This was one of the most fun experiences I've had. John was the absolute Best and most…read moreknowledgeable person and we were so lucky to get stuck with him haha. Definitely recommend booking here with them, they took really good care of us haha!

Talk about a fun rafting experience!! My husband and I brought our 10 year old sons and my parents…read moreon the whitewater rafting adventure yesterday. It was mine and the kids first time. The class II and III rapids were the perfect size for us. It was slightly challenging in a few places but nothing terribly difficult. It was absolutely exhilarating! Our guide Eric was incredible! He was super knowledgeable and really seemed to know the river very well. We all felt really lucky to have him as a guide. After watching a few other color rafts/companies get stuck continuously, we knew we chose the right people for this adventure. 10/10 will definitely be back again. Things we were glad to have... glasses chords.

Super friendly staff, outdoor space, and affordable drinks. Sometimes if you're lucky, there's even…read morelive music. Oh, and water. But honestly it's the French broad so that's a little questionable. Have not tried their actual guided tours or equipment rental. I can't believe I've been to hominy creek so many times and had no idea this place existed. What an oasis. Especially for summer months. On the weekends, it gets pretty busy with happy dogs and kids. They have their own food truck and they had some live music on Saturday. The food truck people were super nice, and they had a ton of vegetarian and vegan options. The bar has a lot of options for beer. Non-beer drinkers too. Surprising number for a small little shack. Lots of picnic tables to sit at and enjoy the weather. Little beach area and all within walking distance. Parking can get a little rough so be mindful.

Great people here that will take care of your outdoor needs and where rental equipment is available…read morefor outdoor activities. Asheville is a fave of mine for food, beer and outdoorsy fun. French Broad Outfitters has you covered whether its hiking, tubing, or kayaking. Super helpful staff too! My family rented kayaks for the day and set out for the French Broad River. Staff took us by bus to our site to begin our roughly two hour adventure. You finish where you start. That's easier said than done if the river is running fast. Again staff is there to help all the way. I would do this again and highly recommend.

We were seeking adventure and had so many options for whitewater rafting. We decided on this…read moreparticular company for a couple of reasons 1. We could fit 4 in a raft 2. It had a coupon for $12 off!! We called on Tuesday night about 7:45 (they closed at 9) and talked to Teresa who was able to schedule our foursome for a trip at 2:00 on Wednesday. She was so helpful and gave us some tips for travel to Hartford. Once we got there we checked in with a very competent and thorough young lady. We took a short bus ride to the "put in" point. On the 10 minute ride some of the guides performed fun comedic routines which kept us from thinking about how hot we were on a bus with no AC ( except open windows), decked out in life jackets and helmets while holding our paddles upright. :-) We got paired with a river rafting guide named Brantley. He gave us great paddling instructions before we even entered the raft. Since we had all been river rafting before, he explained that the trick to having a more exciting trip is to synchronize your paddle strokes. We had a great time with Brantley. We truly appreciate his concern for our "fun factor" and especially our safe trip down the river.

Been on family trips for more than ten years. We've tubed and canoed but this was by far the most…read morefun. Guides are friendly and fun all while giving the sense of trust that they are looking out for your safety. Our group was 4 parents in one raft and 5 young adults in another (each raft can hold 6). Be sure to tell your guide you want to "surf the rapids".

Yallllll!!!!…read more Y'all!!!!! HANDS DOWN the best experience I have had white water rafting!!!!!!! I guess i should say head down!!!! SlimJim (Jake) but his Georgia given name is now 'woodpecker'. I'm horrible with names so that's what he was named for the day. He is an expert at what he does. We had 5 adults and a set of 13 year old triplets (that were basically level expert, already). We worked as a team. We laughed. There was no child, woman or man left behind. Just my dignity. I got pulled in the "swimming portion" by my girlfriend and just knew peanut butter ball (woodpecker) wasn't gonna be able to get me back in that raft and boy was I wrong. That man picked me up so effortlessly and efficiently that I accidentally turned into the human scorpion (Rob Dyrdek's show 'ridiculousness' for reference). We were all laughing so hard because I was left stuck upside down which was even funnier. Helmet stuck. Life jacket conformed into a turtle shell and I was just stuck and laughing along with everyone else. Now--- No. Im not a big back woman partaking in bigbacktivities that I shouldn't be. . Just a little thickum, if you will. The entire day truly made this vacation one for the books. Jake lead with precise guidance, was very professional and an all around genuinely great human being that ensures your safety as well as makes you laugh like he's known you for ages. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this adventure with your friends, your family, strangers--- or-- heck even just with ol SlimJim, himself!!! Thank you so much for such an absolutely incredible experience. You were made to interact with others to pass on your joy! - GA Jen Ray and Skye Ledford. #shedidnotDDTme

It was very easy to register online. I had previously called during off-hours to ask some…read morequestions. I received a prompt return call when the business reopened the next day. Chip was our guide. He was very good at keeping us safe and keeping us working as a team. He shared info about the river, trees, flowers, and history of the river. He was encouraging and helpful. It was a great rafting trip overall. I would recommend this company to others.

The Extreme Upper Pigeon trip was tons of fun. If you have no experience but are athletic you will…read morebe ok on the extreme. Guides are great, Ava and Ciera guided my family of four successfully through the trip. I was the only one with experience and I was the only one who fell in, my fault though.

Yes, yes and YES!! we had a total of 8 in our group so we were split (you can only have 7 plus the…read moreguide). My group had Tia and she was amazing. We did the upper pigeon river and due to a lot of flooding in don't think we were able to go the normal route but again, not a big deal. We had a great time with our other riders and it was a really cool experience. We've done rafting that was a bit more extreme as this was supposed to be but again, due to the floods. We still had an amazing time and it was so thanks to Tia! Great personality and kept us very entertained.

Great float! Took my 8 year old son and his two cousins - we…read morehad a perfect afternoon! Wags was our guide and he was great with the boys and on all of the rapids. Doing this again soon for the full day.

Such a fun time! This is my second time rafting down the French Broad River with Blue Heron and…read moreboth times have been a blast. The guides are knowledgeable, engaging, and they make you feel very safe. The total time in the water was around 5 hours with a lunch break on a pretty rocky side of the river. Prices were very reasonable for the photos at the end. Highly recommended experience.

This was the very best part of my entire trip. The business itself was super accommodating when we…read moregot brave enough to switch to the upper river from lower river. (Do the upper! It was such a blast) The girl in the office was so kind, and offered us so much information. Our guide, Emily, was so kind and absolutely hilarious. They kept us laughing, drenched, well informed of the history and nature surrounding us, and above all, they kept us safe. I loved having them as a guide, but honestly, every single guide around us was equally as thrilling and hilarious, (I'm talking about you, Dan) So if you don't get randomly selected for Emily's tour, I know that every one of those guides loves their jobs, and would take you on the greatest trip.

Loved this company! Everyone is very nice, the process went very smoothly, and the ride was very…read moreenjoyable! We went with a group of 6 and they accommodated us all into the same raft. Our guide Johnny was on his first ride and did a super job, Tristan was supervising. They both were funny, kind, and provided an all around great experience. Only wish the trip could have been longer than 1.5 hours!

Emma was an incredible guide that handled the entire trip with grace and expertise. Her…read moreknowledgeable approach and lively candor kept our family well informed and entertained the entire trip. I've never been on a River Rat rafting trip before, but I know that I'll use them again in the future! 5 A+ well done.

We had the BEST experience with River Rat whitewater rafting! From start to finish, everything was…read morerun so well--extremely organized, clean facilities, and perfectly on time. Every staff member we met was funny, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable, which made the whole day even more enjoyable. Our guide, Ocean, was AMAZING! She knew it was our first time and went out of her way to explain what to expect, making us feel confident and excited. She turned our first rafting trip into an unforgettable adventure--full of laughs, thrills, and a few "core memories" we'll be talking about for years. If you're thinking about going rafting, do it--and go with this company. You won't regret it! We did try other rafting companies after and that was a mistake. We will always come back to Ocean & River Rats.

Our family did the French Broad Whitewater rafting trip. We had a great time. Our guide Mason was…read morefantastic and our trip leader Emma was very attentive and organized. We were lucky the water was up and the weather was nice. If your kids can swim and are 10 and up this is a terrific family outing to go on. Our group ranged in age from 10 to 71 and everyone loved it!

The Outpost is in a great location along the French Broad River. Easily accessible by bike along…read morethe well-maintained bike path but parking is limited. Not much shade and the grounds get muddy when it rains. Food trucks and beer tents are available during scheduled events. We attended during the inaugural 'AVLFest' and were happy to finally visit this space. We'll certainly go again when it's dry and with chairs and sun umbrella - or after dusk. It really is a great space with loads of opportunity.