Intro to Whitewater

If you really enjoy the Life Outdoors and would like a taste of whitewater rafting Poconos style but aren’t sure you have the time or fitness level required for our BigTime Whitewater trip, consider our Intro to Whitewater trip. This trip is 10 miles long – along which you’ll experience 10 or more nice rapids. You can expect to be bouncing along in your raft for about 4 hours. This trip starts in one of the prettiest places on the planet, locally called Glen Onoko, and ends in Bowmanstown. Your first shot of adrenaline excitement starts right around the first bend but the beautiful mountain scenery lasts all day. The smile on your face and the faces of your group will tell you this was the right trip for you!

You’ll spend about 5-6 hours at our Rafting Center, and the river trip is 10 miles long of PA white water rafting. You’ll enjoy 4+ hours of on-river time.

This trip is great for anyone, especially:

• Adventurous young kids and their families wanting to kick it up from EasyWater
• Groups looking for “Easy-to-Moderate Thrills” and it starts with a big bang rapid
  People who have some apprehension about river rafting
• Overweight and underweight people
• Anyone with any problems with joints, like knees, hips, or back issues
• Anyone with special needs of any kind (we love doing what we can to make our rafting trips accessible to anyone)

Our Introduction to Whitewater Rafting trip is similar to our EasyWater Raft trip, except we add two miles to the beginning of the trip! We launch the rafts at a beautiful place called Glen Onoko. A 300 foot-tall canyon wall sits directly opposite your starting point. It is a breathtaking, history- and folklore-filled place at the end of the Lehigh Gorge State Park.

Intro to Whitewater Rafting Pricing

(All rates are subject to access and insurance fees)

Right around the bend, you’ll enter a peaceful pool, but then the Class 2 action starts! You’re first rapid is called Deaton’s Demise – get your GameFace on because this is the biggest and longest rapid of the day. After that, you’ll enjoy the long, quiet pools separated by short rapids all day long.

After the first rapid, most of the Introduction to Whitewater Trip rapids are shorter, less intense, and more relaxing for many people. It’s perfect for the slightly more adventurous beginner. Many people come to us with a little fear, and like our EasyWater Raft Trip, the Introduction to Whitewater Trip is a good trip for apprehensive first timers. Most of those folks go through their very first easy rapid, look back at it with a smile and say “that wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought! – that was AWESOME!”

Your raft trip meanders through the quiet towns of Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Parryville, and it ends in Bowmanstown. It’s a classic summer fun trip – at 10 miles, it takes up most of your afternoon.

This is another trip for people that want to chill out, lay in the sun, enjoy the clean Lehigh River. People are always swimming beside their raft with their families. This is one of the highlights of the trip and the subject of many of our “thank you” letters… “My favorite part was swimming alongside our raft!”

People come in all shapes and sizes. Remember – this trip is a good one to choose if you’re concerned about your fitness level or the fitness level of anyone in your group. It’s just a little more excitement than our EasyWater Trip.

It’s also the trip to take if you have trouble with your weight. The shorter day and easier rapids and make this another classic “easy-on-your-body” trip.

Whitewater rafting is a wonderful outdoor activity, but you will be paddling. You’ll be in your own raft, using your energy to propel the raft down the river. For most people, it isn’t a very hard activity and they love being a real participant. Rafting does require, however, a certain amount of physical health, well-being, and a solid fitness level. You have to make that decision.

If you have any physical or medical concerns you can call us for our guidance and opinion. We really respect people who ask us “Do You Think I Can Do This?” So if you have any concerns, please ask us directly and we will politely take the time to explain what you can expect on our river rafting trips. Most of all, you can expect to have tons of fun!