Whitewater Rafting near Deep Creek (with kids!)

Options for White Water Rafting

Near Deep Creek Lake runs the gorgeous Youghiogheny River, an extremely popular river for white water rafting. There are all levels of rapids along the river, ranging from Class I-II rapids (best for small kids) to Class V, which requires you to be in excellent shape with previous whitewater rafting experience. There are multiple companies to choose from for your whitewater rafting adventure, including Precision Rafting right near Deep Creek, in Friendsville, MD. However, when we called to inquire about the Cheat Narrows Rafting Trip, an easy trip with mostly Class I and II rapids and good for kids 5 and up, we were told the water levels were too low and the only option for us would be a float trip. We ended up finding another easy whitewater rafting company about 55 mins away from Deep Creek through Wilderness Voyageurs in Ohiopyle, PA.

Wilderness Voyageurs

My husband, Lee, and I have passed through Ohiopyle before. It’s an adorable, outdoor adventure-focused town in the beautiful Laurel Highlands area of PA. It is near such attractions as Nemacolin Resort and Fallingwater, the famous house by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, both of which I highly recommend!

The drive from DCL to Ohiopyle is 55 minutes of rural beauty, with many winding curves thrown in! We arrived at Wilderness Voyageurs right on time. I recommend showing up at least ten minutes earlier than it says to, especially if you have young children. It took us about 30 minutes to check in, put on our sunscreen, decide what we wanted to bring with us, go to the bathroom, get our lifejackets, and hop on the school bus to go to the rafting site. One essential item to have with us was a dry bag, which Lee received from my parents for his birthday. Because of the dry bag, we could bring our phones, snacks, and an extra change of clothes for each of us on the boat.

Whitewater Rafting on the Middle Yough

We ended up doing the Middle Yough since that is the only trip that allows kids as young as five. The river level was relatively low, and there were many spots where we were just paddling. Luckily, there were just enough small rapids to make it exciting at times. In general, the whole trip was pretty hilarious! It felt like it was one of those team-building activities for work, but for our family instead.

My brother Mike, his girlfriend Evan, Lee, and my two children, Brayden and Anna (ages 7 and 5) were constantly directing each other, pointing out everyone’s weaknesses, and teasing mercilessly. During the safety talk, our guides told us that if we went under any bridges, we would know we’d gone too far. Beyond the bridges is an 18-foot waterfall. So, of course, we were constantly talking about this waterfall and telling our kids we would go down it. “Oh no, I think we went under a bridge a minute ago!” was a common refrain. My five-year-old was not too happy by the end of the trip.

All in all, I’d give the trip 4/5 stars. The guides were friendly and helpful, the scenery was beautiful, lunch was fine (as long as you didn’t expect too much), and everyone had fun. I’d pack a cooler with some adult beverages to get us through the long, lazy spots if we were to do it again. Other than that, it was a fun change of pace and an excellent introduction to rafting.

Want More Deep Creek Lake Info?

• Where to Stay in Deep Creek Lake
• Deep Creek Lake Restaurants
• Shopping in Deep Creek Lake
• State Parks Near Deep Creek Lake