Wilderness Voyageurs Rafting & Bike Tours

Ed Schwitzky

2023-06

Where do we sign up? Again! This past week’s Kentucky Bike and Bourbon Tour was a blast. It was our second bike tour, but first with Wilderness Voyagers. And truly checked all the boxes – beautiful scenery, unique accommodations, informative visits to local attractions, scrumptious food and drink, fun people, and impeccable service, thanks to Philip Christopher, Karl Jensen, and Patrick Hamlin. Even as a novice cyclist, I felt included and supported every one of the 146.5 miles. Both exhausted and exhilarated, my wife and I are already planning our next bike tour with Wilderness Voyagers!

Barbara Chenault

2023-10

The country we rode through is outstanding. I would ride the Needles section everyday if I could. Guides were jolly on the spot. All was smooth! Fine accommodations, especially ranch in the Badlands. Peaceful week!

Tony G.

2022-05

Overall the experience was positive. The 9 mile trek down the middle Yough was beautiful to look at. The explanation of mild rapids along with an online photo of a middle age person and a child traversing the river was a little misleading for what our experience turned out to be. The water levels constantly forced me out of our duckie to pull it off the rocks, and on multiple occasions our craft nearly submerged when twirling through "mild rapids", the couple behind us did get tossed from their kayak. After a grueling 9 miles, "you" have to carry your kayak/raft up a ramp and walk your equipment back to the offices. (about .5 mile). The employees were professional and courteous and the store and shower area is really well maintained. I think I would do a guided tour in the future and not a solo trip again.

Meredith Bahuriak

2023-05

Exciting day on the middle Yough! Our guide was encouraging and extremely fun! He taught us exciting “tricks” that made the trip even more worthwhile.The route was beautiful and it was insightful learning all about the history, thanks to our knowledgeable guide.This was my second time rafting at Ohio Pyle and I am so glad I decided to try Wilderness Voyageurs. The company I rafted with my first time is pathetic comparatively.I officially joined the “swim team” this trip (meaning I fell out of the raft). Thanks to my guide, I knew exactly what to do and actually thought it was fun, hilarious, and I’m even kind of proud to have officially joined the swim team.I highly recommend Wilderness Voyageurs rafting and cannot wait to return for my next adventure with them!

Scott Shive

2023-05

My brother, son, and myself came here 8/8/22. None of us ever white water rafted before. Our guide was Scott and he was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable about rafting and the river and made us feel very comfortable. I’m 62 and I’ll be going back. We did the Lower Yough which is a level 2-3…..

Robert Tucker

2023-11

We recently completed a 6 day tour of the Katy Trail with Wilderness Voyageurs and had an amazing experience. Our guides, Teri and Alex, reside in one of the small towns near the trail and were able to provide insightful background of the history, culture, flora, and fauna of the area. They took great care of us across the entire tour and made certain all of our needs were met and questions were answered. The lodging and meals, including a winery visit, were first-rate and provided us with further understanding of the communities and history along the Katy Trail. The tour group size was small enough to allow us to make meaningful social connections with fellow riders from all over the United States. We have memories from this adventure that will last us a lifetime. We would recommend this tour, and our guides Teri and Alex, to anyone who might be interested in biking the Katy Trail.

Christopher P

2023-08

Had a great 4 day bicycling trip - from Pittsburg to Myersdale! Pat and Lea did a great job as our guides! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ !The overnights were great, good lodging good food friendly local vibe. Lunches and snacks provided had a good variety of options. I will tour with W-Voyageurs again!

holly olson

2023-08

Amazing group of individuals who safely guided my family on one of our favorite adventures down the Ohiopyle river. We will be going back!!! Highly recommended

D&R White

2023-05

What a fantastic way to enjoy a rails to trails extended bike ride.Day after day of eating, laughing, site-seeing and riding with others that enjoy being active in life. PLUS - we met very interesting and talented folks in each of the BnBs where we stayed. There is no way I could have pulled together such a pleasant trip on my own. Our guides, Joe and Ralph, did a stellar job as did the behind the scenes WV staff that managed the payments, preparatory emails and Ride with GPS app.Looking forward to my next riding adventure with Wilderness Voyageurs.

Dana Foust

2019-05

We had a great day on the Lower Yough rafting with this crew! It was less expensive than the competitor down the road. The guides were very knowledgeable about the river and kept it fun throughout. The river itself was thrilling and challenging enough for seasoned rafters. Looking forward to doing one of their Class 4 and 5 fully guided adventures.

Jessica McCarthy

2023-07

Great time! Wasn't to rough for the little ones. They take pictures (you can't bring your phone). Two different places take your pictures so you have to go to the other place to get the other pictures. I recommend getting them 1st at WVR on the USB drive and then Ohiopyle photography will put theirs on the same drive. Cheaper than buying either set online.

Kyleigh

2023-05

Went on a guide escorted trip yesterday. I am almost speechless on how amazing this experience was! The guides were absolutely awesome, the process was well organized, the atmosphere was gorgeous. This whole experience was just euphoric! Huge shout-out to Aaron for his knowledge of the land and he is hilarious! We were also very lucky to have King Richard of the Yough as our captain

Ann Hunt

2023-11

Paul and Jake are not only outstanding guides, they are really nice people.Having lived in Brooklyn, NY for 19 years and always having a car, I was wowed when Jake drove from Jersey City hauling a trailer behind the large van. He stayed cool, calm , and focused navigating the George Washington bridge, while a tractor trailer passed us and cut in front of us with little room to spare. That was a wow moment!Although we had rainy weather , thanks to Ophelia, the tour participants all had great attitudes. Nobody whined. It appeared everyone had a great time.Thank you Paul and Jake!Ann

Jen Gallingane

2023-08

We loved our guide, Brian, so much. Our rafting trip was delightful and a much needed repreive from the usual work grind. We felt transported and transformed after a relaxing day paddling. We really loved swimming in the river and doing the little mini hike up to cucumber falls. The picnic lunch from the local restaurant was a delicious surprise. We definitely recommend that you check our this activity, and if you like a more interesting adventure, go for the deluxe trip. We'll be back!

Mila Shelehoff

2020-05

Learn To Kayak WeekendThe 2-day Learn2Kayak weekend was my best and fun-most kayaking learning experience ever. A grand shout-out to Dan, Quinn, Nick and Josh Lawrey​, who added style, confidence and superb technical expertise to my kayaking weekend on the Youghiogheny River.I am a life-long rafter, who picked up WW kayaking only recently. Getting into a WW kayak was, and still is, a humbling experience for me: I panic-paddles and get white-knuckled every time the boat bobs under me.These guys restored my confidence: despite my non-rolling, I was surfing a small hydraulic with Dan on day one, and perfecting my eddy turns with Quinn on day two. At the end of day two I was ready to xoxoxoxo every one of these guides for helping me through my fears. I still don't roll (Josh, your rolling instruction rocks!), and it's OK, because I don't swim either. My MO today is to stay upright in my kayak no matter what. Dan, Quinn, Nick and Josh, I will be back for more kayaking wisdom next summer.Tips for the first timers:What to expect/do:You'll be wet, cold, and scared. There will be water in your nose, ears, and eyes. You'll probably tip over where you least expect it. You'll gain a new appreciation for the river. You will learn how to read the water, fall in love with rocks that make up eddies and learn to avoid the rocks that tip your boat. You'll learn paddle tricks and river-guide jargon. You will have fun. You will make new friends.What not to expect/do:Don't try to be cocky or impress anyone: this is a very humbling experience, and, frankly, your classmates don't give a sh** about you. Your brain should be in fun, learning and survival mode (if it's not: you are in the wrong classroom, bro, take a hike). You provably wont roll, and if (and when) you do (applause), don't try this at home alone: come back for a private instruction or do those with a buddy who knows their stuff. Nose and toes swim may look easy, but your ass will be tenderized by meeting up with a few rocks at the bottom of the river. Painless morning of the day two isn't on the menu, nor is the perky Monday following the weekend.A few more tips:Get into a wet-suitGloves can helpBring TylenolBring water bottle with a carabinerBring a GoPro cameraLeave all expectations at homeTrust your guidesTip your guidesSmileLast before the closing line: if you are anything like me, get a Season Pass. You will get your money worth.The bottom line:It is a love-hate relationship, kinda like golf: when you are just about to quit, you score a perfect one, and you are instantaneously back on top.

Brooke Molina

2023-08

What a great outfit! Professional, organized, safety-first, and friendly. My brother and I went on the lower Yough fully-guided rafting trip which lasted just under three hours. The guides taught us a few things before taking us to quiet waters to learn more, and then off we went! I recommend sport straps for glasses, swimming sun shirts, a water bottle, and water shoes/sandals. Be prepared to get wet and have a great time. They go rain or shine. You'll leave your phone in your car and your car keys at the Tour desk. Our guide Zack was amazing but they all seemed great. Highly recommend.

S McBee

2021-05

Just returned from the 6 Day, Katy Trail MO ride. Our group filled 10 of the 12 biking slots! The other couple who joined us was delightful and fit right in. We all agree it was a great experience and tons of fun. Our guides Teri Moore & Andres Alfaro were the best!! They were professional, friendly, and executed the trip with excellence. I highly recommend this company and am already looking at bike tours with them for 2021 💞.

TJ Patel

2023-09

Staff was very friendly. Guides were very professional and friendly. The place itself is very nice. The only thing that our group noticed was that they shouldn’t have 12-13 rafts on one tour. Most of the time we just waited for everyone else to join us. They could have split such a huge group into 2-3 groups with more guides so we wouldn’t have to be sitting around on the raft for majority of the time. But as mentioned by our guide, they’re having a hard time hiring more river guides. No one wants to work. But overall nice staff nice place.

John EX

2023-08

This was our 3rd bike trip with Wilderness Voyagers. They have it down to a science! We did the PA Pine Creek and Ghost Town trails. Everything was top notch, from the lodging experiences (especially liked the Nature Inn in PA Bald Eagle State Park!) and gourmet lunches, all prepared by our guides - Jesse and Brian. First day was on the Lower (rhymes with flower) Trial - it rained "cats & dogs". They had towels ready for us at the end to dry off the water and mud, but then DID LAUNDRY FOR US!! We didn't ask for laundry service - we were prepared for rain, but we were muddy and so soaking wet, the clothes wouldn't have dried overnight. They cheerfully offered it as they wanted to also clean the towels that we used. What service! Everything was ready at breakfast the next day. I could go on-and-on! We'll definitely be back for a 4th ride. You get to see things you would never even think of and meet a great group of like-minded (bicycle) people.

C Buck (cfbuckjr)

2023-08

Brian was an amazing river guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Highly recommend the deluxe tour package.

Gary Berian

2023-09

We had a wonderful week in the Finger Lakes of NY in August 2023 with Wilderness Voyageurs biking! TJ and Jake (our guides) could not have done more to make us happy - we rented bikes and were very pleased with the quality. Routes were well thought out, B&Bs were excellent and they even set us up with nice weather! Wonderful experience and we met wonderful people! Will do it again!

Jan Pellman

2023-06

What a Trip!!! We had enough gals to request a private 4 day e-bike tour on the GAP Trail in Pennsylvania. We rode e-bikes and did a combination of renting e-bikes and some of us brought our own. This was a trip of a lifetime and Wilderness Voyageurs made it memorable beyond our expectations. Our guides were informative, flexible yet provided the needed guidance to give us the best experiences. We would love to do another e-bike trip with Wilderness Voyageurs on another Rail to Trail in another part of the country. Thanks to everyone!

Paul F.

2018-05

Our biking group took a side trip up to Fallingwater, and utilized their van shuttle service for our pickup and return. Fast, efficient, and affordable on that front. Note: Their location does not offer a lot of places/racks to secure bikes, so a member of our group stayed behind to ensure our bikes and gear would be safe.

Aaron Songer

2019-05

We went rock climbing and biking. Keith was wonderful at rock climbing. We were all new to it and he took me and my sons (age 13) on beginner rocks that were quite challenging. We came back and rented bikes to Confluence on another day. Flat trail and beautiful day.

William Bennett

2018-05

Wife and I attended their Civil War History Tour last year (2016) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Accommodations were top notch, food was superb, bike guides were fun, helpful, and knowledgeable. Tour took us to several battlefields where park guides met us and explained the history of each battle and how it developed. It may be somewhat "pricey" but we felt that we truly got our money's worth!

Anna Sheehan

2023-07

Highly recommend booking a raft trip with Wilderness Voyagers! We did the lower Yough a few years ago and haven't stopped reminiscing about it since; coming back this year. Would strongly recommend fully guided, even if you've rafted before. It takes the pressure off and let's someone else be in charge so you can have fun. Plus their guides are awesome; skilled, knowledgeable and fun!

Brian Cooper

2023-09

Had an unforgettable time with myself and my two kids down the lower Yough at Ohiopyle. My two kids were definitely the smaller ones on the trip but they were amazing with them. Very well organized, professional, safe and fun. Would definitely recommend.

Dan Gagich

2023-08

Had a great time with some friends and the bikes were in great working order. However, I question the quality of rafts from this outfitter. We got a double ducky and had nothing but problems. Bottom of raft started and built up a large amount of water (not from splashing/tipping) and also very hard to control like it had extra weight/momentum (felt like controlling a barge). I confirmed with experienced rafters later that this is NOT normal and there were parts that were most likely underinflated. Our friends in the other rafts did not have these problems either. This company needs to take better care of their rafting equipment.

Madeline Elston

2019-05

Went on a raft tour with the whole family; so much fun with top-notch guides!! We’ve been on 4 raft trips already with different companies in several US cities and this was definitely at/above the nationwide standard as far as we’re concerned.

Howard Ostroff

2023-08

Wonderful experience with Wilderness Voyageurs on the GAP 5 day bike tour. Really appreciated our guides Josh and Jodi who ably adapted so we could ride all of the GAP from Pittsburgh to Cumberland despite a weather delayed start. I especially appreciated Josh who quickly fixed my flats on the trail and kept me rolling.