Wilderness Voyageurs Rafting & Bike Tours — Attraction in Ohiopyle

Zero stars. I took the beginners kayak course, a 2 day course with an instructor named Josh. The trip began with Josh putting me in a kayak that I could barely fit into - Josh said that it was because the shoes that I was wearing had too thick a heel. So he said that in order for me to fit into the kayak, I had to either a) buy a pair of shoes from the store (can you say "extortion"?), or go on the trip without shoes. I looked at the store shoe selection and felt that the least expensive $45 pair was still too much for a single purpose pair of footwear. As the trip began, I asked Josh if going without shoes on a kayak trip is advisable, and he said no, it is not. And yet, that is EXACTLY what he was having me do. I guess getting me a bigger kayak did not enter into the equation for Josh. As it turned out, I could barely cram my feet into the kayak I was given. This begs the question: if there is a height limitation for kayaking at this place because they do not have kayaks for people 6'-2" or taller, I feel that that should be clearly stated on the website, or when someone calls to register for kayaking.

The second day was supposed to begin with "rolling" instruction. Josh did an excellent job of showing ONE of the four students who took the course how to roll the kayak; spending about 20-25 minutes with the one student, and less than 5 minutes with each of the others. At the end of the second day of the course, my kayak turned over in some rapids, and since I received almost no rolling instruction, I had to pull myself out of the kayak and swim ashore. While in the rapids, I ended up breaking my toe on some rocks, something that would most likely not have happened if I had been given a kayak with adequate footroom for my feet and the pair of shoes that I brought. I felt that, as an instructor who is paid to teach students all that is advertised about the course, Josh had a complete lack of respect for me, a paying customer. For anyone wanting to learn how to kayak at Wilderness Voyageurs, I would suggest you request an instructor other than Josh.

5/24/15 Response to Ben's follow-up: Ben: In response to your follow-up from 2 weeks ago, when we spoke over the phone last summer and you offered the complimentary private instruction, yes, I did agree to it. However, what you did not tell me over the phone was that the complimentary instruction voucher expired in November 2014. Since it took 2 1/2 months for my broken toe to fully heal, and late September/October was too busy and too cold a time to do the instruction/roll class, I could not take up the offer.

In regard to the $17 pair of water shoes, I did not see them when I looked in the store, and no one told me about them. You say the Liquid Logic Stomper 90 is the biggest whitewater kayak you have, and the problem was not my height but my footwear (the shoes I brought was a regular pair of sneakers with a 1 to 1 1/4" thick heel). Well, we adjusted the foot holds as far as they could go (or at least Josh said they could not adjust any farther) and yet my feet, with NO SHOES ON, were crammed in and uncomfortable for the whole trip. This tells me that there should either a) be a height limitation listed on the website, or b) Josh was just not telling the truth. This also tells me that, if I did take the private instruction, it could have been in another kayak that my feet barely fit into.

When a company keeps NOT informing their customers about what to bring, what to expect in regard to equipment and instruction, and expiration dates, that company is bound to have some...

Review for BEGINNERS white water kayaking: Been wanting to try white water kayaking for awhile now, finally got to experience it. I did the beginners guided WW kayaking package which was 2 days on the river, breakfast included. Was NOT what I was expecting at all! I thought we’d learn to roll then float down the river... wrong! There is so much more to WW kayaking people don’t realize. It really is a mind over matter type experience. This is not for the weak minded, undetermined people. You will be cold, you will spend time upside down in the water, you will be scared. It’s perfectly normal but with that being said it is not for everyone! If you don’t feel up to the challenge I suggest not even doing this. But if you can gear yourself into fight mode then try it and stick it out both days, you will be glad you did!

About the guide: Josh is an excellent guide with many many years experience and it really shows. He takes his job seriously and his instructions were outstanding when it came to learning different techniques. He made it easy to understand and to put what you learned into practice. Most importantly, he makes you feel very comfortable in the water. Being calm, flipped upside down in the water with jagged rocks around your face seems impossible right? Well that’s what he teaches, overcoming the panic is the first step and he’ll give you all the tips and knowledge you need to succeed!

His helpers, nick, dan and Quinn were also very knowledgeable and helpful. Very upbeat and kept it fun!

What we learned: We learned how to roll, catch an eddy, ferry, bow rescues, emergency escapes, how to surf, how to read the river and some fancy paddle techniques so we could maneuver around rocks easily.

What to wear: No cotton! Workout clothes, fast drying, board shorts will do. They sell gear and have wet suits to rent as well

Some tips: -If you camp at the state park be sure to reserve a spot a ways ahead of time cause they are super busy and packed during the summer.

-if you type in Ohiopyle pa on the Airbnb app, a yurt at rafferty manor or a room for rent in the manor comes up as the first two searches which is literally right across the street from wilderness Voyageurs and to the right of the pub

-the pub down the street from wilderness Voyageurs is where you’ll meet for breakfast then your guide will come collect you about an hour later and tell you where to meet to grab your gear

-Bring a water bottle you don’t mind losing

-bring a change of clothes and a towel to leave in your car for afterwards, there’s a public shower across from the kayak rental place.

-expect 12-15 other people. Yes, it was crowded but a few people didn’t show the second day which made it so much more enjoyable imo, no offense to them it was just better less crowded. If this is going to be annoying, book a private lesson which is probably what I’ll...

Wilderness Voyageurs Bike Tours Myself and 3 friends booked the 4 Day GAP tour in 2020 and it was cancelled due to COVID to 2021. The customer service was outstanding before the ride whether using the 800 number or email, responses were timely and addressed any concerns we had. We rebooked our trip for 2021 and prior to the trip received frequent information by email about the upcoming tour. I needed a change in my rental bike a week prior and they brought an additional bike on the Van/Trailer with them so I could try it out! Pat helped with adjusting the bike adding my seat and pedals. I also received a call from Lea one of the tour guides and asked for a way to celebrate one of our friends birthdays and she contacted Lenoras Inn to arrange for a special dessert with a candle. That is what I knew about the arrangement but when we were picked up at Homestead ALL of the other riders who joined us who were in the van had Birthday Party hats on that Lea had thoughtful provided. It was those little details that continued during our trip to make it incredibly memorable. Lea and Pat were not only the guides for the trail of which they had incredible knowledge of the area and prepared healthy great tasting sandwiches and salads every day on the trail at our lunch stop and were the photographers for some great group shots at the iconic areas along the trail. They loaded and unloaded our bags on and off the Van and locked up and inspected and repaired any issues related to bikes whether rented or if you brought your own. There was a briefing every morning with a whiteboard full of details of where to stop for FABULOUS photo ops and scenic views. We set out every day on the trail with ride with GPS with directions on our phones or printed turn by turn directions that was provided in advance, and either Lea or Pat would ride sweep to assure all the riders were on track for the next stop. There were 2-3 stops for snacks or lunch every day where the van/trailer would need us. Dinners at the Inns were coordinated so the group could sit together and this facilitated the group bonding with everyone including Pat and Lea. We sat on many of the Inns porches and shared jokes, stories and also helped each other on the trail by taking photos, rating the porta potties and calling out if someone overshot a good stop. The dinners at the Inns were restaurant quality even if prepared by the owner. Lenora the Chef and owner of Lenoras Inn prepared crab cakes which were better than any 4 star restaurant! A fabulous full Breakfast was served on the porch the following morning. I researched this trip thoroughly and chose it based on the reviews but my entire group agreed this exceeded any expectations we had because of the outstanding customer service and attention to detail that made the experience memorable and...