Big Bear Rafting
Big Bear Rafting
5
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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About
Hartford, Tennessee
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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
772 reviews
Excellent
746
Very good
15
Average
4
Poor
3
Terrible
4
Mznoname
7 contributions
Jun 2020
First time rafting and it was a blast! Joseph was an excellent guide who made the white water rafting experience on Upper Pigeon a whole lot more fun with tricks to get splashed! In terms of safety, his guidance helped us avoid all kinds of rocks and nobody went unintentionally overboard, lol. Their last run at 4:45PM-6:45PM was a perfect time of the day for us and the price per person is very affordable. Highly recommend to go with a group of 6 you know for an adventurous memory. Customer service was also super friendly--totally recommend their business for your experience.
Written November 10, 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.
Victoria C
Marion, OH21 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
We were in Gatlinburg for a last minute vaca and on the way down started looking into things to do. We're into rafting and thought why not do the Pigeon? We reserved two kayaks for the trip not exactly sure what they were calling "duckies ". When we got there we were told they were inflatables, which we hadn't tried before. "Socks" was our guide and he was great, helping us see the lines and teaching my husband "surf"!
Great company and fantastic guides. Not all the fluff but definitely all about the river
Great company and fantastic guides. Not all the fluff but definitely all about the river
Written July 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.
Karla H
Morehead, KY3 contributions
Jul 2020
A good Groupon made us pick Big Bear Rafting for our family of five. We would pick it again due to the great experience. The scenery was beautiful an the rapids were perfect for first timers. Jeremy was an excellent guide with a great sense of humor and he was very personable. We had one slightly scared child and Jeremy did a great job giving us perfect instruction to make her feel comfortable. Our family would highly recommend Big Bear Rafting and we will join them for another adventure in the future.
Written July 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.
Txmusicmom
Houston, TX49 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
Found Big Bear on Groupon and bought the family of six package for upper Pigeon after I saw their amazing reviews on TA. Did not disappoint. Smaller company who is committed to giving every guest the full experience of the river and not just get as many rafts down as possible. They even stop in certain places on the river, re-position the rafts and then surf the rapids to make sure guests have a blast. Jeremy was our guide and he was super. You could tell he had amazing knowledge and loved his job. Very safety conscious and thorough to ensure every guest feels great about their experience. They also have a nice little shop with supplies and some cool shirts that really appealed to my teenagers. Unquestionable five stars rating...just be sure and maybe request your group be in their own raft if possible. We didn’t do that and were out with two others who weren’t quite as “into” the experience. We were a family of five of adult sized people so we could have easily managed a raft with just us and a guide. The two extra passengers made my own family feel a little awkward since they didn’t seem as involved in the experience. This is NOT a reflection of the company...just a suggestion from one traveler to another if that type of thing matters to you. Was a great day and I highly recommend Big Bear!
Written June 19, 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.
Safari163140
4 contributions
May 2021 • Family
Big Bear Rafting was a phenomenal experience at a reasonable price. Our party of 8 was able to enjoy about a two hour experience for a very affordable price. The rapids were intense but also not to scary even for people with little or no experience. The guides in each raft gave exacting directions to all paddlers and were able to perfectly steer the raft through the rapids safely. It was a great time. Well worth the trip.
Written May 27, 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.
Justice
Rehoboth Beach, DE3 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
I haven’t had so much fun in an afternoon in a long long time. Whitney was our guide, she was outstanding with the kids- giving water guns to splash other boats.
We spun the raft, splashed through rapids- it was just fun.
I would recommend this trip for anyone looking for an introductory rafting trip- we did it with a 4 and 10 year old.
We spun the raft, splashed through rapids- it was just fun.
I would recommend this trip for anyone looking for an introductory rafting trip- we did it with a 4 and 10 year old.
Written July 28, 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.
kcon819
Detroit, MI110 contributions
May 2021
Fantastic experience! My family ranging from 10-47 years old had so much fun! We did the Class III/IV rapids and it was a great time. We were hesitant at first but so happy we did the Class III/IV. We bought tickets online first which saved us a few bucks. We had a cabin in Gaitlinburg and it was about an hour away and it was an easy drive and easy to find. The checkin was easy and they had a nice little shop inside which we ended up buying some cute shirts/sweatshirts inside. They also have bathrooms and showers to use. Cameron was our guide and he was a great one! He was funny and led us along the river safely. It was such a great experience and I would highly recommend rafting with Big Bear Rafting!
Written May 13, 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.
sunnydog
Annapolis, MD31 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
We rafted the same river 10 years ago with a different outfitter. We came back to introduce the next generation, my 8 and 11 year old nieces.
Andrew was the lead and gave some pretty great before and after speeches. Rick was our river guide for this trip and it was awesome. What set Big Bear above the red rafting company for me was some of the neat little tricks along the way like Rick had us do ‘teacups’ down the river and the kids thought that was just great. We also ‘surfed’ and again, the kids went wild.
They said there are about 12 rafting companies in the area and we’ll take Big Bear every time.
Thanks again!
Andrew was the lead and gave some pretty great before and after speeches. Rick was our river guide for this trip and it was awesome. What set Big Bear above the red rafting company for me was some of the neat little tricks along the way like Rick had us do ‘teacups’ down the river and the kids thought that was just great. We also ‘surfed’ and again, the kids went wild.
They said there are about 12 rafting companies in the area and we’ll take Big Bear every time.
Thanks again!
Written July 17, 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.
Danielle M
3 contributions
Apr 2023
We visited Sevierville, Pigeon Forge,Gatlinburg Area for Spring Break 2023, and by far,for me the best part, was Rafting with Drea on the Pigeon River and Big Bear Rafting Company. We were in a group of 14 people and Drea, our guide took six teens aged 13-17 and myself on the lead boat down the river! It was 10 out of 14 of our first time rafting and we couldn't have had a better day (82°) or guide for our trip. Big Bear was very nice, firendly, and accomadating, and keep 8 teens, one little kid, and 5 adults entertained the whole time. Daniel, the owner/operater, along with Drea, were the best guides who tailored our trip down thr river to be as awesome, fun, and excting as to how much each boat wanted it to be. ĺ highly recommend Big Bear Rafting, in Hartford, TN, for a very family friendly experience on your first or next trip down the river.
Written April 6, 2023
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.
T K
12 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
We did the upper trip at 1245pm. It was a blast! We bought the trip on Groupon. Worth every penny.
You get there and sign-in, which includes a basic liability waiver. You gather on a large covered porch and wait for the tour guides.
There are bathrooms, souvenir shop, drinks and snacks (for purchase). The men's room as 3 urinals, 2 stalls and two showers in close quarters (we will talk more about this later).
The guides come out and split you up by guide. We had Paul (aka Brother Nature). He was awesome! We've been white water rafting before, but by far he's the best! After getting your helmet, life jacket and paddle, you get on a typical school bus for a quick ~10 min drive. The main guide gives the safety briefing (along with some laughs) during the drive so it goes by quickly.
You arrive at a working dam at the NC state line and hop in the boats. Easy transition from the boat launch. There was all kinds - young, old, male, female, etc. The guides help at every step.
Start down the river and it's a perfect mix of a few intense rapids and flat water time to enjoy the scenery. We have older teens, but I'd have no problem taking kids as young as 8 or so.
Towards the end you have time to swim along side the boat right before the end. At the landing, you help walk the boats to the bus and then get on the bus for about a 5 min trip back to the check-in location.
Please, don't forget to tip your guide! They earn it and deserve it!
Bring dry clothes. For the men's area, it's a tight changing area and a bit awkward, but it works. You either change in front of everyone in one of the two tight bathroom stalls.
You get the option to by pics on a thumb drive. It's priced low and affordable.
Overall, a great family adventure, highly recommended. And, final about out to Brother Nature for creating an amazing family memory.
You get there and sign-in, which includes a basic liability waiver. You gather on a large covered porch and wait for the tour guides.
There are bathrooms, souvenir shop, drinks and snacks (for purchase). The men's room as 3 urinals, 2 stalls and two showers in close quarters (we will talk more about this later).
The guides come out and split you up by guide. We had Paul (aka Brother Nature). He was awesome! We've been white water rafting before, but by far he's the best! After getting your helmet, life jacket and paddle, you get on a typical school bus for a quick ~10 min drive. The main guide gives the safety briefing (along with some laughs) during the drive so it goes by quickly.
You arrive at a working dam at the NC state line and hop in the boats. Easy transition from the boat launch. There was all kinds - young, old, male, female, etc. The guides help at every step.
Start down the river and it's a perfect mix of a few intense rapids and flat water time to enjoy the scenery. We have older teens, but I'd have no problem taking kids as young as 8 or so.
Towards the end you have time to swim along side the boat right before the end. At the landing, you help walk the boats to the bus and then get on the bus for about a 5 min trip back to the check-in location.
Please, don't forget to tip your guide! They earn it and deserve it!
Bring dry clothes. For the men's area, it's a tight changing area and a bit awkward, but it works. You either change in front of everyone in one of the two tight bathroom stalls.
You get the option to by pics on a thumb drive. It's priced low and affordable.
Overall, a great family adventure, highly recommended. And, final about out to Brother Nature for creating an amazing family memory.
Written July 7, 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.
What is the duration of the Upper Falls Rafting trip - total time on water v. time for education and bus plus rafting?
Written June 7, 2021
2 hours. Plan to arrive 30 min prior to your trip time.
Written July 25, 2021
We used Groupon for upper Pigeon rafting and we had an awesome time! Our guide was Webb and he was very informative and we had a blast! Family of 6 from GA.
Written August 7, 2019
Is this company still functioning? I have left 5 phone messages in the last month without a call back!!
Written June 17, 2018
They are!! Correspondence was not their strong point. As I said in the review, they are a small company and I don't think they have enough resources yet, for business they are getting. Try to be patient and persistent. In the end, you won't be disappointed with the ride! If phone calls fail, try emailing them.
Written June 17, 2018
We'll be there in mid April. We are warm weathered people coming from Florida, are we going to be cold?
Written March 9, 2017
We have used another company in the past. They told us to be there early - we waited TOO long! Does this outfit make you wait forever to get in a boat?
Written February 20, 2017
Daniel S
Hartford, Tennessee
Hello, thanks for the question. No, we ask our guests to arrive about 30 minutes early. Our trips, 95% of the time, go out on time. Sometimes we go out early, if we are late it is no more than 15 minutes. We take our guests precious time seriously.
Written February 20, 2017
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