As an outdoor outfitter, GRO monitors the weather in our area extremely close for your safety using national and regional forecast and radars. The safety and comfort of our guests is first and foremost and we use several websites to monitor the weather using the information provided by NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]. Please keep in mind that the weather can be very different at our location than it is within a 20-mile radius, so we are very decisive about our area.  

GRO trips or adventures depart rain or shine, except if the weather conditions become a hazardous situation such as but not limited to High Winds, Electrical Storms, and/or High-Water Levels. GRO will contact you via text message, phone, and/or email to notify you of any changes to your reservation due to inclement weather. Great River Outfitters does adhere to our cancellation policy and may not cancel your trip until up to 2 hours prior to your scheduled trip time. For further information about our cancellation policy, please refer to that policy below.

Please refer to our policies HERE

For our conditions and policies regarding cancellation, please refer to our full list HERE

Yes. There is no way to prevent yourself from getting at least a little bit wet as water splashes and drips down paddles, some boats have free flow water in the bottom (rafts) that helps stabilize the float.

No. The Connecticut River is a lazy river, meaning there is swift moving water but it is not rapids. Paddling class is typically determined by the water levels of the day, and most often unless in the case of flooding the Connecticut River is considered a class I or II out of V+ (which is considered untouchable).

Yes. The PFD must be Type 3 or higher (coast guard approved) grade in order for GRO to allow it. If it is not Type 3 or higher, we will issue you one of our PFDs for safety and ask you to leave that PFD in your car. For Dry Bags you are welcome to bring your own or use one of ours that is included in a reservation of one of our river trips.

Yes, your furry friend can accompany you on the river. However, we allow this with a rental of a canoe [this is generally most comfortable for the dog as well]. We will not allow pets into a raft, single tube, or cooler tube - NO EXCEPTIONS.

GRO does not charge or count dogs in your reservation, therefore we do not require a life vest for a dog. If you bring your dog on the water you do so AT YOUR OWN AND THEIR RISK and GRO cannot be held liable.

Generally speaking, GRO will always advise anyone out on the water to wear a PFD for safety. If you would like to know more about life vests for dogs, fitting suggestions, and more, please reference guidelines from the American Kennel Club, HERE. GRO does not sell or provide these life vests.

We rent cooler tubes that can float with your party and attach to your single tube via a clipping strap. They are $25 per cooler tube to rent for your trip. They cannot be booked online, so if you book online send an email to info@greatriveroutfitters.com or call/text 802-674-9933 to indicate you would like to add one to your reservation.

Yes! We rent out 48 quart Coleman Coolers for $10 each for river trips and also sell 10 ibs bags of ice for $6 each. Please let us know if you intend to rent or buy ice from us prior or day of your reservation at check-in!

Our cooler tubes can fit a cooler dimensionally 3’x2’ or 48 quarts.

Yes! You are more than welcome to bring your own cooler. We also rent Coleman Coolers (48qt) for $10 and sell 10ibs bags of ice for $6 each for any reservation.

Yes! Every single person tube has a seat back, two cup holders, and a strap with a clasp so you can connect to other tubers in your party or a cooler tube.

Groups with 20 guests or more are eligible for our large group discount of 10%.

There is the option to request a half paddle if you feel you need one. Although we do not recommend their use as we have not found them to be helpful for movement on the water as the tubes themselves are round and the motion of paddling usually just turns tubers in circles.

The only walking that is expected of our guests is at the put-in location initially. The put-in is below Sumner Falls, which means that under the falls in an eddy pool [a body of water that is still or not moving]. We ask tubers to walk the shore line of the river for about 5-8 minutes to get to the point where they are closest to the start of the current outside of the eddy pool. From there, the river will float you down the rest of your trip.

If the water level is low, to stay at the deepest points of the river, follow the ‘V’ shape pointing downriver. This will indicate the deepest points of the water where you are less likely to bottom out.

River water levels are dictated in our region by the dam realease about 13 miles north of our location at Wilder Dam in Wilder, VT. They release water to generate power and for flow control based on regional weather patterns. In other words, if it rains north of us, the release of water is likely to be higher than on dry days.

This dam release is factored in along with the streams, brooks, and other bodies of water that feed into the main channel of the Connecticut river.

All this information is covered with your safety briefing prior to take-off for your trip.

For more information about the water levels, reference the two sites we use to calculate water flow.

Wilder Dam: HERE

Overall Water Flow: HERE

You can fit 6 adults in one of our rafts.

There is a 2 person minimum to reserve a canoe. Our canoes are 18 feet long and can fit a kid or another adult in the center.

Yes! Our SUPs can convert to a seated kayak with a paddle conversion to a kayak paddle.

Yes! We offer multi-day trips (paddle & camp) in canoes. Reference our camping page HERE for more information.

GRO never advises drinking water that is not treated. Thought GRO cannot gaurantee any such reaction to water consumption, if accidentally swallowed while swimming, it will not likely impact your system much. Drinking larger amounts in general of untreated waters can expose your immune system to bacteria(s) our bodies are not meant to or used to consuming which can result in mild to severe illness.

Our general note, DO NOT CONSUME RIVER WATER! We sell Nalgene reusable water bottles for $18.99 each that you can fill at our shop or chilled disposable bottles of water for $2 each.

For more information on Connecticut River contamination monitoring and testing, visit HERE.

As will be covered in the briefing, GRO will shuttle you up river to Sumner Falls, we put you below the falls where you will start your river trip. When you complete your trip, you will be at the Path of Life Sculpture Garden take-out. You will be asked to bring your boats up a gentle incline to a sign that says “place boats here” and a trailer that has a sign that says “place PFDs, Paddles, & Dry Bags here”. You can follow the main access road through the garden and return to the shop or enjoy the garden tour as part of your trip. No matter which direction you walk, you will easily find the way back to the shop as the garden entrance/exit is the same point, the tunnel - which leads directly to the shop back doors.