Wildwater Nantahala Adventure Center
Wildwater Nantahala Adventure Center
Wildwater Nantahala Adventure Center
5
Full view
About
At the Nantahala, Wildwater is the original outfitter for the Raft & Rail excursion, and also offers Jeep Tours, raft and inflatable kayak rentals,fully guided whitewater rafting trips and zipline canopy tours with Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours. For a multi-day experience, Wildwater Nantahala also offers group lodging and unique Yurt lodging at Falling Waters Resort across the street from our Nantahala Adventure Center. Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours, the first zipline canopy tour in Western NC, is also located on the Falling Waters property. Family owned and operated since 1971, Wildwater is the only company to offer a Quality Service Guarantee. Wildwater offers over 15 different trips on four different rivers in the Southeast.
Bryson City, North Carolina
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Wildwater Nantahala Adventure Center
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravelers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,598 reviews
Excellent
1,466
Very good
95
Average
16
Poor
5
Terrible
16
RUSS T
4 contributions
Jul 2020
Whitewater rafting = the time of our lives! Our guide, Ryan, thoroughly taught us newbies the safety essentials and then he skillfully lead us on the adventure of a lifetime. We felt perfectly safe. We had times of serene beauty and moments of thrill. It was the perfect ride for first-timers. He maneuvered us down the river like a pro. He provided plenty of information about what to expect and gave us options on the level of excitement we wanted to experience. He even navigated our timing so as not to interfere with other rafts which we ocassionally encountered and told us to smile at the end because they take photos for you to purchase and enjoy your moments of thrilling joy on the river for years to come. Our photos turned out great and the t-shirts they sell were the best designs and the best prices we saw anywhere in the area! We can't wait to do this again and again! Fantastic experience we'd recommend to anyone.
Written July 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KCDawsey
Denham Springs, LA237 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
I booked the rafting and zip lining excursions for my family of four including an 8 year old and 14 year old, my husband and myself. And everyone had the absolute best time.
The rafting trip down the Nantahala was perfect! My 8 year old was a little nervous at first but once we got on the River and started going she became a thrill seeking junkie. Ryan, our raft guide, was super friendly and did an awesome job for navigating us down the River abs making us all feel comfortable. When we got to the “small” big rapid at the very end we were allowed to pull over and walk down to view the rapid to make sure we wanted to go through it before we actually did. We chose to go down a
It and the 8 year old was totally up for doing it again. I would HIGHLY recommend this place for whitewater rafting and we will be back to do it again.
We also did the zip lining, which was the highlight for both my girls trip! Braydon, Marissa and Paxton were the three best guides we could have asked for. We all felt comfortable and safe and knew we were in excellent hands. Again my 8 year was beyond thrilled to zip through the trees and my teenager had the best time as well. This is definitely an excursion our whole family enjoyed. Again we will be back to do it all again soon.
All in all I give Wildwater a 10/10 star rating!
Ps: but the photos! They are memories you’ll keep forever!
The rafting trip down the Nantahala was perfect! My 8 year old was a little nervous at first but once we got on the River and started going she became a thrill seeking junkie. Ryan, our raft guide, was super friendly and did an awesome job for navigating us down the River abs making us all feel comfortable. When we got to the “small” big rapid at the very end we were allowed to pull over and walk down to view the rapid to make sure we wanted to go through it before we actually did. We chose to go down a
It and the 8 year old was totally up for doing it again. I would HIGHLY recommend this place for whitewater rafting and we will be back to do it again.
We also did the zip lining, which was the highlight for both my girls trip! Braydon, Marissa and Paxton were the three best guides we could have asked for. We all felt comfortable and safe and knew we were in excellent hands. Again my 8 year was beyond thrilled to zip through the trees and my teenager had the best time as well. This is definitely an excursion our whole family enjoyed. Again we will be back to do it all again soon.
All in all I give Wildwater a 10/10 star rating!
Ps: but the photos! They are memories you’ll keep forever!
Written April 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
savswimmer
Savannah, GA12 contributions
Aug 2020
My family (2 adults and 2 children) did the ziplining and rafting combo in August. The kids definitely would say "Best Day Ever"!! We started the day with ziplining. Our guides, Richard and Trent, were amazing. We had a small group and they definitely took the time to make sure that we had fun but also had a safe experience for the kids. The surroundings were beautiful and they obviously love what they do. We then had a quick bite nearby at Pizza by the River. The kids loved feeding the ducks while we waited for our lunch and then playing in the river after lunch. We then headed back for our afternoon of rafting. Chandler was our guide for the afternoon. He was great- made us feel well-prepared with his safety talk, spoke extensively about the area and his love for the river, mountains, and wildlife, and helped us have a great time out on the river. We had a few spills out of the boat but all in great fun and the kids loved it when he spun the boat around. Would highly recommend this entire day for anyone who wants to get out and explore nature!
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
De G
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
Wildwater ziplining canopy tours
Absolutely the worst experience we've had ziplining. We made reservations online the night before and no where...even on the waiver that we electronically signed were we told that we would be required to wear a mask the entire time in 90deg hot, humid weather. We drove an hour 1/2 out of our way going home to enjoy the canopy tour to be suffocating the entire time.
I explained that I was not comfortable wearing a mask outdoors and for long periods of time. My kids wanted to go despite it so we reluctantly went through with it. Miserable the entire time. We were all dizzy and lightheaded & on the walk back, I came close to falling over. It was all I could do to make it back to the car and to the A/C. Once I recovered the next day, I emailed them through the website again to let them know how sick I had béen & what a bad experience it was. After a week of no response I called and spoke to the manager. Instead of listening to me she kept interrupting and lied about it being a statewide law to have to wear masks outdoors too. I looked it up & It varies per county and mayor and it was not a requirement and certainly not a law to force people to endure such a harmful & unnecessary rule. The manger refused to listen and was very rude and obnoxious. She laughed and flat out refused to give us even a partial refund of the $250 we paid.
Whether your a fan of mask or not, I wouldn't recommend wasting your $ on this business. Disappointed in every aspect.
Absolutely the worst experience we've had ziplining. We made reservations online the night before and no where...even on the waiver that we electronically signed were we told that we would be required to wear a mask the entire time in 90deg hot, humid weather. We drove an hour 1/2 out of our way going home to enjoy the canopy tour to be suffocating the entire time.
I explained that I was not comfortable wearing a mask outdoors and for long periods of time. My kids wanted to go despite it so we reluctantly went through with it. Miserable the entire time. We were all dizzy and lightheaded & on the walk back, I came close to falling over. It was all I could do to make it back to the car and to the A/C. Once I recovered the next day, I emailed them through the website again to let them know how sick I had béen & what a bad experience it was. After a week of no response I called and spoke to the manager. Instead of listening to me she kept interrupting and lied about it being a statewide law to have to wear masks outdoors too. I looked it up & It varies per county and mayor and it was not a requirement and certainly not a law to force people to endure such a harmful & unnecessary rule. The manger refused to listen and was very rude and obnoxious. She laughed and flat out refused to give us even a partial refund of the $250 we paid.
Whether your a fan of mask or not, I wouldn't recommend wasting your $ on this business. Disappointed in every aspect.
Written August 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was a very hard decision to require face coverings while ziplining but due to the close proximity of everyone on small platforms in the trees made it necessary; we generally recommend going earlier in the day when it is not so hot and there is less chance of afternoon summer thunderstorms.
I am sorry you missed the information that you have to wear a mask on our tours. There is a link on our homepage to an "Opening Guidelines" page with information all canopy tours will operate with face coverings. Our link email to the waiver has a statement that face coverings are required. Please note our rafting trips only require face coverings in the building and on the bus ride.
All Guest comment emails from the website come to my inbox, I cannot find an email from you, can you call me directly at 864-482-0450 or contact me directly so I can find your reservation and make it right? As far as our staff being rude, providing misleading information and laughing at you I am shocked and embarrassed you had this experience, please let me know what day and time you came so I can look into it further. Jack Wise, Wildwater Ltd.
Written August 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarah O
Charlotte, NC6 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
My husband and I had a great time zip lining today. We had a 2pm reservation (reservations required in advance) and it lasted a little over two hours. Julie and Natalie were awesome guides. I’ve been zip lining at other places and the guides are critical for having fun. Even with everyone wearing masks, they were able to make everyone laugh and enjoy the experience.
I was very happy to see folks wearing masks. It made me feel more comfortable knowing that they were enforcing this. We had a great group of folks ranging from 8yo to 80yo and everyone seemed to have a blast. Come on out and support this great small business!
I was very happy to see folks wearing masks. It made me feel more comfortable knowing that they were enforcing this. We had a great group of folks ranging from 8yo to 80yo and everyone seemed to have a blast. Come on out and support this great small business!
Written August 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MelGilbert_GA
Marietta, GA10 contributions
Jul 2021
What an adventure! I'm not a fan of heights and still made it through the entire course. Chad and Madeline were fun guides and helped me feel safe the entire way through. If you're on the fence, there are a couple of options to leave the tour if you decide it's not for you. The views from white pine were amazing even though the sky was hazy on our trip. It was abnormally hot but still enjoyable with some nice breezes in the treetops in between zipping. Your hands will smell like sweaty feet after 3 hours of wearing those very necessary gloves, but it's a small price to pay for such a beautiful experience.
Written August 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bryce B
1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Friends
We tried to cancel our trip due to weather having bought the trip insurance. After calling multiple times due to being hung up on, the manager informed me that even though we purchased trip insurance and lightning was shown in the weather forecast they would not give us a refund on the trip. Apparently they still run trips in lighting storms, with little regard to guest safety. The reason for the stricter cancellation policy being the “Covid 19 virus”. Not very professional. We booked the day before, and the website allowed us to purchase the insurance after it was valid. There are many companies that offer trips down the Nantahala. I would recommend NOC or any of the other guide companies that have better customer service and a higher regard for guest safety.
Written August 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marisa O
6 contributions
Jul 2021
We had a great time and it was awesome our 9 year old could go on her own. I've been ziplining before and this time was only able to be in a seated position and this one was self breaking. Suspension bridges freaked me out and having so many people on platform. Chad and Nina were great guides Ziplining and Brayden was great on White Water Rafting.
Only suggestion would be- mentioning tipping policies, and maybe show a map with photos online to help clueless people like us, and mention in reservation in emails to come 30 minutes early. I would have liked to be on our own for ziplining and white water rafting due to Covid and spacing but this wasn't the case even if outside. We did both activities same day. If you go with another family try and split the costs with the photos and USB :) You can totally take your phone if you have a button or zipper or a laynard holding your phone. I wish i would have known this beause we didnt go upside down so i could have taken my phone on a laynard.
Only suggestion would be- mentioning tipping policies, and maybe show a map with photos online to help clueless people like us, and mention in reservation in emails to come 30 minutes early. I would have liked to be on our own for ziplining and white water rafting due to Covid and spacing but this wasn't the case even if outside. We did both activities same day. If you go with another family try and split the costs with the photos and USB :) You can totally take your phone if you have a button or zipper or a laynard holding your phone. I wish i would have known this beause we didnt go upside down so i could have taken my phone on a laynard.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danae C
8 contributions
May 2022 • Family
My 6 year old and I spontaneously stopped in after seeing a road sign on our drive home to Chattanooga. Kenneth was amazing working with us even though we didn’t have reservations. He got us geared up to zip and thoroughly explained all the equipment and walked us though the steps as my son had never been and it was only my second time.
There was three courses at varying heights on the kid zip with 4-5 zips on each which was well worth the money. Kenneth came up to zip with us more than once to help my son take the leap when he got scared. He was very good talking with my son, having him take a deep breath and feel comfortable to build his confidence to make the jumps on his own. He was very patient and informative on a child’s level with all my sons questions and he cheered us on the entire time. Kenneth went WAY above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience!!!
I was impressed with the number of courses, safety measures, and zips but what was most impressive was the customer service which is why I will definitely be coming back with a group next time.
ATTN manager/owner: Give Kenneth a pay raise!!!
Seriously, he did a really amazing job!
There was three courses at varying heights on the kid zip with 4-5 zips on each which was well worth the money. Kenneth came up to zip with us more than once to help my son take the leap when he got scared. He was very good talking with my son, having him take a deep breath and feel comfortable to build his confidence to make the jumps on his own. He was very patient and informative on a child’s level with all my sons questions and he cheered us on the entire time. Kenneth went WAY above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience!!!
I was impressed with the number of courses, safety measures, and zips but what was most impressive was the customer service which is why I will definitely be coming back with a group next time.
ATTN manager/owner: Give Kenneth a pay raise!!!
Seriously, he did a really amazing job!
Written May 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather H
Springville, UT1 contribution
Jun 2021
Kenneth and Jes were amazing tour guides. We laughed so much and had so much fun. The whole course is very professionally constructed and clearly designed to keep you safe while providing a thrilling experience. But our tour guides made a huge difference in our experience. My wife has a disability that makes her a bit less mobile and can only use one hand. But Kenneth and Jes had a total "can do" attitude and helped make sure she had an awesome time and got to experience everything. They also shared a lot of great information about the forest around us, often using humor, and were a delight to spend three hours with.
Written June 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm 68 and adventurous, but I don't work out; do you think I can survive rafting and zip lining?
Written June 23, 2017
My inlaws are in their 70's and they had no problem with ziplining or white water rafting. We were treated like kings at Wildwater Nantahala Rafting Adventure Center. I highly recommend these fine folks.
Written August 18, 2019
My bucket list includes rafting and zip lining but I'm 68 and my husband is 70. My daughter and granddaughters (14 & 17) are also coming. I'm adventurous but not so much for my husband. How would I do?
Written June 23, 2017
This is an easy trip for both of you, and will be quite enjoyable. Don’t forget to ride the Smokey Mountsin Railroad while you’re there.
Written June 24, 2018
pmead2016
Sanford, Florida
I am going to be whitewater rafting the last week in September there. What should I wear? What do you provide? Thanks, Pat
Written September 12, 2016
When we were there in August, we wore swimsuits with long sleeved swim shorts and shorts. Be sure to take water shoes, or if you have scuba booties, those would be better as the water is a constant 48 degrees!
Written September 13, 2016
Kimberly M
Davie, Florida
I would like to wear my go pro on the ride. Do you offer helmets? And are there additional fees?
Written July 19, 2016
They are super friendly. I agree. Call them. They will gladly answer all of your concerns! My only real suggestion is....GO! It's awesome and fun! Enjoy!
Written July 19, 2016
Donna M
Augusta, Georgia
Do we need to make reservations? We will be there on June 24th.
Written March 30, 2016
Normally Donna , you do not need reservations but If your date is on a weekend I would suggest you call in advance
Written March 31, 2016
Donna M
Augusta, Georgia
Do you have tours for two people and how much does it cost.
Written March 29, 2016
Trey B
Long Creek, South Carolina
Donna,
We certainly do! At the Nantahala, it is $49.95/person for guided rafting trips.
I'd be happy to help you with any other questions.
Thank you,
Justin Mashburn
Wildwater Digital Content Manager
Written March 29, 2016
Trey B
Long Creek, South Carolina
To raft on the Nantahala river with Wildwater, your children have to be 7 years old OR be a minimum of 60lbs. As far as the river goes, it is definitely safe enough for your 6 year old child to raft with our guides. Hope to see you soon!
Written July 8, 2015
Showing results 1-7 of 7