cantrell ultimate rafting - day tours

Didn't get a chance to raft but we hung out at the bar with Nancy and Richie and stayed in one of the cabins on site...great people, great music, great drinks! And the cabin was great, clean and comfortable and accommodating with great views!!!

First off, I have been going to WV for Whitewater fun for years! Recently the outfitters in the state have chnaged quite a bit through consolidation and "resorting". What makes Cantrell's great is they are a family business that treats all customers like family and haven't changed what make WV Wile and Wonderful. I love Nancy's personal service, friendly demeanor and down home hospitality. So, stick up for the little guys, give Cantrell's a call and remember, the person taking your call may be guiding a raft later, cooking dinner or even driving the bus!Jason

We used Cantrell for the first time this past weekend. I cannot speak too highly of Nancy and the team. Their level of client service was superb. Nothing was too much trouble. We went out on the lower Gauley with our guide (Duncan) - who was knowledgeable, witty and made it a great all-round experience (even with the cold weather!). We stayed at the new cabin on the hill overlooking the camp, which I would highly recommend! We will definitely be coming back.

Have used Cantrell numerous times over the years. This year 2 trips: a summer trip with youth on the New and just returned from a guys trip on the Gauley. I have never been disappointed and appreciate the exceptional attention paid by all (from the guides and support staff to the owners) to make sure we had a great experience. Look forward to many returns.

It was a fantastic trip. Our guide Stacy was very professional and guided us through the rapids expertly. Safety was a priority but she definitely focused on making sure we had a great time. I also really appreciated learning about the history of the area from her as well. The camping at Cantrell was very laid back and fun, the showers were clean and had hot water-- it was a great time.

This was a great trip. Small family-owned outfit that is friendly, personable and fun. They really give you individual attention. We camped here for two nights and took the Lower Gauley day trip. It was a blast. The amenities are nice and clean, and the onsite pub was a fun ending to an awesome day on the river. Thanks to Nancy & Rich (owners), Audra (our stellar rafting guide), Adam, and Duncan for a great experience!Mark Solomon

I had a great time completing my bucket list item of rafting the Gauley River with Cantrell Ultimate Rafting. I was part of a 7 person group (women ranging in age from 36-53) celebrating the ultimate girls weekend in West Virginia. We had a few people in the group who did the lower Gauley River with Cantrell last year, the rest of us where fairly new to whitewater rafting.Overall, it was a fantastic trip. Cantrell made reserving the trip easy and took care of everything. We showed up early Saturday morning and were issued wet suits ($25 additional charge), helmets, paddles, and life vests. We then boarded a small bus that can only be described as part of the experience. Once on the bus we met our guide, Stacy, and got the safety information that would quickly prove very useful. Once at the river put-in we practiced paddling, chose our locations in the raft (back is bumpier, but drier), and hauled our boat down the ramp to the put in location on the river. When we got there several other raft companies were also there and it was quite busy. We got into the water and began our trip down river. The water was cool and the ride was exciting. Stacy told us great stories about her history on the water, learning to read the rapids from her father and learned about us as well. At each rapid, we got information about how it was named, how we intended to make it through and what we should do if we got ejected from the boat. It was comforting and frightening both at the same time. On our first rapid of the day, we managed to flip the raft. The other two boats we were with were quick to shout instructions and scoop up the stranded rafters while Stacy impressively righted the boat and came back for her rafters. We were re-arranged in the raft and managed the next several rapids without incident. Stacy was kind enough to let us know when we were intentionally hitting rocks or riding the rapid backwards.We carried our lunch with us on the raft, so we stopped when the lead raft got hungry and picnicked on the side of the river. Lunch was sandwiches, veggies, chips and cookies with peanut butter and hummus for any vegetarians in the group. It was light but delicious, but after two involuntary swims in the Upper Gauley and more rafting to do, I wasn’t very hungry anyway. The afternoon was much calmer with some class I – IV rapids, an opportunity for some voluntary swimming, and a place to climb the rocks and jump into the river. At the end of our experience, we loaded the rafts back onto the boat and climbed aboard the bus where we were greeted with excitement and cold beer for the ride back to camp. We were given an opportunity to shower and change while the movie was edited of our journey. We then reconvened in the bar to view the video and enjoy more revile with the other rafters. Overall, it was a great experience and I can’t wait to do it again next year.

We visited based on other TA reviews and weren't disappointed. We took a half day trip down the lower New River, exiting close to the New River bridge. The rapids were fun and nicely navigated by a knowledgeable guide. You may want to bring a change of clothes when you're done, otherwise you'll be wearing wet clothes for the rest of the day. It's not a problem when it's hot out, but that's not always the case. Our lunch was basic but thoughtfully prepared with PB&J, veges, Crystal Light, and chips in addition to the turkey sandwich meat provided. Although we didn't stay there, there were cabins, tenting, and RV spots. The family we rafted with stayed there and were happy with their larger cabin with hot tub. There was no running water in the cabins though, you had to use the bathhouse. There was also a small bar and grill there and it looked nice and was open for breakfast.I gave this a 5-star rating even though the safety kayaker frequently partook in a pet peeve of mine.... smoking.

We had a great time rafting with Cantrell's & would definitely recommend it to friends. They are a family-run, friendly establishment with wonderful customer service. We did the express rafting trip which I'd highly recommend. TIP: For those of you debating between full day and an express trip, I understand that it is the same exact stretch of river on both trips (you don't experience more rapids on the full day), just that you take more time and stop for lunch.

We've used Cantrell Ultimate Rafting for the last 3 rafting trips to the New River. We will definitely be using them when we can schedule time for the Gauley river!Thanks for an awesome trip!--Kent

We had reservations for a half day in Hinton w/ Cantrells. Turns out our hotel (country Inn B&B was half a mile from base camp in Fayetteville. So they let us change ( to PM express) the day before. SO glad we did!! We've never WW rafted before but Stacy our guide, made it a memorable experience. Everything about this trip makes us want to return, and we will. While we passed bigger outfitters w/ more ppl. Ours had 7 in our raft and the company only sent out 3. Made it so much more "cozy". Towards the end we swam thru a class 3(??) Right between the rocks..a MUST DO! A little history guide as we floated helped pass the time. Upon arriving to our drop off were greeted almost at the waters edge by our bus :) less than 10 mns later we were loaded and on our way. So yeah, skip the big guys and go w/ the family outfitter. ..and ask for Stacy.

Everything about our experience with Cantrell was great! It was nice to support a small business and we definitely felt the perks. Our raft was only our family of 4 and the guide, and the entire trip was only two rafts, giving a very personal trip. We loved rafting and hope to do it again. We will definitely come back to Cantrell. Our guides, Duncan and Josh, were wonderful!

Went down for a bachelor weekend and had a blast! Our guide Adam, was awesome. Really, really knows the river and history of the area. We also stayed in one of the cabins on the property. Everything about Cantrell was great, could not have been more accommodating, friendly, or informative. A truly great group of people

We were driving from Orlando to New Jersey and decided to take a detour to go rafting in West Virginia. After searching TripAdvisor, and a conversation with Cantrell's locations in Fayetteville and Hinton, we decided to go rafting with Cantrell's on the Lower New River. What a great decision. Our guide Matt, was a West Virginia champion canoer who grew up on the New River. He was great with our kids, ages 14, 13, 7, 6 & 6. The ride was stunning and thoroughly enjoyable. Would do this again in a heartbeat.

It was a great day! We felt welcome from the moment we arrived. We went out with our seven and eight year old, who had a ton of questions, and our guides took the time to answer them all. Matt and Randy were great guides and they really made it fun for the kids. Our daughter really enjoyed all the water fun and says next time she'll get Matt even wetter!!! The sights were beautiful and the rapids at a great pace for the kids! The owner Nancy was excellent at replying to our emails and helping us to organize our day. Wonderful day!!!