Whitewater River Treks

Your Scouts BSA and Venturers camp fee includes one offsite activity (either horsemanship merit badge, horse trail ride, or a whitewater river trip). You will have the option of choosing the day/activity that you would like to do when class registration opens. We will have trips on the Nantahala River Monday through Thursday, while trips on the Ocoee River are only available on Mondays and Thursdays. (The Tennessee Valley Authority does NOT run water in the Ocoee on Tuesday and Wednesday.) Hormanship you select one day for a ride and one day for a class. Whitewater Merit Badge meets daily throughout the week in the morning.

Scouts wishing to do a second offsite activity have an additional fee published in the Leader Guide.

Adults have the option to participate in whitewater river trip or a horse trail ride, for an additional fee published in the Leader Guide.

Note: All whitewater participants must pass the BSA Swim Test. 

Nantahala River trip is better suited for the younger members (first and second year scouts) of your unit. It consists of a river float combined with Category II-III rapids and provides a young Scouts BSA a wonderful introduction to the excitement of whitewater rafting. Waiver forms (WWE) are required for this “off camp” activity.

The Ocoee River trip is a more advanced whitewater experience consisting of category III-IV rapids. Camp Woodruff guidelines recommend that only youth 13 and older with two previous trips on the Nantahala or a similar river participate due to the more physically and mentally strenuous demands of the trip. Whitewater Express Waiver forms are required for each participant attending this “off camp” activity. 

Note: Due to the overwhelming demand for Ocoee River trips, each unit is limited to a maximum of two (2) adults on the Ocoee each week. There is no limit on the number of adults on the Nantahala.

Click here to download the Whitewater Express Waiver.