How many people usually go in a boat?

We generally put 5 to 7 people in a boat, but this doesn’t mean that you need to have a group of 5 to 7 to go rafting. For example, if you’re reserving two people, you may be paired with a party of 4 or 5. If you have a group of 10 people, we would just divide you into two boats that travel together on the water.

While we have an excellent record, the sports of whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, zip lining, rock climbing, skiing, snow shoeing and biking have inherent risks. It should be recognized that accidents can and do occur. For this reason, we cannot assume responsibility for injury or loss of property. Participants in all activities will be required to sign a waiver stating they are aware of the risks involved and are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Those with health problems limiting their normal activities may be prohibited from participation at Zoar Outdoor’s discretion. Pregnant women will be prohibited from participating in Zoar Outdoor Activities.

Do you have group rates?

Yes! We have special pricing for youth groups, corporate groups, bachelor/bachelorette parties and family groups of 12 or more. Check out our group booking page for more details.

Is there any food served?

Since our Concord River trips are half-day long, we do not serve any food.

Can we rent wetsuits?

Wetsuit packages are included in this trip at no extra cost!

Are wetsuits required?

Wetsuits are not required, but included in the cost should you want them! Wetsuits are ideal for those wishing to layer up for colder weather or those who tend to get chilly easily. The extra wetsuit layer helps to keep you warm, so it depends on personal preference!

Will there be photos of my trip?

Yes! Our photographer will be stationed at the class III rapid taking high quality pictures of each raft. Back at base you’ll be able to view your photos in the rafting pavilion. If you’d like, you can purchase the photos of your raft.

What happens if the forecast calls for rain or storms?

We run our trips rain or shine, so you should come prepared for the weather. If we do have to cancel the trip, that decision would be made on the morning of the trip. However, it’s rare that weather forces us to cancel our rafting trips.

Where do we park? What do we do with our car keys?

There is PARKING available at the Lower Locks Garage next to the hotel. Keep your car keys with you during registration, as we will collect those and put them in a lock box just before gearing up, then return them to you when you get off the boats.

Should I tip my guide?

This is completely at your discretion. If you feel the service you receive from your guide is exceptional, and you want to say “thank you” with a tip, although it is not expected, it is always appreciated.

Can I request a guide?

If you have had a guide you especially liked and would like to have them guide your next trip, we will do our best to match their schedule to yours. Simply request your guide when you make your reservation. Please be aware that we are not always able to match request, but we will do our best!

Alcohol and Drug policy

The use of recreational drugs or alcohol is prohibited on all programs. If you arrive here under the influence, you will be prohibited from participating in the day’s activity and you will not receive a refund.

A long winter in VT!

By Elaine Campbell

The new year started off pretty good with a bunch of rain and we got to go kayaking for a few days. Then winter fully kicked into gear with ridiculously cold weather and snow. Jeff and I spent our time going to pool sessions, xc skiing, snowshoeing and snowboarding. I worked another season at Timber Creek Cross and Jeff worked his regular job and played music at a few different places in the area.

As I mentioned before it was cold, I have never seen so much ice on the rivers and reservoirs here. I usually can start flat water training in the Sherman Reservoir at the beginning of March. This year we still can’t really paddle in it yet because half of it is still iced up. The take out of the Dryway on the Deerfield River is ice free so we started going this week in our wildwater boats to get some strokes in.

When March rolls around I usually head to WV to start my paddling season but this year I decided to go some place warm so I went to Melbourne Beach, FL to hang out with my in-laws. I was bummed that Jeff couldn’t come because of work but I had a great time with Lynda and Doc. I played golf, walked on the beach, and went SUP’ing. I had such a great time that I’m going to go to FL in the middle of March and soak up the sun every year!

After a couple days of golf it was time to SUP. I will say, I played the best 9 holes I’ve ever played and am looking forward to a few more rounds of golf this summer. Now, for my SUP adventure. I had a great day SUP’ing on the Indian River. There was so many different channels to take and lot’s of wildlife to see. Luckily, I didn’t encounter any alligators while I was on my board! I did get to paddle with dolphins which was an amazing experience. I’ll tell you this, when I first saw a fin I almost lost my sh*t but then I realized it was a dolphin and then 3 appeared and one was a baby. They followed me under and around my SUP and I followed them, it was like a game we were playing. I rented my SUP from ECO Adventures and it was getting close to having to return it. I’m heading back to the beach area where we put-in and the dolphins are still swimming around me. I saw a motor boat up ahead and I heard a big splash and a lot of commotion. A yellow lab jumped off the boat because it saw the dolphins and the owner could not get the dog back on the boat. I started paddling over yelling to them that I’m coming to help. The dog at this point was freaking out swimming in circles. I sat on the board and the dog finally came over and I grabbed her by the neck and pulled her up on the board. She was shaking and a bit freaked out and she pretty much sat on me. I paddled over to the boat and they were able to pull her up on the boat. They were extremely thankful for the help and I told them that she should wear a life jacket so if she jumps off again it will be easy to get her back on the boat with the handle on the back. I was lucky enough to have witnesses and one was Lynda. Anyway, that was my adventure in FL.

This past weekend I headed to NH to work the New England Paddle Sports Show for Confluence Water Sports. I went a day early to paddle the Winni River with Jeremy. I brought my brand new citrus Recon 70 with me to get it warmed up for the season. I’m so in love with my Recon 70! It paddles so well in all different classes of whitewater. The Winni is class II/III so nothing crazy on it, just good fun easy whitewater. It offers up all kinds of rocks to splat, little boofs, ferries and eddies to catch. It’s a great warm up run and runs a lot. The Recon 70 is a perfect boat to take down a run like the Winni, especially when it’s around 25 degrees and you don’t want a lot of face splashing. The shape of the bow sheds the water well and kept my face from getting icicles on it. I dressed warm with layers from NRS and wore my brand new NRS Crux drysuit which handled being fully covered in a sheet of ice great. I’ll have a review of the NRS Crux posted up soon. It just felt so good being back on the water!

I headed over to the show and had a great weekend with the Confluence crew and getting people into boats. If you live in New England and are a paddler this show has great deals all weekend long. It was great catching up with Todd and Michelle from Pau Hana and Farley and Mike from NRS. I had a fun time at the event and am looking forward to next year.

Jeff and I are finally back in our boats in flat water and hopefully soon the rivers around us will start to run. A bunch of the ice has broken up, we now just need some more rain and warmer temps for spring run off to begin. Competition season is upon us and there hasn’t been much time to practice because of ice, as Alan Iverson once said “I know it’s important, I honestly do but we’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice man. We’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice. We’re not talking about the game. We’re talking about practice.” Ohhhhhhh, thank you AI for that quote, it’s by far the best pro sports quote ever!

Here are some photos: