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Adirondack River Outfitters |
800-525-7238 |
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Adirondack Wildwaters |
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Adventure Sports Rafting Co |
800-441-7238 |
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Hudson River Rafting Company |
800-888-7238 |
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Pocono Whitewater Adventures |
800-944-8392 |
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Professional River Runners of Maine |
800-325-3911 |
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WILD WATERS Outdoor Center |
888-945-3420 |
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Whitewater Challengers |
800-443-7238 |
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Adirondac Rafting Company |
800-510-7238 |
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| Sections |
Indian
River and Hudson River Gorge |
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Location |
Hamilton, Essex, and
Warren counties, near North Creek, eastern New York |
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Driving Time |
Albany—2 hours;
Syracuse—3.5 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class III-IV+ |
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Trip Length |
16
miles (26 km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft; one day |
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Season |
April-October |
The Hudson River Gorge
raft trip in the southeastern region of New York's Adirondack
Mountains, one of the northeast's most popular, offers an excellent
blend of magnificent wilderness scenery and challenging whitewater
action.
Put-in
for the Hudson River Gorge trip is on the Indian River, below the
Abanakee Dam near the town of Indian Lake. For two hours each
morning, Indian Lake releases water for rafters to "ride the
bubble" for 3.5 miles (5.5 km) of exciting, nearly continuous
Class III whitewater to the Indian’s confluence with the Hudson.
During the next 13 miles (21 km) to North Creek, the trip passes
through the remote and spectacular Hudson River Gorge, where high
cliffs and canyon walls tower above the narrow river, creating
continuous and demanding Class III-IV+ whitewater. Of the dozen
major rapids in the Hudson Gorge, the following are rated Class
III-IV: Blue Ledge, Blue Ledge Narrows, Osprey Nest, Beaver Dam or
Mile Long, Kettle Mountain, and Harris Rift.
The
Hudson's biggest whitewater action occurs during April and May, when
Adirondack snow melt and spring rains push several rapids well into
the Class IV+ range. Water temperatures in the forties and fifties,
and air temperatures often not much higher, make wet suits, gloves,
and extra wool clothing mandatory.
The
Indian River water releases combined with the natural flow of the
Hudson stabilize late-spring water flows. Supplemented by additional
water releases from Indian Lake, commercial outfitters offer weekend
rafting trips throughout the summer and early fall.
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