Reviews of Kootenay Raft Co Rafting and Rentals (Travel Agency)

Eric Stlaurent

Me and the family had a great time hanging on the boat with our instructor/guide Ben. Ben made the trip extra special by describing the history and wildlife of the area. My only grief was the squirt guns given out to the kids. Ben would be telling us a cool story then bam water is being shot into my ear. But once Ben saw we weren't into it he steered us into the front of the pack away from the water guns. Thanks BEN!!!!!!

Paul Freitag

I just went river rafting and I was impressed by the professionalism of the guides and how nicely the experience was put together. I would definitely recommend it and especially on a hot day.

gary mccarthy

Fun, friendly, knowledgeable staff. It was my first time rafting so I wasn't really sure what to expect. However from my first encounter with the staff everything was upbeat and professional. They gave me a life jacket and helmet within 2 minutes of check in, told me which raft I was in and introduced me to the guide. On the surface everything looked like bedlam yet it was actually very well organized. We hopped on the old school bus and headed for the river. I was fortunate to get the seat behind the one open window. (Oops, I mean air conditioner). At the river if you stand too close to the trailer you may get volunteered to help unload the rafts & kayaks. This is where the rubber meets the road. Although everything was still upbeat we now had a thorough safety lesson about what could go wrong and how to help get ourselves or anyone else out of any trouble we may encounter. After the safety lesson, the offer was made to anyone that was now feeling apprehensive about going down the river to return back to the base and without judgement their money would be fully refunded. Cudos to the company for doing that. So, onto the river. Travis was our guide and somewhat arranged the paddlers so there was equal strength on each side. This was a great theory until TRAVIS BROKE HIS PADDLE and borrowed one from one of the other paddlers. He taught us when to paddle, when to stop, when to get in the boat, and when to get back on the sides. There were stops so people could swim and water cannons to engage in battles with other rafts throughout the trip. I was there to have fun and from the screams and laughter it appeared like everyone else was as well. Thanks for the adventure guys. See you next year.

Curt

Had a family reunion, large group went rafting, the guides were able to accommodate everyone. Very polite and nice staff. You can tell they enjoy what they do. Water levels getting lower so it was more technical. Enjoyed swimming in the cool water. Give it a try poeple ,you only live once.

Dmitry Aruin

We had an amazing day of rafting adventure! Ben, Anna, Mitch, Lindsey and Michael welcomed us at the base camp and made sure we are safe and comfortable. Today was the first day of the season and we were the first ones to try this year's rushing waters, and it was spectacular! Highly recommended company. Very professional yet super fun Thanks guys . We will come back

Jessica Krewenchuk

This was an amazing experience! I recommend that whatever skill level you are, you need to go. 10/10 would recommend!

Tracy Brown Ewert

Fabulous time for our family! We had two children on the trip with us: one was extremely keen to go and the other was extremely hesitant. By the end of the trip, both kids were over the top with excitement! There was just the right amount of challenge and adventure.

Powder Matt

Fun time on the river! Must do activity to when you are visiting Kimberley. Great crew of guides and very scenic river experience

Julian Griggs

A great afternoon trip on St. Mary’s River with Kootenay Rafting Co.—very mellow with low water levels but super fun nonetheless. Craig and his crew were friendly and professional, but young River, emulating his Dad’s introduction so earnestly, stole the show. Would love to come back earlier in the season when the rapids are more challenging.

Jeremy Butler

Very fun trip. Ben was a great guide. He made our trip very enjoyable - very professional!!!

Supraja Krishnan

I took their kayak rafting service last weekend and they were just amazing. Ben and Mitch were very professional and also gave us clear instructions on how to kayak our way through. They also made it so educational and this way I personally got to learn a lot more about St. Mary's river too. Do book them for an amazing and friendly experience !

Wyatt Mirek

Awesome shop with fishing and rafting gear. Also went rafting on the St. Mary River, had a brilliant experiance, was very fun.

cherry J

Great safe ride, knowledgeable guides, beautiful scenery and affordable trip. Thanks so much !!!!

Krista Schneider

This experience surpassed my expectations. It was a fantastic afternoon, with beautiful scenery, enjoyable swimming, and energetic rafting. My son is not a confident swimmer, but the whole laid back and encouraging atmosphere allowed him to try every experience, and he wants to come back for more. What I liked about it was that it never seemed to end...The watermelon at the end was perfect too. Thanks to Riley, who shared her wonderful story with us, and the younger children on board - very inspiring to all.

Tyler Blaz

We had an exciting rafting trip this past summer with this company. The staff is knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. Highly recommend for a group outing with friends, family, or coworkers!

Lauren Stone

Super fun day on the river! Great for families, our 9 and 11 year old really enjoyed themselves. Guides were excellent.

COTR Avalanche

We do two trips a year with Kootenay Rafting Company for our students here at the College of the Rockies. Every trip down the river is an amazing experience for the students. We recently did a trip on the St Mary's and it was an awesome day! Lots of fun and laughs had by all. Ben, Alonso, Jess, Mason and Riley are great and offered lots of interesting information throughout the trip. Looking forward to our trip in September down the Elk River.

Linda O'Donoghue

We had a wonderful time on the river and I would definitely book again! Thanks so much!

AP Butterworth

Great outing in a beautiful location. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Super fun trip down the river with some great spots to rock jump and enjoy the outdoors. Would highly recommend Kootenay Raft Co to anyone seeking an adventurous afternoon.

Tyson W

An annual favorite. Ben is the best! Thanks

SHANE STEWART

We have rafted with these guys 4-5 times now on different rivers, excellent experience!

Arthur Kupper

Awesome ride down the St. Mary's! Guides were amazing and the whole experience was easy and fun.

Kyle Berdan

My family had an absolute blast on this rafting trip. Few stops for swimming, guides made it even better. Felt adventurous and super safe.

Dana Durrer

We had an excellent experience on the Intro to Sport Rafting - St. Mary's Express. The Guides were experienced and fun and most of all made it enjoyable for every age/ability. I would highly recommend!

P B

Our guide Carly was awesome, this is a beautiful trip down the st. Mary’s river!

Melanie Harthoorn

We had a great experience with our six kids age 5-12. Craig and the other guides were knowledgeable and experienced, and went out of their way to provide a fun and safe experience.

Phillip Woodgate

Excellent half day rafting the river today. guides did a good job of making it fun and exciting even though the water levels are low. Great Safety awareness. Thank you, we are contemplating doing it in kayaks before we leave the area for another year... hard to fit all the fun into one holiday!

Val Jones

The day was really fun. The guides/staff were friendly and professional. The trip was scenic and wet!

Stephen Barclay

What a wonderful time! My whole family and I (two children included) had a great afternoon rafting the St. Mary's River. Our guide, Benjamin, had over 20 years of rafting experience. He was super friendly, knowledgeable and fun. Kootenay Rafting Company was well organized, professional and worked hard to provide a great adventure. Our other guide, Mitch, was in the other raft and provided a great safety talk to ensure our safety. We highly recommend a rafting trip with this company. High five to Benjamin! This crazy Frenchman will make you laugh and provide a great trip. Keep up the great job guys!

marty rozon

The rafting was great, the people were great. The only little thing I would have liked different was if they could have texted me that they were running late for the pickup, waited about 35 minutes past expected time before the bus arrived.

Tod Caton

Ah man...if you find yourself in KImberley, BC with a group of friends or family and you have time for a super safe, laugh-filled adventure - you MUST hop onto the Kootenay Rafting bus and do the half-day St.Mary's float! We've done it twice now when our family is out to Kimberley and even 72 year old Dad and 5-year old Lucas LOVED it. It's the top rated Trip Advisor activity for a reason. Highly recommended for the whole crew.

Andy Miller

An engaging entry level rafting trip - great for all of our mixed experience group, dad, son (13) and daughter (8). A thrilling afternoon in capable hands. Thank you!

Tammy Serbu

It was so much fun!

Jason Yanota

Had a great inflatable Kayak trip in late August led by Ben. The river is still challenging but the instruction was professional and we were comfortable and safe the whole time!

Ryan Deacon

Great guides, tons of fun! We would do it again tomorrow if we could.

Jessica

My family rode on the St. Mary's Express and everyone loved it! The guides were informative and hilarious and kept the trip fun. Everyone had a great time and we would definitely recommend this place! Even my mom, who was very apprehensive about the trip, said she had a blast would do it again!

Brigitte Lessard-Deyell (The Story Warrior)

What a fabulous adventure for the whole family. It all starts with a big welcome and our first set of instructions, followed by a fun and bumpy bus ride to the river. Next, we put our equipment on and receive event more safety training. And then the adventure starts! Our guide Jared was fun, knowledgeable, and so friendly. He made the trip even more fun! We all recommended this fun rafting trip for the whole family!

G Jones

Great afternoon - easy but fun rapids and great guide with Riley!

J Jameson

Such a great trip. Our guide Heavy D was amazing. Lots of stories, facts and bad jokes! The whole crew was welcoming and taught us everything we needed for both fun and safety. Would definitely return and recommend.

Grom Tom

It was awesome !!!

Pam Watson

Our guide, Benjamin, was a gem! His energy, caring nature, and patience was exceptional.

Lauren van Ingen

We rented a canoe and gear from here and they were great - very helpful, quick to respond, and flexible on pickup and dropoff. It made for an easy start/end to our paddling trip! Thanks!

Max Westgate

We came out from Victoria to visit family and had the pleasure of going rafting for the first time with this amazing company. From the comedic-relief of the guides to the perfect combination of safety and adventure, the entire experience was a thrill all the way down the St Mary River. I would recommend this tour to absolutely anyone.

Jesse Godlington

I brought my students here to participate in their educational program on the Saint Mary’s River. The guides Ben and Alonso were very knowledgeable about the area and did a great job teaching my students about river safety and kayaking skills. I would strongly recommend this experience on the St. Mary’s river for a school group, family or a couple that wants a fun experience in the area.

Trevor Reitsma

Awesome experience on the river! Saw a bald eagle and some other birds/wildlife. The staff was energetic and very helpful! Definitely recommend these guys!

Michelle Barstad

Thank you for taking our family out Craig we had a blast!! Till next Time, Cheers!!

Scott Lonseth

Awesome crew and a guaranteed fun time!! Thanks

Jeff Kirk

We all had a great time! Lots of fun! Our guide was very knowledgeable about the river and helping us find other things to do it the area. Will be going back next time we're in the area highly recommend!

Dave Findlay

Awesome day. Shaun was excellent.

Kerri Oshust

Great afternoon. It was a great family activity, the kids loved it.

Mark Wagener

Amazing trip down the St. Mary's - great for the family. Technical, beautiful and what a blast!

Emily Matthews

Amazing trip, the guides were very knowledgable and provided tales of the area during the quieter portions of the river. The rapids were a lot of fun, and they let you camp (for free) the night before the rafting on a beautiful river shore. Thoroughly recommend this outfit to others!

Sara Bee

My son and I decided to try out the kayak down the river. It was AMAZING!!! Never set foot in a kayak before and we made it the entire way no problem. Tony was fantastic guiding his own raft full of people AND giving us all the direction, tips, and guidance we needed. If I could give more stars I would - this is something my kid and I would definitely do again and again!!!

Brenda Sibbet

Thank you so much. There was 9 of us in one boat. We have a good time going down the river. It was a good time getting the other people wet with the water. You staff did a Great job keep up the good work. My family have a good time and I. We will never get it... Thank you so much. THUMP UP .BRENDA SIBBET FROM CRANBROOK B.C

J P

Awesome day! Lots of fun and laughs. The people running the tour are great and offered lots of interesting information through out the trip.

Cam Hollman

Awesome time kayak rafting! Great people and awesome experience. Will definitely do this again!

Raechel Pearson

We had a great time going down St Mary's River. Our Guides we professional, fun & knowledgeable. We would definitely go again. Thank you!

Deanna Sheloff

An enjoyable day to pre-celebrate a milestone BDay! My wish was granted above & beyond as the rafting was a highlight as comradeship was shared among the fellow rafters through laughter. The experienced guides(Alonso was our's), continuously gave reassurance to us: "the rookie paddlers"!!! The guides offered many opportunities to go for a swim & prepare us as to what was next expected of us to participate in. A memorable, rewarding time that has magnetized me to return for another ride in the near future! Thank you to the endearing crew, both on & off the water for your warm reception! Deanna/Lorne ????✨????⚡️

Gabriella Vojtila

I had an absolute wonderful time with Kootenay Raft Co.! However, I would be lying if I didn't say that I had a great time because our rafting guide, Samir, did an amazing job and went above and beyond to do fun and cool tricks with us. I've been rafting before with a different company and it was good. However, after going rafting a second time and going with this company, I realized that you're experience is highly affected by who your raft guide is. I would give a Samir a 10/10 for his kindness, loyalty to making sure we all felt comfortable and safe, and for his funny "dad" jokes. #TeamJelloArms

chris elliott

Ten of us seniors had a wonderful day down the St. Mary's River with two very experienced guides. We were taught our commands for paddling while in the lake and then ventured down the river. It was so much fun being a participant of rowing rather than just drifting. Because we were such a large group they fed us snacks, lunch and drinks. A very affordable adventure and just a great experience seeing the winding of the river. Highly recommend it.

Trevor Griffith

Fantastic family experience! Our guide Ben was very informative throughout the entire trip. Well worth the drive we made from Fairmont!

Jordon Martin

Really fun afternoon for my son and I. Guide was very knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend doing the kayak vs the raft as we had a blast being on our own.

Martha Van Buuren

We went rafting with the KRC crew on July 17th with a big group filling 2 boats. It was the second time with KRC for most of our group. We had such a great time! Craig and his crew were very welcoming, and knowledgeable. We felt safe the whole time. The booking process was so easy. We will definitely book with them again. We want to try "The Bull" river next time! Thanks so much KRC Crew for a great afternoon, with a lot of laughs.

Barb Long

We had a fantastic time. Thanks to Ben, Sean and our guide, Carly (Dash) for your professionalism and enthusiasm. Highly recommend this adventure!

Barb Midwinter

My sister and I had an amazing time. Tom, our guide for the rafting tour, was thorough, fun and informative. We had never rafted before and he made our experience something to remember and repeat. We hope to be back when the river is higher for even more waves and fun! Thanks again Tom and Kootenay Raft Co for a great afternoon!

kara langlois

Ben was an awesome guide, my family had a great time.

Kendra Rieder

My husband and I booked the St. Mary's express as it was our first time rafting. When we got there, we were given the option to use the kayaks (which we chose to do). We had a great time! The guides were very good and seemed like they had a good amount of experience, but we're also fun loving and helped everyone have a good time. Would definitely do another outing with them again!

Brynn Harris-Hamm

Best afternoon of my life! They had everything we needed equipment-wise, all ready for us, then a fun bus ride with music.. Such an exhilarating fun time rafting on the river.. We felt safe and had an absolute blast. THANK YOU BEN!!!! Best guide! We will 100% be back as soon as we can!

Roy Reid

Had a great day rafting down the St. Mary River. Exceptional staff helped made the experience fabulous. Not only would I recommend a trip with Kootenay Raft Co. I would encourage it. A highlight to my summer! Thank you!!!!!

chris cameron

The staff were amazing, especially considering How inexperienced we all were. They made it fun and headed for obstacles for us to avoid as a group. Really involved all of us to work together(even if they really didn’t need us). Will recommend d to our friends who head this way for sure!!

Michael Brewster

Kootenay Rafting gave us a great day out on the St Mary River, we had a large group from 5 to 75 and everyone had a great time. Communication about last minute changes both on our side and theirs was dealt with easily and quickly.

Hessen Hessen

Excellent trip with a great guide. Entire group had a blast!

Parview Stock Farms

We had a brutal experience due to some staffing issues but the owner stepped up and made things right.

Andy DeVries

Nice company, great river trip. Ben was an excellent guide.