The following moderate or intermediate-level trips are commonly rafted by persons who are in good physical health and not afraid of the water. While a minimum age of 12 years is often required, that may vary depending upon the outfitter, time of year, and water level.
Although outfitters usually advertise the following raft trips as 'moderate' or 'intermediate' level, potential rafters should remember that rivers take on different levels of difficulty during different water levels. It is always best to consult with the chosen outfitter regarding river levels and conditions for the members of your rafting group.
California
American (South Fork)
State's most popular whitewater trip, in the heart of gold-rush country, offers exciting daily trips that are suitable for first-timers and families.
Kings
Good intermediate-advanced whitewater run during the springtime is followed with family rafting during more moderate summertime flows.
Merced
Continuous and lively large wave whitewater just west of Yosemite National Park.
Pacific Northwest States
Washington · Wyoming
Deschutes
(Lower), Oregon
Oregon's most popular raft trip near Maupin, offers both single-day and multiday trips through semi-arid canyons.
Klamath
(Upper), Oregon/California
Lots of exciting and challenging whitewater in remote canyons make this a popular raft trip offering by both Oregon and California outfitters.
Sauk, Washington
A favorite early-season raft trip that can be enjoyed with inflatable kayaks during lower summertime water levels.
Wenatchee, Washington
Washington's most popular raft trip through renowned Wenatchee apple region in the springtime has big waves and roller coaster rapids.
Northern Rocky Mountain States
Idaho · Montana · Wyoming
Clark
Fork, Montana
One of Montana's best intermediate-level raft trips during late-summer when other river water levels are low.
Flathead (Middle
Fork), Montana
Exciting one-day raft trips in scenic canyon adjacent to Glacier National Park.
Gallatin, Montana
Excellent one-day raft trip near Yellowstone National Park and Montana's Big Sky Resort.
Madison, Montana
Bear Trap Canyon, about an hour's drive from Yellowstone National Park's West Entrance has spectacular wilderness beauty and excellent whitewaters.
Payette (South
Fork), Idaho
Lower canyon before its confluence with the North Fork, is one of Idaho's more popular whitewater trips.
Snake
(Upper), Wyoming
Lively whitewater trip featuring several Class III rapids through Hoback Canyon southwest of Grand Teton National Park
Colorado
Arkansas (Browns Canyon)
The granite-walled Browns Canyon, the Arkansas' most popular section, is a moderate run with exciting, yet not intimidating whitewaters.
Arkansas (Royal Gorge)
River's most spectacular whitewater canyon with challenging rapids nearly 1000 feet below the world's highest suspension bridge.
Cache la Poudre
Exceptionally beautiful tributary of the North Platte that has fairly numerous and continuous technical rapids and steep drops including Mishawaka and Pineview falls.
Roaring Fork
Late-spring and early summer visitors to Aspen and Snowmass have the opportunity to experience challenging and exciting whitewater.
Southwest States
Utah · Arizona · New Mexico · Texas
Colorado
(Westwater), Utah
A premier big-water rafting experience in the breathtaking canyons of the middle Colorado River.
Rio Grande (Taos
Box), New Mexico
Outstanding one-day trip through the spectacular 800-foot deep lower Taos Box is New Mexico's wildest commercial whitewater ride.
Salt, Arizona
Excellent one-day raft trip though scenic the Salt River Canyon Wilderness in the Sonoran Desert east of Phoenix.
Northeast States
Maine · New York · Massachusetts · Vermont
Black, New York
Cascading down a steep-walled canyon through the industrial city of Watertown, the Black River rafting trip offers a truly unique blend of history, scenery and fairly challenging whitewater.
Kennebec
(Gorge), Maine
Maine's most popular raft trip through the Kennebec Gorge includes unspoiled forest wilderness and fairly continuous sections of exciting whitewater.
Hudson, New York
In eastern Adirondack Park, the upper Hudson provides one of the northeast's most popular rafting experiences that includes magnificent scenery and challenging whitewater.
Mid-Atlantic States
Pennsylvania · Maryland · West Virginia · Virginia
Cheat, West Virginia
The Cheat Canyon's challenging whitewaters are a favorite during a short spring season.
Gauley (Lower), West Virginia
The lower section of the Gauley offers highly challenging whitewaters during the fall draw-down of Summersville Lake.
James, Virginia
Passes through the James River Park nature refuge and includes impressive views of the modern downtown Richmond skyline, numerous bridges and old factories.
New (Lower), West Virginia
Extremely popular intermediate-level rafting trips featuring challenging large volume whitewaters in the towering New River Gorge.
Youghiogheny (Lower), Pennsylvania
Extremely popular and exciting intermediate-level rafting through Ohiopyle State Park and the picturesque Laurel Mountains in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Southeast States
Georgia · South Carolina · North Carolina · Tennessee · Kentucky
Chattooga (Section III), Georgia/South Carolina
Exciting whitewater and beautiful scenery in two national forests. It is a popular trip with large groups, first-timers, and less-experienced rafters.
Nolichucky (Gorge), North Carolina/Tennessee
Notable intermediate-advanced level rafting trip with fairly continuous Class III-IV whitewater in a scenic canyon. Requires active participation and good physical health.
Ocoee, Tennessee
The extremely popular Ocoee in southeast Tennessee in one of the premier whitewater runs in the eastern America featuring almost continuous intermediate-level whitewater.
Western Canada
British Columbia · Alberta
Kicking Horse, British Columbia
One of the Canadian Rockies most popular whitewater rafting trips between Yoho National Park and Golden offers exciting whitewater for the adventurous vacationer.
Red Deer, Alberta
Alberta's most popular adventure rafting trip, northwest of Calgary, has exciting whitewater with many technical rapids.
Thompson, British Columbia
Exciting motor and paddle-raft trip traverses large waves of Thompson canyon prior to its confluence with the Fraser.
Eastern Canada
Ontario · Quebec
Ottawa, Ontario
Spectacular wilderness scenery and large and exciting rapids on its two channels-Main and Middle-highlight Ontario's most popular commercial whitewater run.
Rouge, Quebec
Quebec's most popular river, located midway between Montreal and Ottawa, has rafting trips on two sections of the river-Harrington and Seven Sisters canyons- throughout the spring and summer seasons.
Costa Rica
Reventazon
The Tucurrique, the Reventazon's favorite whitewater trip, has exciting, yet not intimidating, Class II-III waters that can usually be run all year.
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