West Virginia whitewater rafting

Summer Vacation Ideas

West Virginia whitewater rafting
No doubt about it, rafting over rapids-- even little rapids-- is good clean fun.

A number of rafting outfitters offer trips that welcome families. White-water rafting can be a great thrill for teens and older kids, but some companies even take kids as young as four. Rivers are rated "Class I", "Class II," etc., with "Class I" being "tame."

family rafting
Most family trips will be Class I or II, but kids over 8 are sometimes allowed on class III rivers, which have more white water excitement.

Don't forget, though, that rafting offers much more than white-water thrills. River runs have calm time spent floating downstream; sometimes it's possible to take a dip while you're floating along.

Add to this great meals outdoors, and on multi-day raft trips, camping under the stars... and someone else is handling all the logistics.

West Virginia: prime rafting
West Virginia is considered a prime place for rafting.Prices for rafting trips range from $100 to $200 per day per person, including all food. You can also test the waters at less cost by trying half-day or day-long trips.

• See West Virginia Rafting, for info on rivers and outfitters