Book your Outdoor Family Adventure with Tributary Whitewater!
White water rafting trips are great for kids of all ages and abilities! Raft trips are suitable for most kids starting at age 4, with varying options for spice level! Our team at Tributary is staffed not only by river professionals with decades of experience, but we are also parents! Many of our guides will bring their kids on trips, especially multi-day trips offering a fun group of wild young ones!
How to choose the best family rafting trip?
Rivers are like us, they are similar, but offer so many different options. We have options for kids as young as 4 years old & non swimmers are welcome on trips up to Class III. What is a Class III rapid? Lets start with the rating system. White water rapids are rated on an international scale of I-VI. Commercially, we run rivers rated Class II-V. The youngest participant in your group will determine the level of whitewater you should choose. So if you have a group of kids ages 5-16, you should choose a Class II trip. Our American River trips offer the most amount of flexibility for groups to actually split up on different river sections all in the same area for Class II, III or IV options!
Choosing your river trip by difficulty:
Class II River Trips
Ages 4+| Non-Swimmers Welcome
These beginner rapids are great for first time rafters. Waves are small, fun and splashy and usually opportunities for swimming, play and river exploration exist on these trips. Great for multi-generational rafting and outdoor adventures.Class III River Trips
Ages 7+ | Non-Swimmers Welcome
AKA “Class Fun” – These rafting trips are ideal for non-swimmers who want some fun and exciting rapids! Great for large groups and many options offer overnight camping or packages with meals included!Class IV River Trips
Ages 14+ | Swimming Skills Required
Class IV rapids are big and these river trips can often feature big drops & technical turns. We recommend prior Class III rafting experience for kids wanting to raft Class IV, but some trips are still suitable for adventurous beginner’s.