Whitewater Rafting

Exciting outdoor sport that all can enjoy

Story by Lindsay Panzica
Photos courtesy of North Creek Rafting Co. & Jim Swedberg

The rumbling sound of the water as it cascades through the river, the motion of the waves as you work to navigate your way through the rocky waters, the thrill of the ride, or the beautiful scenery along the way. It is no wonder; Whitewater rafting has become an extremely popular outdoor sport.   

According to Bob Rafferty, co-owner of the Adirondack Rafting Company he has been running rafting trips out of the Hudson Gorge for the last twelve years. He says that the sport is extremely popular in upstate NY. 

“We probably raft about 3000 people per year, but the Hudson Gorge probably has over 20,000 rafters per year from April – October,” Bob Rafferty says.

According to an article by Max Bellamy, the concept of whitewater rafting first came about in the 1800s, and was considered one of the earliest forms of transportation. In the beginning the rafts carried not only people, but other products as well.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that rafting became a fashionable leisure activity. Private companies and businessmen became interested in promoting this as a sport, including John D. Rockefeller, who built a resort that introduced one of the first floating trips in the country. Eventually, more whitewater rafting companies emerged, and the sport became a popular success.

Whitewater rafting has become a trendy summer sport all across the U.S. and even in many international communities, and the North Country is no exception. Rafferty, who has been rafting for nearly 25 years and has been on trips out west in places such as Utah and Montana. Yet, for the Adirondacks, he feels that one of the biggest appeals of rafting in this area is the picturesque course that you travel.

“The gorge is geographically located within a driving range of about 20,000 people, but it is a part of the Adirondacks that most don’t even know is there,” Bob Rafferty says, “It’s in the middle of a very populated area with a very remote wilderness.”

Rafferty’s wife Kerry, who owns the company with him, expressed similar sentiments about the popularity of rafting along the Hudson. 

“Its all about the wilderness experience,” Rafferty says, “We do a 17 mile run, and lots of our customers come from the NYC area, so they are usually surrounded by glass and pavement, and this run offers them a scenic view of the outdoors.”

Nate Pelton has been whitewater rafting for nearly 13 seasons. For the last three years he has run the North Creek Rafting Company along with his wife, Becky, both of whom are SUNY Plattsburgh grads. Pelton feels that part of what makes this sport so well-liked is that people crave the excitement of it, and there are several aspects to rafting that make it so exciting.

“It’s the speed going down the river, the danger of possibly falling out, riding huge waves, and looking at a difficult rapid, planning a way through and executing it,” Pelton says.

Pelton runs his rafting trips out of three different stretches of the Hudson River, as well as Moose River, Salmon River, Boreas River, and Sacandage River. For each trip, they meet at the North Creek Rafting Co. headquarters, then take a bus down to the rafting site and begin the trip.

According to Pelton, rafting can also be a relatively inexpensive outdoor activity.  He says that the average price is about $75 per run, and all the equipment is provided for you.

Bob Rafferty feels that another reason why this sport is so popular is that it is a sport that just about everyone can participate in.

“We have had all types of people raft, ranging from children as young as 8-years-old, to elderly as old as 92” Bob Rafferty says.

The extreme age range is one that does need to be considered, and it is a factor that the Rafferty’s take when planning the season.

Kerry Rafferty says that their season runs from the beginning of April until the end of September. In the beginning when all the ice and snow is starting to melt away is when the waters are the coldest and roughest. This is the time of year when they mostly see groups of young adults and college aged kids.

In the summer months, when the waters have calmed down a bit, they begin their “family season.”

 “In the springtime when the waters are still rather rough we recommend that rafters be at least age 16 and up,” Kerry Rafferty says, “In the summer the age is lowered to 8 and above.”

Pelton also follows this policy for the different seasons. In the spring, they take no one under 18, while in the summer he has taken rafters as young as 6.

Have you ever been Whitewater Rafting?