guide Lucas, did a great job of explaining all we were to expect which made me feel much more confident going down river! The ride was a memory we will never forget and made us want to plan more white water rafting vacations! read more

I went whitewater rafting on the Menominee with Northwoods this past weekend and had an amazing time. The gear, safety instruction and guides were top notch. read more

Just recovering from what felt like a near death experience. While the intense rapids are of short duration, a minute floundering in class 4 rapids can feel like an eternity. Our guide was Nate. While he was very personable, I believe having 4 of us dumped in the rapids at once was more than what this guide was prepared to deal with. Having been on class 4 rapids in Alaska, the fact that our guide provided no instructions as we were going under was greatly disappointing. I am sure there our others who had different experiences, but analyzing adverse events is my profession and I was up close and personal to this one. I did what I was instructed to do, until I lost complete trust. At which point the need for air kept me on a rock until a feasible plan was formed. Yes these guys know how to have fun, some of them may be great at what they do, but I firmly believe the root cause of what happened can be a lesson to benefit others. Party down, but prepare the guide and participants equally well. Right on? read more