Adventure Blog

What Our Guests Have to Say

Whitewater Rafting Adventures on the Gorge

Ever wondered what our guests are saying about their experiences? We thought we would share some of the feedback from our guests from this season.

*All reviews, feedback and comments have came from TrustPilot, Google, Yelp, Facebook.

“Mogul Mike Hunn as the trip leader and our guide. Very confident in his role. Knows the river. I have been rafting the Gauley river with Mogul Mike as my guide for 24 years. People always say you know you have the best guide on the river as they pass. We say yes, we know! He thinks a lot of the management team at AOTG. He is a great ambassador for the company. He has not only been our guide. He and his family have become our friends.”

“We had an absolute BLAST. Everything PERFECT!!!!”

“My boyfriend and I spent the day with 5 strangers ripping and roaring through the five class fives as well as many other, not to be underestimated, rapids housed along the Gauley River. This experience was nothing short of amazing and was definitely an awesome adventure during these COVID times. We would highly recommend purchasing the wet suit and jacket to accompany you on your journey, well worth the cost. We had the absolute pleasure of having Weekley as our raft guide for our trip. He did an astounding job coaching us through every single rapid we encountered, discussed his approach, and encouraged us along the way. Before getting into the water we practiced following through with a variety of calls “forward 2, backward 1… etc” and he made absolutely certain we were prepared before embarking down the river. I personally really appreciated his advice before every rapid explaining where we should swim if we happened to be knocked from the boat on an upcoming rapid. We were not bucked from our boat throughout the adventure but Weekley as well as the other guides on our trip were ready to assist all participants on our journey, helping us to further believe that we were in fantastic hands. This company holds safety in the highest regard which makes having fun even easier!! I would highly recommend requesting Weekley on your next trip down the Gauley but I have no doubt that your trip with any of the guides at Adventure on the Gorge would be well worth your while!!!”

“This was the best experience ever. Highly recommended. If you are thinking of doing whitewater rafting – DO IT. Our guide Chris was the best. 😊”

“Awesome trip down the Upper Gauley. Campground and facilities are first class.”

“This place is phenomenal! Even if you have 20 minutes to stop and see the breath taking view…STOP! LIFE IS TO SHORT!”

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“Took 2 four man rafts on the Upper Gauley. Awesome ride with fantastic guide and person, Gonzo! She’s the best!! Popcorn was the other guide of our group and the other guys said he was fantastic too. Thanks for a great trip! Guys are already talking about doing it again next year.”

“We rafted in June on the lower. We had so much fun our guide, Ray Ray said we should do the upper during Gauley Season. So we just did the Upper with 5 class V’s. It was incredible! Our guide Andrea did a awesome job and kept us in the raft the entire trip! High thrills, great memories!!”

“The adventure was a blast the views were amazing and alot of fun if youve never been there before I highly recommend you go the view from the restaurant is simply breath taking!”

“Second year doing the Deluxe Gauley Overnight and I plan on going again next year! I can’t say enough positive things about my experience! Very good accommodations and food, and absolutely great, knowledgeable, skilled and entertaining guides! Ray Ray was hilarious, as usual, and Brian commanded thIat raft like it was an extension of his body. Not a negative thing to say. Thanks for a wonderful time!”

“Capn Jack (SAWZAW) was absolutely great. Couldn’t have asked for a better guide. This was an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life with good stories to tell. If I ever get the chance I will definitely be back.”

“This was the by far the funnest outside adventure I’ve been on. We loved the TimberTrek and whitewater rafting the most; this pushed us both to our limits and we stepped out of our comfort zone. the guides were by far the best, they MADE the trips! we cannot wait to come back!”

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“JP on the rafting trip super fun and he kept us safe. We would ask for him again. He was great. All three at the zip lines Eli Shelby and Lauren. They all worked hard to make it fun for all.”

“Matt Zickafoose was an exceptional guide. He made the whole trip extremely fun and made sure that he took care of his entire group of people. My 70 year old mother was nervous about doing this trip and she almost backed out at the last minute. Matt calmed her down and she ended up going, she had a smile from ear to ear when finished. Very knowledgeable of the area and explained a lot about the rivers. Will be coming back for some more adventures with friends and family.”

“The Gauley river marathon was a BLAST!! Zach is a terrific guide!! Keeping us informed and safe the entire trip. He is fun to be around. Just watch out for the dad jokes. 🙂 We will be back!!”

“Daniel did a phenomenal job guiding our family along with another couple down the lower gauley. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining as well. He got us out of a difficult situation while rafting. We would definitely request him again!”

“Best trip ever! Our raft guide Mike was awesome!”

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“Brought my teenage son and nephew for the Deluxe Overnight–amazing. Our guide, Wes, was phenomenal, and the rapids were fantastic. We camped out at AOTG’s site, and the entire evening was awesome. From the weather, to the campfire, to the incredible gourmet food, I can’t say enough good things. I came home and told my wife that this is going to be an annual family trip. A+ all around.”

“We recently did a Lower River White Water rafting trip with Adventures On the Gorge. We had an awesome time! We had never been WW rafting before. Our guides (Mogul Mike and KP) were great. They made this such a fun trip. It was worth every penny and we will do it again. I highly recommend our trip leader (Mogul Mike) he has 30 plus years on the New River. He knows all of the good spots to hit and will make your trip VERY exhilarating. He will also provide a very interesting History Lesson of the area. Highly Recommended! We also did the Canopy Zip Line tour. It was longer than any other Zip Line adventure that we had experienced before. So, you get your money’s worth. The Staff was fun, helpful and very energetic. We had a lot of fun and we recommend this activity. Smokey’s restaurant located right on the Gorge in the resort area has very good food, a bar, (and even a young black bear…if he decides to visit) onsite. The food and staff were really good. Probably the best restaurant in the Fayetteville area. We didn’t stay at the resort but we drove around and scoped out some really nice cabins and camping spots. Our next visit we will stay there. Great Job Guys! Keep up the good work!”

“Our guide was Glenn—he was the best guide we have ever had and we have rafted many times around the east coast.”

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“My boyfriend and I went rafting on the Upper Gauley river. Tri was our guide. He was absolutely awesome! We did the Lower Gauley the following day and had the pleasure of Jayann guiding us. That was our first time on the lower part. All in all, we love this company! They take safety precautions very seriously and are very transparent about what rapids you’re approaching and how it handle it as a group. They know what they’re talking about. These two guides had over 20 years worth of experience. This company does such an amazing job to make sure everyone is safe and having fun. This is our second year coming to AOTG for rafting trips. They’re worth every penny.”

“Best guides, best boats, best lines and lunch on the river. I’ve been going down the Upper Gauley with them for 6+ years and I don’t plan on stopping.”

“Spent the afternoon on the Gravity Zip Line tour. We had a blast. My wife and I, with her 79 year old mother, were overjoyed with the experience. Our guides were fantastic, knowledgeable and personable. The tour has minimal walking, most of the time was flying across the treetops. Can not wait to go back and experience this and other offerings.”

“Our family has been coming for Gauley season for 30 years. Absolutely love this place and all it has to offer. Can’t say we’ve ever had a bad experience.”

“Great guide, great lunch, wonderful cabin overall great Experience. I brought first timers on the Upper Gauley they will never forget it thanks for making our trip so wonderful for my family. Everyone on your team were wonderful to us.”

“Our guide was the BEST!!! She knew the river inside and out. I’ll go back every year as long as have her Best trip ever!!! Our guide was 2nd to none.”

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“Great staff and clean resort. Our group of five was impressed with how clean the facilities were, organized the excursions were and friendliness of all staff. Our last day we was already planning a return trip next year. Thank you for the hospitality.”
“Coco, the raft guide went above and beyond. And having Ray Ray as our River Guide leader was a blast, he does a great job getting everyone pumped up and prepared for an exiting adventure. You need to pay these two just more… :)”

“John and Chad Smith were the BEST! So knowledgeable, professional and a ton of fun. Our overnight deluxe trip was fantastic bc of them. I was totally at ease going through the rapids with chad and our group. He explained everything, gave clear instructions and stayed calm but firm throughout the whole thing. He made sure we had fun but was down to business when need be. We are so thankful he came out of “retirement” to take us down the Gauley River and hopefully we can talk him into it again next year. Can’t wait to come back and bring some friends. Memories for a lifetime! Thank you Chad!”

“Glen was amazing. Story after story of the Gauley. Really made for a great experience.”

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“Amazing experience!!! I’m definitely coming back next year!”

“We appreciated the camping location. Plenty of room for our group of 6. Our raft guide Chris was great. Love the view of New River and bridge. All around great place.”

“The Deluxe Overnight is just off the chains. Love it.”

“Doug is amazing guide. So happy to have him 2 years in a row. I wouldn’t ask for anyone else. He was super fun, helpful, knowledgeable, and safe. Our group loved the whole trip and we especially credit that to Doug Ludwig. The beers at the end are a must and a great touch, thanks again for an awesome experience.”

“I have rafted this river many times but this was the first time that I had done the entire river. John Turton was our trip leader and our guide. This man KNOWS the river. He put us in the right spot every time! Every rapid was well explained to us prior with safety as a priority. We felt very comfortable with John and had quite a few laughs along the way. We will request John again next year.”

“We did the Gauley Deluxe Overnight. Our raft guide, Wes, was excellent – knowledgeable, personable, & good at his job. He genuinely cares about his guests & makes sure they have an enjoyable experience. Our Canyon Doors chef, Emily, was not only an incredible cook, but also super personable – she took it upon herself to connect with guests & make sure they enjoyed all the camp had to offer.”

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“Another awesome Marathon Day on the famous Gauley River Having done the Gauley twice before – starting over 20 years ago – I had great expectations for a fantastic day of rafting. I have been fortunate to have rafted on a number of rivers in the States and Canada. The Gauley is still one of my top “Rafting Thrill” choices. I was not disappointed with the Gauley this time either. Even though my wife is not the “rafting type”, she has always been supportive of my rafting adventures. Since I went when COVID-19 was still going, they requested that everyone wear masks – during check in, while eating lunch and on the bus ride to and from the river – but not when we were actually rafting down the river. At this stage, almost everyone was wearing their mask when requested. Beginning with the 6:15 AM check in with “Mogel Mike” – he was gracious, welcoming, and very friendly – through the rest of the trip down the river with Chris, everyone had a terrific day, wrapping up around 4:00 PM. I opted for the Marathon, which includes the Upper Gauley and the Lower Gauley. Oh, I would also recommend that you spend a few bucks more and get the wetsuit – it was 45 degrees when we started. If you have river shoes and/or river gloves, don’t forget to bring them like I did. As Chris and Mike guided our rafts down the river, they made sure that everyone could experience as many of the great rapids and interesting history of the river as they could. We only had one rafter fall in when we hit a rock – but Chris and I were able to pull him back in with no injury or problems. Chris has been a raft guide for 5+ years (Mike has been a guide for 38+ years) and Chris was quite the guide. Everyone in our raft had a fantastic day! Big shout out to Chris! With the Marathon, we were treated to a tasty lunch about halfway down. Due to COVID, the normal “fix your own” ham/turkey/roast beef cold-cut sandwiches had to be modified. This time they served everyone – from the chips/salsa/homemade nachos to a tasty pasta salad to the homemade Hot Pulled Pork, Chicken or Beef sandwiches to brownies with Hot Chocolate, hot coffee or tea. Yes, the food was plentiful and served to us by friendly faces. After 7 or 8 hours on the river, when we got back to Camp we were treated to see the videos and still shots they had taken of us all the way down the river. In times past, I have opted for an 8×10 for $25, and I might have done so this time if I had had time to chose from the 130+ pictures of only my raft. Well, this year they had a great deal. I was able to buy a thumbdrive of all the 130+ pictures they took of my raft for $65. At first I thought that was pricey – then I realized this way it was only $0.50 per shot. Even if not all of them are good, there should be plenty of good ones to choose from – plus I don’t have to scan in any “real” photos. Now I know what you’re thinking. Yes, it was a long drive (10-11 hours) from Memphis, TN to enjoy an awesome float trip down the river. But I bet there are some of you folks who live within an hour or two of the Gauley who have not “treated” yourself to this incredible thrill ride. Now it’s your turn. Whether you live in the area, or if you simply are looking for a fantastic float trip, you truly owe it to yourself to come “experience” the thrill of Gauley Season! This will be one of your favorite rafting adventures. Be sure to ask for Chris or Mike, but they’re all incredible!”

If you want to experience everything we have to offer, please call one of our adventure specialists.

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