River Riders
River Riders
4.5
River Rafting & TubingZipline & Aerial Adventure ParksKayaking & Canoeing
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
West Virginia whitewater rafting, tubing, zip line canopy tour, kayaking, canoeing, biking, climbing, team building, and outdoor adventure summer camps in Harpers Ferry and C and O Canal National Parks on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. We are the closest outfitter to the Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD and Northern Virginia metro areas.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,198 reviews
Excellent
877
Very good
147
Average
54
Poor
49
Terrible
71
Trish V
Ellicott City, MD6 contributions
Jun 2020
We arrived on time for our kayak trip. Watched the video and proceeded to the stations to get life jackets and helmets. Not everyone had masks on but you could keep your distance outside. As some have noted it didn’t appear the supplies had been cleaned. It was mostly apparent when I took my own Clorox wipes and wiped down the oars and they were filthy. They then moved to buses that had a sign “masks required” however it was not being enforced. Everyone working had masks. But after passing several groups without masks, I did not feel comfortable with my family on a packed bus. *THIS* is exactly how the virus spreads. I climbed off the bus letting them know that i was uncomfortable and the organizer immediately got a separate van to take my family to the drop off spot. We booked a guided trip for kayaking but we did not have a separate guide. Our guide(s) were the 6 other guides on the rafts. The last raft always waited for our group of four to go through the rapids in case they needed to perform a rescue. There was minimal instruction so this is not for someone inexperienced. You learned to just follow the path of the rafts. That said, we did take our 11 year who had never kayaked level III rapids before and he did fine. We stopped half thru the trip to detour on a slippery rock natural water slide. The guides were great with the kids. Also, be forewarned that there is a long steep hill at the end to get to the bus/van. You have to climb with the kayak. Rafts are carried up by the guides. The van was waiting to take my family back. This is our second trip and would definitely do it again but they need to tighten up their safety practices in light of Covid. Start with requiring masks on the bus and denying access to anyone without them.
Written June 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.
Trish,
Thanks so much for your visit and your review. We are glad you enjoyed your experience and apologize about guests not wearing masks. We are doing our best to post signage, manage guests, and operate during the current environment with the additional expectations of our visitors. We would recommend that guests come at times other than mid-day on Saturday to help with a more private experience. Thanks again for your visit. We appreciate it especially at the present time.
Written June 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kathleen S
15 contributions
Aug 2020
We visited River Riders twice this week, first for the Canopy Tour (ziplines) and then for the flat water tubing. Both experiences were great fun. I should warn that the canopy tour was challenging for this middle-aged reviewer. There were a number of steep ladders to climb to get to the ziplines, probably about six in all. This is not a criticism, just information. Also, it had rained recently, and some of the walking boards on the swinging bridges were slippery. I would recommend to the owners a gritty paint for the boards on those bridges so that feet don’t slip off on rainy days. Other than that, the views were amazing and the guides were very friendly and helpful.
Flat water tubing: we paid a bit more for the red personal rafts with the paddles. I would recommend them as the paddles gave us more control. The rafts had plenty of room in the for our snacks. They do keep you pretty dry, so if you want to be wetter, pick the round tubes instead.
I did notice that if you arrive later in the day, the bathrooms can be quite dirty with trash overflowing. This can be a concern, especially during Covid. There were extra porta potties outside. I recommend brining your own hand sanitizers. Staff did wear masks, even out on the ziplines.
Flat water tubing: we paid a bit more for the red personal rafts with the paddles. I would recommend them as the paddles gave us more control. The rafts had plenty of room in the for our snacks. They do keep you pretty dry, so if you want to be wetter, pick the round tubes instead.
I did notice that if you arrive later in the day, the bathrooms can be quite dirty with trash overflowing. This can be a concern, especially during Covid. There were extra porta potties outside. I recommend brining your own hand sanitizers. Staff did wear masks, even out on the ziplines.
Written August 8, 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.
PSUadams89
McLean, VA167 contributions
Jun 2020
Amazing day on the river with Sam our Raft guide and Brett the rafting lead guide, highly recommend making a reservation in advance as it does get busy. We did an 11am raft time and there was plenty of wildlife to be spotted. Saw a bald eagle which was pretty awesome. Hopefully this isn’t a surprise but you will definitely get wet so wear the right clothing and water shoes are a plus. The rapids were great and the splashes of water felt amazing. Remember the sunscreen! We had a non swimmer in our group and no issues at all. Safety and instruction is top notch so no worries there. Just sit back, paddle and relax. Thanks Sam for the great conversation and an amazing rafting trip!
Written June 14, 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.
We are glad you had such a fun day! Please come see us again!
Written June 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Grizzly
1 contribution
Jun 2020 • Family
You have to sign a waiver when you arrive using shared computer keyboards. They should have at least provided sanitizers. Some staff were not wearing face masks neither did some of the customers (inside the building or while waiting in close proximity). No way to keep a 6ft distance on the bus when you ride to/from the drop off areas. They dunked the returned life vests into a water bath solution that’s questionable if it would be able to kill any covid germs. The next group would then get the wet life vests (it looked as if there were too many visitors and not enough vests). It’s a fun place don’t get me wrong but the covid precautions are not adequate with up to 3,500 visitors on a nice Saturday kind of scary to think about. Can’t say if or how they sanitize the helmets you would wear on a zip line or during white water rafting (we did kayaking) I would give 5 stars if they slowed down a bit (less ppl) and put really good covid precautions in place.
Written June 13, 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.
Thank you for letting us know your concerns. We have met with our management and staff to ensure safety protocols are in place and taken seriously. We are taking several steps to assure staff are wearing masks and bus capacities are being monitored. We also are encouraging our guests with COVID-19 concerns to visit us on weekdays and Sundays when we see less foot traffic. We hope to see you again.
Written June 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisa W
Maryland39 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We were staying at a nearby campground and decided to try the flat water tubing. Making a reservation online was really easy and provided a $5 per person discount. The price was a little high for what you get. Our confirmation instructed us to arrive 60 min prior to our tubing time, so we did, only to have to wait around for 40 minutes for our safety video. We paid for the upgraded raft with the backrest and cup holder. Do yourself a favor. Save your money. The rafts we were given did not have a cup holder an the backrest was useless. The ride down the river was nice with the exception of having to navigate around all of the people who were swimming from different beachy areas along the way. These people who were in the water did not move out of the way of the rafts, and trying to steer a tube around them was not the easiest thing to do. Once we reached the end of the course (about 30 min, but the 1.5 hours they advertise) we waited about 15min for a bus to take us back to the store. Luckily we took the earliest time available because when we got back that place was PACKED! Overall the experience was nice, but it was just way too overpriced for what you get.
Written August 5, 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.
Colleen
1 contribution
Jul 2020
We had a great time on the water. As many others have complained about the experience of the rapids, or lack thereof, I really don’t have any complaints. It was a great time.
The reason I give it 3 stars is due to Covid-19 preparedness. Under the hut, people are crammed together to listen to and watch the safety videos. People are then crammed onto the bus to head to the drop point. After our trip on the water, hoards of people had to wait in lines for the buses, and were then packed like sardines on them to head back. There were NOT enough buses... it was a chaotic mess. On the way back, many people did not wear masks. In general, they did not enforce it. I’ll also say that I did not see much as far as hand sanitizer either.
My suggestion for people (since it doesn’t seem like the business cares about health safety measures) is that you should go during a less busy time of the week and month, and go early in the day. This will be the only way you can attempt to avoid the crowds.
The reason I give it 3 stars is due to Covid-19 preparedness. Under the hut, people are crammed together to listen to and watch the safety videos. People are then crammed onto the bus to head to the drop point. After our trip on the water, hoards of people had to wait in lines for the buses, and were then packed like sardines on them to head back. There were NOT enough buses... it was a chaotic mess. On the way back, many people did not wear masks. In general, they did not enforce it. I’ll also say that I did not see much as far as hand sanitizer either.
My suggestion for people (since it doesn’t seem like the business cares about health safety measures) is that you should go during a less busy time of the week and month, and go early in the day. This will be the only way you can attempt to avoid the crowds.
Written July 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.
Malcolm W
Annapolis, MD4 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Will NEVER return. Long time customer shocked at the total disregard re COVID. Staff and bus drivers not wearing masks, and large crowd inside and out of check in building not wearing masks or using them as chin guards. No attempt to enforce the “masks required” signs. Beautiful river, but nothing worth risking your life.
Written August 22, 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.
Hannah
Baltimore, MD1 contribution
Jul 2020
My family decided to go with this company because of their Covid-19 Response outlined on their website and confirmed by their staff, however, in reality it is not being followed. While they say they limit the number of people in buildings and on vehicles - this was not the case. The bus was completely full. Not everyone on the bus wore a mask. Guests should be required to wear masks on the buses period. They also say they clean the vehicles between uses. I did not see this. Staff that were helping customers at the river were not wearing masks (their site says this is required).
Overall, you are mostly outdoors and it seems as if the risk of getting Covid is low if you yourself are diligent. But they outline measures that they are not taking. That's a problem.
If we were not in a global pandemic, I would recommend this company.
Overall, you are mostly outdoors and it seems as if the risk of getting Covid is low if you yourself are diligent. But they outline measures that they are not taking. That's a problem.
If we were not in a global pandemic, I would recommend this company.
Written July 7, 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.
Mark
1 contribution
Jun 2020
The experience with the staff and the river was a 4 or 5. The staff was courteous and the white water tubing was excellent.
The problem is they need to insist on EVERYONE wearing masks or do not let them on the bus. You can't have teens, 20, 30 and 40 year old customers transmitting this virus and put other Americans at greater risk. Their policy clearly states: masks required.
Large crowds on a weekend is not an excuse to run the business differently from the stated policy on the website. It's the patriotic and decent thing to do to protect others.
If they don't want to turn away business, supply masks for purchase and increase revenue or build it into the cost of the trip.
If I had known ahead of time, I would not have booked until a year or two in the future when the situation is hopefully better.
The problem is they need to insist on EVERYONE wearing masks or do not let them on the bus. You can't have teens, 20, 30 and 40 year old customers transmitting this virus and put other Americans at greater risk. Their policy clearly states: masks required.
Large crowds on a weekend is not an excuse to run the business differently from the stated policy on the website. It's the patriotic and decent thing to do to protect others.
If they don't want to turn away business, supply masks for purchase and increase revenue or build it into the cost of the trip.
If I had known ahead of time, I would not have booked until a year or two in the future when the situation is hopefully better.
Written June 29, 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.
Macsammy
Fairfax, VA31 contributions
Jun 2020
Just came back from a fantastic time white water rafting on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Online reservations, check in, safety video, passing out equipment were all very well organized. Bathrooms and changing rooms were clean. Every staff I interacted with was super friendly (and wearing a mask). 99% of the people around also wore a mask. Our bus was full, but didn't have people sitting on top of each other. Most people took their masks off on the bus because we sat with the people we came with. The staff kept their masks on. It was obvious that safety was very important to them because they repeated the important stuff several times (swim with face and toes up and don't walk in the water). They tightened everyone's life jackets to make sure it was done correctly. Our guides, Brett and Alexis, were wonderful. They cared about safety, pointed out things of interest, and were friendly.
tips: pack some snacks because rafting is a strenuous activity. your bag will get wet, so just use dry bags or ziplock bags to keep everything dry.
would book with them again!
tips: pack some snacks because rafting is a strenuous activity. your bag will get wet, so just use dry bags or ziplock bags to keep everything dry.
would book with them again!
Written June 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.
Thank You Macsammy!! We appreciate your comments and hope to see you again soon!
Written June 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lisabhbk
Baltimore, MD77 contributions
Is there a bicycle trail around the campgrounds or from the campground to Harper's Ferry National historic area? Looking for something relatively flat as we have a 5 year old bike rider with us. Trying to decide if bringing our bikes is worth it. Thanks!
Amy
1 contribution
I did not stay at River Riders campground. I stayed at Koa Battlefield which is 10 minutes away from River riders. I know there is a walking trail but probably not good for bikes.
achua00
Herndon, VA1 contribution
How deep is the water for flat water tubing. Is it easy to get to the exit point? Is it obvious or is there a chance to miss it and get lost?
Chelsey P
Ashburn, VA25 contributions
The depth of the water is constantly changing based on rainfall upstream.
The exit points are clear and they make sure you understand this prior to drop off.
gita5976
South Riding, VA
Going white water rafting for the first tine at end of August. Wondering what clothes/shoes are appropriate? Is there a kicker to store things and change clothes/shoes after? Thanks!
Anne B
Pasadena, MD18 contributions
I love river riders but I was amazed at all the friggin trash all over the banks of the rivers from all those families partying there. Loud club music had us shook. This is a nature area. Who is in charge of regulating the area. It would be nice to have some trash pick ups or more trash bins around for the riders. The other people need dumpsters. In a few years it will really put a hurting on your businesses. Just one persons observance. I think we will look at other areas for tubing in the future because of the trash and MIAMI like club atmosphere.
Hello, I'd like to know how cold can we expect the water to be in late September 2019? We're thinking about wearing wet suits. This would be for white water rafting. We're all adult beginners and everyone can swim. Thanks!
Coach_Tony_D
Lutherville, MD44 contributions
You'll only need a shirt and swim suit that time of year...the air can be colder than the water at times.
How cold can we expect the water to be in late September 2019? We're thinking about wearing wet suits.
Daydream282758
Pittsburgh, PA51 contributions
My son and I only did the zipline. Not the water sports.
RS M
Raleigh, NC23 contributions
Is there a combo pack for guided whitewater raft & zipline done in one day?
mlmoreland
Chaptico, MD6 contributions
You do get a small discount for booking both - $5 per person.
Julie S
Arlington, VA36 contributions
How dangerous and strenuous is the whitewater tubing? is it ok for 50 year olds?
Serenalovestravel
Charlotte, NC25 contributions
The women I went tubing with we're over 50; one was in her 60s. The waters were very calm. It's not like white water rafting at all. We purchased the full seat tube and just relaxed as we gently floated.
Will the water be too cold for tubing this weekend? 05/12/18?
Matt Knott
Harpers Ferry, WV77 contributions
It will be cool but not cold. With the 85 degree temperatures, it will be refreshing. Around Memorial Day is normally when it is "warm". Wetsuits are available as well as kayaking, paddle boards, and rafting where you aren't in the water quite as much as tubing.
River Riders - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
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