wilderness tours

I was a Wilderness Tours keener last year and it was no doubt the best and most fulfilling experience of my life. The lessons I learned helped me to become a better kayaker and a more confident person. I don't get many chances to paddle where I live so I constantly dreaming of paddling the Ottawa again. It's hard to forget things like climbing up the 100 and something foot crane at WT, or swimming coliseum with your pals. And after a day on the river it's always nice to hang out at WT and eat some ribs.

We planned this as a family reunion destination in July 2014. We ranged in age from 6 to 60. Everyone had a fantastic time. We were able to do a family rafting trip one day with our whole group and then the next day half of our group did the high-adventure trip. The staff was friendly and fun. We loved it so much we returned with just our family two weeks later for the raft and rod trip which was also great. Great way to get outdoors with your family. We took our RV and the only downside for that is there is no pump out or sewer service on site. Families in tents should take advantage of the quiet camping sites or cabin rentals, as this is a destination for the young who like to party :)

If you are looking for a great way to reconnect with your kids, Wilderness Tours is a great choice! We have been there many times with our teenagers and now with our 8 year old. We have yet to have anything less then a fantastic time. The staff are always fun and upbeat and yet extremely safety conscious. The staff work incredibly hard. They are out on the river all day, showing you a great time and keeping you safe. It is definitely an ideal vacation if you are looking for a way to be active and enjoy the outdoors. Your kids will think you are the coolest parents!! Your base price includes your campsite; an all day rafting trip on the river; Breakfast and dinner at the resort; a full Hot lunch prepared for you at a site on the river; access to water activities such as kayaks at the resort; volleyball; ball hockey; swimming pool; hot tub....the list goes on and on! For extra money you can rent a cabin. They also have cottages and houses to rent. There are other additional activities with separate costs, such as horse back riding and bike rentals. The day on the river is a blast. You raft through several rapids; in calm sections you can jump out of the raft and swim; depending on the height of the water, you will do some body surfing. On our last trip we did 2 days of rafting. The first day we were in the middle channel with lots of rapids and body surfing. The second day, we did the raft and rod trip in the lower channel which included a stop on an island owned by wilderness, to do some fishing. To my surprise, there were lots of fish caught! They were descent sized bass and cat fish.The main channel is definitely high adventure for older teens and adults. Again, loads of fun.The resort is very clean. Washrooms and showers are very clean. Food....GREAT!!Be sure to take a water camera attached to a floatation device. Water shoes are a must. I saw some people with running shoes...way to soggy for my liking. You don't have to have a wetsuit but definitely wear that ever-dry clothing or a swimsuit....no cotton.I consider myself to be a cautious parent when it comes to my kids and I do not hesitate to recommend this destination.

First time white water rafting. Venue was great, staff friendly, laid back in the right sort of way. The facility really promotes a chill party feel with basket ball nets, pool tables, dart boards, lots of places to sit, camp fire, stayed up late just chatting. Stayed the night in tents before white water rafting the next day - was fine, but recommend cabins. No individual camp fires permitted on campground, communal fire only. Rained a good chunk of the evening and we just stayed under the covered porch and it was fine. (should have upgraded to cabin) Generous dinner and hot breakfast included. Went at the end of the season, so pretty quiet and had the place to ourselves and about 40 other folks. Fantastic guide that was informative, candid, and made us feel safe, even as he went over the risks. Boat full of mostly first timers still did exceptionally well (we didn't lose anyone from our boat, but a few got popped out from the other 3 boats we traveled with - quickly and efficiently 'rescued' with smiles on their faces) Due to health restrictions, I couldn't paddle but had a complete blast on the river and took the video (attached to my helmet called the 'go-pro'), which turned out totally superior to the video they film from the shore. Worth to keep in mind, however, that you've only got about 45 minutes of footage, so suggest restricting to mostly just before, during and after each rapid. Not typically a thrill seekers, but gets you very stoked. Got to spend some time swimming outside the boat too - really fun. Was worried about equipment, it's all adjustable to sizes big and small, helmet, suggest wetsuit if it's cold at all. Check internet for white water rafting tips a coupled days before your trip so you bring the right stuff. (Like sneakers you don't mind getting completely submerged in water, or tight fitting water shoes) Fosters major team work.All fears about safety, if I was capable, equipment cleanliness and quality, etc. eliminated after first rapid, excellent, easy to follow directions by the amazing guide. All staff extremely knowlegable, and engaging. Highly, highly recommended no matter age, size, experience, and they are super accomodating of health or dietary restriction.

Wilderness Tours provided an excellent venue for a recent bachelor party trip. We were a small group placed in a 6-person raft, which resulted in a exciting and challenging river run. The staff were easy going and fun while also extremely safety conscious. Overall an amazing and memorable trip...would highly recommend!!

Just do it, was a total blast. Great way to spend a day, the staff are fantastic. A real adreline rush.

Went with a few friends for a day trip this past weekend for our very first white water rafting experience. One of our friends was extremely nervous and none of us were sure what to except... Our guide was Betty. She was INCREDIBLE. She was hilarious, informative and made us feel safe. The weather was cold but didn't matter because the water was so warm and you're constantly moving around so no problems there. Wilderness tours was easy to book, had great prices, fantastic guides the day we went and and we are already discussing going back next summer for a few trips and will be sticking with Wilderness Tours every time, and requesting Betty if possible. Had the time of our lives.

We went as a family group and did the high adventure rafting day. The staff were all incredibly friendly, and we were well taken care off. It's a great facility in beautiful surroundings with lots to do even if you don't go rafting (as I couldn't in the end).I would thoroughly recommend this place and would definitely include it in an itinerary if we got to come back to Canada.

In many instances the customer is always right but not this one. For the paddle sports person (and Wilderness Tours is a paddle sports company), the location is simply the best in Canada. It is literally a 5-minute walk from the Ottawa River, just downstream of the two most famous waves in all of kayaking – Bus Eater and Garberator. And if you don’t paddle, the mountain biking is exceptional and for the walking crowd, it’s a pleasant 20-walk to Inspiration Point, with its spectacular vista. For the past quarter century, Wilderness Tours has been singlehandedly trying to preserve the last wild section on Canada’s most historical waterway. When our efforts to interest Parks Canada in this preservation failed, we decided to “do it ourselves”. To date, we have preserved over 5,000 acres. Although our goal is to preserve shoreline, sometimes the land comes with buildings, in this case, the Farm House and the adjoining barn. The house is now a Bed and Breakfast and the barn houses Whitewater Brewery and pub, making the superb location even better. For all these reasons, STAY AT THE FARMHOUSE!Getting back to the review:Expensive – Each person in the reviewers party paid $52/night, hardly expensiveAir Conditioning – we acknowledge that there is noneTowels – yes, they are mismatched Plaster – we experienced an exceptionally rainy August and the roof leaked causing the plaster in the upstairs hallway to flake. Because of rentals, we are not able to fix the roof until FallFlies – we have them, we swat them and housekeeping sweeps them up but it’s a working farmSheer Drapes – yes, you can see out but not easily in. The parking lot was busy as we were hosting the National Kayak Championships that weekend. Separating the parking lot from the Farmhouse is a 25’ high cedar privacy hedge. We appreciate all feedback. However, the Farmhouse was and is a real Farmhouse. You are surrounded on each side by corn and winter wheat. It is a fabulous place to stay but it is what it is. Joe Kowalski,Founder, President

For a bit of background, my group consisted of 6 people, all adults. We went mid-week. Most of us have never rafted except for one; me. My previous experience was years ago with River Run. The last time I went, I went only for the rafting and stayed in Pembroke, while this time I stayed on-site in their log cabin that sleeps twelve. Because of this, they were totally different experiences. We all bought the High Adventure Rafting plus resort day package.First, let's talk about the rafting. For those of you new to rafting and are wondering if rafting is for you, the next few lines are for you. We went on the high adventure rafting tour with up to 12 people per raft. You should know that if you are adverse to hard work or are just unable to paddle hard for whatever reason, you should probably avoid doing this tour. If you can't swim or do not swim well, you may want to think twice about doing this tour. If you don't like thrills, you may want to reconsider doing this tour. Rafting on the Ottawa river is not a stroll in the park, regardless of the tour company that you choose. People in both groups that I had rafted with had expressed that it was a lot harder than they expected. This is, in part, due to the misconception that all you do is float down rapids the whole time. In actuality, you will be required to paddle yourself between rapids, which I estimate, are around a kilometre apart, or more. Sometimes this is against the wind. Once at the rapids, you will then have to paddle the boat up to 3 times harder to maneuover the raft into position. Then, sometimes, you will have to paddle back up stream to do it all over again. And then, you might actually fall out of the boat and be required to swim to safety. Don't get me wrong! This is actually fun if you like thrills and don't mind some hard work. But don't take it lightly. In a twelve person raft, it's actually not that easy to fall out of the boat if you're sitting in the proper way and in a favourable position in the boat. Also, the staff tries to make the journey as safe as possible. With that said, things happen, and there is real danger to rafting. If this doesn't sound like something for you, consider one of Wilderness Tours' family rafting packages, because once you're out there, there is no way to get back, except by raft. Well, maybe you could hike it. The high adventure package, 12 person rafting really is quite an awesome experience though, and I would recommend it to most. Just know what you're getting into.If after reading the above, you haven't been scared away, here are some tips to optimize your experience. Unfortunately, a lot of your experience and enjoyment will depend on your guide, which is out of your control. However, what you can control are your boatmates. Take a group of at least 8 people that you know will paddle. What this does is that reduces the amount of dead weight in your raft from people who don't paddle. Believe me, it will make it a lot more fun since you're not doing all the work paddling around a bunch of other people, and you will be able to get your boat into position more easily for some nifty tricks. In fact, if it's allowed, I recommend that you request that only your group members be in the boat. Otherwise you might get stuck with random people who won't paddle. I can't stress how important paddling is. If you have a good crew, you will enjoy your experience immensely. If not, you might end up cursing them out (in your head of course) the entire trip.I was going to talk about the difference between River Run Rafting and Wilderness Tours, but as far as the rafting is concerned, it will all depend on your guide. It's really just the luck of the draw I think. For what it's worth, River Run seemed like a more intense experience. We would paddle up and down a river attempting several rapids multiple times. But with Wilderness, I think we attempted one rapid two or three times and the rest once. Otherwise the route was exactly the same, from what I remember. Keep in mind, it's been several years since River Run though. Again, the differences could just be due to the difference in guides. Overall the rafting experience with Wilderness Tours was good. The guides were very friendly, seemed to know what they were doing, and they provided a fun environment to raft in. The only complaints that I have about the rafting is that there isn't enough info on what to expect before getting out there. I would have liked to know the kind of amenities when we stopped for lunch, for example. What we should expect for lunch? Are there washrooms? I didn't have any problems, but some people have special food requirements, or medical requirements, etc., and some extra information would have gone a long way in preparing for the trip. To answer those questions, we had hamburgers, cookies, soup, water and lemonade for lunch at a campsite along the path of the river. There were no washrooms from what I remember. There was a covered area, some picnic tables, and a campfire.As for safety, there was a brief, but adequate presentation before the trip to let you know how to save yourself should you fall in the water. You're provided with helmets and a life jacket. If it is cold, you can rent a wetsuit for about 30 dollars.The lodgings, in particular the log cabin, were great! They have some small cabins that look about 12 x 12 square feet, some with washrooms (from what I hear) and some not, but they don't look comfortable if you can't take confined spaces. The log cabin that sleeps 12, however, was beautiful and very comfy. We had electricity, tv, 2 rooms with a double bed, 1 room with 2 singles, a loft that looked like it could sleep 4, and some pull out couches. It had an open concept kitchen and living room area that was a pleasure to hang out in. There was one washroom with a shower on the main floor and a bathtub in the master on the second floor. There was suppose to be wifi, but the signal was too weak for us to connect to. There was also a deck with picnic tables and lounge chairs to relax on. The log cabin was near perfect for people who like the comforts of home. The only negatives are that there were mice in the kitchen, which we rarely saw, and that the wifi didn't work. I'm fine with mice, but some people may not be. I imagine though, that mice would probably be a problem regardless of where you stay up there. As for the wifi, you'll most likely be spending time outside anyway (unless it's a cold and rainy day like it was for us), so it might not be a problem. The only problem is that it is advertised, but not provided. Don't advertised it, if it isn't available. For those planning on doing some work up there and require an internet connection, don't rely on the wifi if you rent the log cabin. Apparently the signal is generated from a nearby beach house that you can also rent, so that may be an option if you need wifi. Alternatively, wifi is available at Rafter's, their bar/cafeteria area.The food there was surprisingly good! We decided to get the meal plan for the days that we were there. You should be aware that there is nowhere to buy food around there unless you're willing to drive 20 to 30 minutes to a nearby town. Also note that if you don't get the meal plan, you can buy meals there for around 18 dollars, but the "restaurant" is open only for very limited hours. Therefore, you can't get food whenever you want, so bring snacks, or your own food if you rented one of the lodgings that have a kitchen. As I mentioned, the food was pretty good, although a bit limited in choice (at least for the meal plan). One night we had steak and baked potato, the other we had ribs, rice and beans. For breakfast we had french toast one morning, pancakes and bacon the next and the morning we left, we had sausages. On our resort day, we had hamburgers for lunch. There was a good variety of fruits and veggies and/or cereal available at each meal, but the main course is set each day. I notice that there were chicken strips for kids and maybe fries and gravy, so they do try to offer some different options for kids, but for adults, you're stuck with one choice. If you don't like it, you're pretty much out of options. One adult member of our group didn't want the ribs and would have preferred chicken strips, but it was not allowed, which is strange since I imagine chicken strips would probably have been the cheaper option.The available resort activities were quite varied and extensive. There are three volleyball courts, a floor hockey area, two courts for basketball, some large chess boards, a checker board, kayaks, a pool, hot tubs, darts, billiards, bikes for rent (about $20 an hour), and finally bungee jumping (about $80), though I never saw anyone jump. At night, they have live entertainment. While we were there, there was a brother and sister act which we all thought were fantastic. We were also greatly entertained by one of the staff's impromtu river dance moves while the musicians were playing. There was lots do there while not rafting, but mid-week, there really wasn't much going on. I would have liked there to be more organized events, maybe all volleyball tournament or something to keep the guests entertained, but as it was, for the most part, you're left to your own devices.Finally, the staff were very friendly. That goes for pretty much everyone we met from reception, to cafeteria staff to the guides. Although friendly, it seems like their staff is mostly seasonal and/or inexperienced and they weren't particularly helpful or accomodating in most instances. For example, why couldn't we have chicken strips instead of ribs (see above)? Also, the wifi wasn't working in our log cabin, but it took hours before anyone investigated. In fact, reception didn't even know wifi was suppose to be included in the log cabin even though it was clearly advertised in their flyer. These experiences seemed to be ubiquitous throughout our stay, but it's not really a big deal. Unfortunately, I think it's probably just a symptom of seasonal industries like these. You see the same at ski resorts.In short, Wilderness Tours offers a good experience for the whole family. The rafting is great, the accommodations were good and there was plenty to do at the resort. However, I couldn't help feeling that with a little polish in a few areas, it would have been an unbeatable experience.

Words cannot describe the experience my group and I had at Wilderness Tours. Everything from the staff to the service to the resort itself was beyond our expectations and we could not have asked for a better way to end our Summer. Steph who was our guide rafting was absolutely AMAZING! She made everyone feel safe while still giving us one hell of an adventure we already want her as our guide again next year, she was awesome and fit in perfectly with our crazy group. I also want to thank Marie who serviced us at the bar on Sunday night, she did an outstanding job handling the rowdy crowd and provided us with a great final night. Thank you Wilderness Tours for everything we will definitely be back next year, we are already planning our trip! Team Rufio!!!

My family and I took part in the Family Resort Package as our rafting tour started early Saturday morning and so we came up Friday night with our tent trailer and camped in an RV site so that we could get ready in time the next morning without a long drive immediately beforehand. The staff at Wilderness Tours are universally friendly and helpful which greatly enhanced our experience. The rafting trip itself was amazing and our guide, Brittany, was both informative and personable. She went out of her way to make our trip fun and while the river itself is the main attraction, her knowledge and personality made the experience even better. We took part in the Family rafting tour and it was exciting and enjoyable for both the kids and adults. We lucked out in that the weather was pretty good although we were glad that we had the kids in wetsuits as the wind made for a noticeable chill factor. The adults all rented wetsuit jackets which turned out to be a very wise investment. The river itself was 17 degrees Celsius that day which sounds a little chilly but once you're in it, was actually quite nice. It was great to take a dip every now and then to cool off after working up a sweat by paddling and I ended up spending half of the tour swimming and floating down the river instead of in the raft itself! The scenery is spectacular and we saw a bald eagle soaring above the river as well as a beaver nervously swimming away.For the resort itself, the live music at night was great and made for a pleasant experience. You can tell that the resort's primary target demographic is not families as the partying went on late into the morning and the noise was a little disruptive for those of us with good hearing. The food served at Rafter's was all right but uneven in that our steaks for one dinner were excellent but the eggs for breakfast the next day were undercooked. The RV sites also need some better planning as the gravel driveway for our trailer was too far from the electrical and water hookup for any of our hoses or extension cords to be able to reach the outlets. We ended up having to park the trailer on the grass in order to make our connections.For those minor complaints, the sheer joy of the rafting trip itself more than makes amends as everyone on our tour had an incredible experience and are already talking about repeating it next year. One note of caution... the paddling can be a bit of a workout so for those of us who've been lax with our exercise routines, be ready for some soreness and tired muscles afterward. :-)Definitely would take part in this adventure again. Can't wait to do it again next year.

This was my second time on the rapids of the Ottawa River, what a great time! Travelled Thursday August 28 - Saturday August 30, 2014 as a group of 8 guys for my bachelor party. We stayed at the basic cabins. Having been there before, I knew what to expect and it is basic - but that was all we needed. The cabin is big enough to sleep four people comfortably. It had two double beds and a day bed with pull out to sleep an additional person. (Picture a single bed, but there is a spot under the matress that pulls out, adding another place to sleep). There is no electrical outlets in the basic cabin so if you NEED to have a phone up there, be prepared to use your car outlets or upgrade to a deluxe cabin. The floor is wood and they provide a broom to keep things clean. There are some hooks on the wall and some shelves where they leave towels for your stay. One thing to note - showers and nicer bathrooms are at the main building. The beds are surprisingly comfortable!!! This review may sound biased (in a good way) so to balance it I will say this - there are no fire pits on the cabin properties. It was 11 degrees celsius at night which made for pretty cold conditions to hang out at the cabins and to sleep afterwords. The only improvement I would suggest is allowing campfires. That being said, there was a campfire at the main cabin which is where we ended up hanging for the remainder of the trip. Only drawback there is that you drink THEIR alcohol, lol...yes some of us are cheap!! The rafting trip was great. Water was very warm - about 22 degrees. In the morning before the sun was fully up there was a really cool fog hanging over the water. The day ended up being great, 25 and sunny. In August, the water levels are lower than the beginning of the year (snow melting and all...) but you still have a heck of a time. Cliff jumping is also a cool little bonus which is a stop along the river before lunch. Our river guide was BETTY....very cool chick!!!! Thanks for putting up with all of our shinanigans along the ride. :) She was fun, knowledgable and easy going. I think we all had a great time!! The meals at the resort were great. Ribs, rice and baked beans the first night we stayed, steak and baked potato the second. Salad bar and variety of deserts both nights. There was a live band Friday night which was good and activities like beach volleyball were available late into the night. No issues for our group throughout this trip. If you are thinking about going white water rafting - Choose Wilderness Tours!

Took the 2 day Mini Vacation Package with an 8 & 11 year old Aug 24-26. Stayed in a Deluxe Cabin and did the 1 day Gentle Family Raft & 1 day Raft & Rod. Here are some pros/cons & things to know:CEDAR SUPER DELUXE CABIN:* Cute little cabin with 2 double beds and a day bed/sofa that has a pull out single bed below. ** There are a few hooks on the wall, a small shelf and a night stand & space under the bed to put your suitcases, etc. They had a broom and dustpan and 2 electrical outlets in the bathroom. No Wifi in the cabins but you get Wifi at the main building.** In the back of the cabin there was a bathroom complete with toilet, sink and stand-up shower. There were no curtains in the bathroom window. ** Cabin had a kettle and some instant coffee (Sanka), tea, sugar, etc in the bathroom. ** The water smelled like sulpher so the kids didn't want to brush their teeth. I'd fill up a coffee cup with hot water at dinner and the kids would use this in the morning to brush their teeth. ** During the hot sunny afternoon, the cabin was like a sauna but at night it was quite chilly. FOOD:River Lunch during Family trip: Hot dogs, sausages, chicken breast on a bun and you could ask for a veggie burger. Resort Meals: With a meal plan you receive a ticket at check in for breakfast & dinner. At dinner you exchange the ticket for tokens. Each night you have a choice of only 2 meals -- ours were steak or ravioli one night & ribs or spaghetti with meat sauce another night. There was a salad bar each night but it was really just lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, etc. It was nothing special. Luckily we had brought some peanut butter, bread and bananas that we had in the cabin so that was our back up meal. You can purchase food but it was pricey. Breakfast changed both days -- pancakes & bacon one day, scrambled eggs & hash browns another day. RESORT:The resort was great. You get wristbands to wear for the duration of your trip. Check the daily activities list outside reception to find out what's open. The rock climbing wall was advertised to be open one night but there was no one there so we never did it. Bungee jumping is 18+ and costs extra. The main dock has a slide, kayaks, but the best place for the kids to go was the far end of the resort at Presqu'ile Beach which had kayaks, canoes, etc but also had a rope swing and a slide off the raised dock. There was a nice beach there and the water was really warm. There was barely anyone at this beach so we had a blast there just jumping off the dock and using the stand up kayaks. GENTLE FAMILY RAFTING:This trip was amazing! Our guide Ryan B was great and he was really good with the kids. There is a section you get to body surf down the rapids and many places for the kids to just jump into the water and have a blast in the current. As mentioned in the food section above, lunch was good. * Our orientation for this trip was at 9:45 am which gave us a lot of time to eat breakfast. * I'd recommend the adult paddles to any child over 54" tall -- my son is about 55" tall and he couldn't reach the water with the child paddle. There was no place to exchange the paddle after we started the rafting trip. * Just an FYI that they take video of everyone during the first rapid and then make everyone go into the amphitheater at the end of the trip to watch the video. * The kids could get wet suits for free and there was a cost for adults. Since it was warm out, the kids took off their wet suits during the trip.RAFT & ROD:The first half of this trip (Raft & Sportyak) was amazing! The Rod part of the trip was super boring & lunch didn't happen until we got back to the resort at 2:45 pm. We were provided with snacks (apples, granola bars & apple juice) but the kids were starved by 2:45. Keegan & Kyle were last minute staff replacements, but they were great. There were only 6 participants -- 3 adults and 3 kids -- so we used 3 sport yaks & 1 raft. It was a blast to paddle upriver and redo the rapids in the sport yaks several times. My arms were killing me the next day but it was worth it! Unfortunately, there wasn't anything to do on the island except fish. A boat took us back to the resort and then our guides got the restaurant to open for us so we could have burgers. My bill says we were supposed to have a river lunch which would have made it more enjoyable to hang out on the island. I'd recommend just the sport yak portion of this trip. I'll definitely go back when the kids are 13+ so we can do the extreme rafting! It might even be fun to rent one of the 8-12 people cabins and just hang out on the beach. Kudos to the raft guides who were all very polite and made sure we had a safe and fun time.

I did the GYOR trip with friends and loved it! The guides were fantastic, all staff were accommodating, the site was clean and the amount of activities you could do after the rafting was over for the day made the money well worth it. Will definitely be going back again.