River Rafting

Be the Cool Parents… Take the Family River Rafting

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Want a memorable adventure the

whole family will love this summer – it’s time to go river rafting!

“It’s almost universal. A wide variety of people (of all ages and backgrounds) are getting on the water and doing something they never thought they’d do and they just have a great time,” said John Duncan, owner of Sacandaga Outdoor Center. When was the last time you did something that made everyone smile? Watch as people leave a theme park and you’ll see mixed reactions. Maybe it’s a combination of spending too much money, waiting in too many long lines, or the exhaustion that comes from spending the day in separate areas because the little kids are too small to go on the same rides as the older ones. River rafting offers a different way to experience the water. Amid the splendid backdrop of the Adirondack mountains, this 4-mile soul-satisfying journey is set to the music of babbling rapids, wildlife, and the wind blowing through the trees.

Because the Sacandaga River is dam-released, the water here is predictable and guaranteed to have only Class II and III rapids: moderate waves in medium-quick water where maneuvering is required but is interspersed with clear, open, smooth, flat passages. This is not the intense, powerfully violent Class V whitewater rafting you might be imagining. “Unfortunately, as in many things, Hollywood makes all whitewater seem extreme,” said Duncan. “People who are new to whitewater rafting have no concept of how much fun it’s going to be. At the end, they’ve just had a ball and really appreciate that it’s not just whitewater, they’ve had just as much fun in the flat-water.” What to Expect The Sacandaga Outdoor Center is centered in a prime location, where the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers meet in Hadley, just 30 minutes from Saratoga Springs. Their shop offers stellar equipment and a picnic area. Surfaces are cleaned regularly and masks are required unless you’re out on the water.

Instead of filling a raft with people from different parties (as they did pre-pandemic), each raft is now privately reserved for your group only. Two sizes are available, the 14’ raft holds up to six adults and the 16’, eight to ten. A guide, trained in CPR and the ways of the water, steers each raft, offering insights and entertaining banter along the route, which includes a whitewater section known as the “Dragon’s Back.” “They give people the experience they want. A lot of people request the same guide year after year because they like them so much,” said Duncan. Plan Ahead The Sacandaga Outdoor Center is seeing six times the number of reservations they normally would for their rafting trips, which depart every hour beginning at 10 a.m. seven days a week from just below the Stewart’s Bridge Dam, so planning ahead is recommended if you’re looking for a refreshing escape from the heat this summer. You’re almost guaranteed to get wet on this exhilarating ride, if not from the splashing current, then in the flat-water section where there’s a chance to swim and the water cannons come out. “Even our experienced adults become like children again. It’s a lot of fun! Even after all these years, when I go on the water, I still enjoy that more than anything.” For more information, go to www.4soc.com SS