Three Rivers Whitewater

I loved my experience at Three Rivers! I had never gone rafting before so I was a bit nervous, but the guide was so knowledgeable. The helpfulness and friendliness of the staff helped to make the trip one to remember. The pictures can’t do this place justice, the scenery is absolutely stunning! Perfect weekend getaway!

This is a wicked fun company to raft with! My sister and I did the full Kennebec river trip and my niece and nephew met us for the lower river which gave us the chance to hit the bigger rapids and involve the kids too. They had a blast with Joe the bus driver by the way! My nephew adored our guide Jake who was great with the kids. Carter even insisted on giving Jake a hug before we left which of course brought a little tear to my eye. The lunch that is included with the trip was delicious and welcome after the day of fresh air and paddling on the water. We saw eagles and mergansers on the water and I loved that part considering that I am a bird nerd! A great day that we plan to repeat next year and every year after!

My friends and I have been rafting at least half a dozen times with Three Rivers and plan on going back as often as we can. The staff is an absolute blast and they make us feel welcome and safe on the river. The cabins are cozy, rafting is awesome, the homemade food is great, and hanging out around the bonfire and singing karaōke is always a great way to end the night. My friends and I have made unforgettable memories here. We absolutely LOVE this place. Thank you Kim, Joe and the rest of the Three Rivers staff! We’ll see you soon :)

From the pictures I’m seeing that is not the camp we stayed at, but I know they have other locations but its all the same company… whatever lets start the review
Came up for a Bachelor party weekend. There was 16 of us and we did the all inclusive deal which was all food and non-​alcoholic drinks, full day of rafting and 2 nights stay in a Yurt. We stayed at their camp in Millinocket ME. The camp has the Main building where everything is located. The restaurant/​bar, bathrooms/​showers, gift shop everything. all the camp sites pretty much surround this. Our Yurts were on the end of the trail which was great for us. We had plenty of room and we were kind of loud so it was probably good we were near the end haha.
The Yurts were a good size slept 8 adults comfortably and we also had our own private bathroom. Yes most of the sites are just camp sites or cabins that don’t have private bathrooms so you would have to go to the main building to handle business, shower etc.
The rafting is exactly what you’d expect… F**KING awesome. Its fun, exciting and exhilarating. We had Tyler and Matty as our guides. Honestly if you can request them do it they were awesome guides and really showed us a great time on the water.
If you’re thinking about doing it, don’t think just book. You wont be sorry
Please be sure to tip your guides !!

Careful tour guides who are knowledgeable and kind. Adventure at its best — as wild or tame as you can take. Incredible and memorable day!

First Blast on the Dead River was a blast!

I’ve been rafting with this company too many times to count over the last few years and every trip is amazing. The staff rocks and have become family. This company knows how to treat their guests.
I’m looking forward to completing level 1 guide training this year.

This place rocks! We arrived from New York into West Forks for an overnight rafting trip with our three kids having no idea what to expect. The first thing we encountered was incredible kindness. Everyone was just so darn nice. They also were really cool about timing and insisted that there was no hurry at all in terms of getting our stuff organized and getting on the bus to go to the rafting site. It was so relaxing not to rush, rush, rush.
Our guide, Max, was phenomenal. Our two boys, aged 16 and 13, absolutely adored him and our 8 year old was enthralled. Max was knowledgable and calm and refused to jeer us city folks even though we did act like idiots with our silly questions and worries.
The camp was beautiful and the cook and coordinator, Dan, was a lovely guy who patiently answered all of our questions about camping and boating and Maine. He also did a mean moose call! Not to mention his wonderful strawberry shortcake and gorgeous pancakes!
The rafting itself was so much fun that my surly teenagers, who were initially reluctant to even admit they liked anything about our vacation, have asked us repeatedly if they can return again next year. We all loved it so much that we will definitely be back!

This review brings to an end a two-​year odyssey/​experience with Three Rivers.
TL;DR: Three Rivers’ customer service is amazing, but I would try out a different place before going back here. HOWEVER: it seems like most people who come here love the vibe, and especially if you are in your 20s and want to really let loose on your rafting weekend, you will love this.
I have been to Three Rivers twice, and the first time was a complete disaster. We had a guide who was exactly like a Zach Galifianakis character. I kept expecting the Punk’d cameras to show up… but nope, he was our real guide.
I will leave out the details, but suffice it to say that our experience gave us fodder for juicy stories for the following year and beyond. We didn’t really feel unsafe, but we were so disgusted and annoyed by our guide that some of us were jumping out of the raft to swim just to get away from him. At the end of the day, one member of our group complained, and they upgraded us to a cabin (we had been in one of the «tent cabins» to start with) and also gave us a certificate for a complimentary rafting trip the following season, so when we came back we would only need to pay the cost of our lodging. The second trip was super awesomely fun, because we figured it out and upgraded to one of the nicer cabins from the get go.
If you are not interested in staying up all night debauching, you will want one of these cabins as well. They are comfortable, roomy, and quiet. The tent cabins are not. You’ll be sleeping on a cot, basically, but the bigger issue is that they open onto a big open field where, at least the weekend we were there, there was a singalong that went until the sun came up… not what we were after when we had to be up bright and early for our rafting trip.
I’m sure there are folks out there for whom a party atmosphere is a huge plus. If so, Three Rivers is your place! It’s not really a great place for families or more mature adults. But kudos to Three Rivers for how professionally (and generously) the handled a group of dissatisfied customers, and for the professionality of their guides… our experience the second year was fantastic.

I have been rafting with this company for the past four years now, and have gone rafting with them six different times. This is by far the best company I have rated with, and every single time I go I cannot wait until the time because everyone who works on the staff just makes it such an awesome and memorable experience. I have had a few different guides since I have been rafting with this company, but honestly every single one has been amazing, and would be happy to raft with any of them. I could go on and on about how awesome this place is, but it is definitely something that has to be experienced in person. Every single time I go, I always feel right at home!

Great fun, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Can’t wait to go again!
We did a sampler-​style weekend; tried everything but the skydiving. We did the float trip, the whitewater full day, and the safari nature hike. The facilities were clean and well-​maintained, as was all of the equipment that we used. They even had PFDs (life-​jackets) to fit my ogre-​like frame, which was a relief. The staff members wear many different hats: guide one day, cook the next, etc, so we got to see and chat with the same people several times. They were also good enough to pack lunches and/​or snacks for each excursion in case you didn’t bring your own… and after a day of rafting/​hiking, ham ‘n cheese sammiches with granola bars are delicious.
We did the float trip the first day; just the half-​day float (about 3 hours) on the Kennebec River with Sara as our raft’s guide. She was very friendly and helpful, and the two guides brought along single-​seat «ducky» kayaks in case anyone wanted to paddle around on their own for a bit (which I did). The waters are mostly calm, with just a few slightly choppy patches, so this made for a relaxing ride. The rafts stop at a couple eddies for the riders to swim, if they choose. A good trip to bring a book or a camera if you don’t plan on jumping overboard. Do bring sunblock, though, as there’s little to no shade except for cloud cover.
The second day was the full run of the Kennebec, including the class II-​IV rapids at the top half, which was a wild and exciting ride. Seth was our guide for this run, and he kept us all in the raft (except when we all jumped out on purpose to swim) and off the rocks. There are a few brief stops along the way; resting in eddies or getting out of the raft to see a small waterfall, as well as a snack stop halfway down. I posted a highlight reel of my helmet camera’s footage on YouTube (search for «Kennebec River August 24 Highlight»). The second half of the river was like the float trip from the day before, so we could rest from all the paddling. Again, bring sunblock. Even though it was cooler in the morning (60-​ish degrees), it got warm really quickly, so nobody needed the wet suit pieces.
On the third day we did the nature/​safari hike with Chris May. It was his first time guiding the hike, even though he’d been on the hike before, so it was a lotta laughs as we all figured out what we were doing. We first went to Moxie Falls, where Chris showed us a swimming area just above the falls; you can sit under some smaller waterfalls or paddle around in the river. The second part was Grand Falls, which was a bit of a hike, including some steep stone steps, but was worth the effort. Sadly, we didn’t see any moose or bear, but there were a lot of interesting flora to see.
If you’re up towards Maine during the spring-​fall time period, Three Rivers is worth a trip. Would definitely go again.

My experience with Three Rivers was absolutely fantastic… and I can’t wait to go back!
We stayed in the cabins, which were very quaint – lots of different beds (bunks, singles, up in a loft, etc.), clean bathrooms, and outdoor picnic tables. They’re named after the rivers and brooks, which is pretty cute… except if you’re staying inside the «Dead» cabin. ;)
The breakfast buffet is NOT included in the package, but it’s $ 7 for all you can eat eggs, sausages, pancakes, English muffins, and potatoes, as well as all you can drink OJ and coffee. Not bad. Cash only!
While you’re rafting, you should shy away from wearing cotton, and stick with other synthetic materials that’ll dry more quickly. I also recommend a bathing suit underneath – especially for the ladies. Make sure you’ve got appropriate footwear (Crocs and flip flops do NOT count), too. They have rentable water booties and wetsuits there, if you are super unprepared, though I can’t imagine coming whitewater rafting without having done SOME research on what to pack beforehand! :)
Our river guide was AWESOME. Bobby, the lead guide, was amazingly personable and professional. He had been there for three seasons, and was super familiar with the sport and the rivers. He took the time to go over EVERYTHING, which made me feel über safe and prepared for anything (falling out of the raft, helping others who may fall out, emergency medical issues, etc.). He emphasized teamwork, and was straightforward about working together to have the best time… and we really did have the best time!
It was 4,800 cfs on the Kennebec, and we were able to hit class 2, 3, and 4 rapids. We also went «surfing» on a few hydraulics, thanks to Bobby’s guidance and support. He really held our raft together, and ensured that we all had an incredible experience (including having different snacks and drinks on board – you WILL build up an appetite paddling through the river). He’s also one of the most hard-​working individuals I’ve ever met in my life! He cooks, cleans, guides, and does everything under the sun… Three Rivers is really lucky to have such a competent, compassionate guide. Thanks for everything, Bobby!
Once we got back from being on the river (at least an hour or two of the really exciting stuff, with the rapids and hydraulics, plus another two on the «lazy river» portion where your guide takes care of you and you can swim alongside the raft), we put on dry clothes and were able to enjoy a lovely warm meal. I had the fish, and everything came with coleslaw, smashed potatoes, corn, a roll, and the most delicious chocolate chip cookie you’ll ever eat. The bar’s also open by the time you’re back at camp, so you can enjoy your food with a nice cold beer (Shipyard Summer is awesome, FYI!) and wonderful company.
We really liked the photos and the video at the end of lunch, too. You can purchase them if you’d like at the gift shop – some of the shots are really priceless and you’ll want a copy (or five). Really incredible experience all around, and very high recommended. (Just remember… you won’t have any cellular service here or around the area, so take care of your business beforehand and enjoy quiet, beautiful nature while you’re here!)

I really wish I could review my rafting/​river/​cookout/​guide experience separate from my camping experience!
Having never rafted before, I was really nervous about falling out and drowning in the river– I shouldn’t have worried! Our safety briefing was very comprehensive and alleviated a number of my fears. Our guide, Dan, was a great guy who made us all feel comfortable and ensured we had a TON of fun on the water. We hope he gets his Class 2 certification so he can take us on the Penobscot trip next summer!
My camping experience was lacking, to say the least. The bathrooms were disappointing and dirty, our site wasn’t marked very well which made it really hard to find, and since we were right next to the road, we heard street traffic all night. Added to the fact there are no quiet hours (at all!), we had to deal with hearing people screaming at 4:30am before our trip. There was one huge obnoxious group that seemed to be behind much of the noise, but it was disappointing nonetheless.
Three Rivers puts together a great trip, but be ready to party your ass off (I guess I didn’t get the memo/​was still hungover from the 4^th of July myself) or you’ll notice rowdy guests interfering with your beauty sleep! Overall, though, I’d recommend Three Rivers to anyone, especially if you’re with a big outgoing group.

Awesome crew who led us on an incredible adventure! Can’t wait to go back!

I went up to three rivers for a big release weekend, and my life (or at least my summers) will never be the same.
I’ve been rafting in Maine once before, so I have a little basis for comparison. But really that’s all I need when the difference is this obvious!
First off, 8000 cf’s on the Kennebec equals class ⁴⁄₅ rapids. If you’re an adrenaline junky you want to be there on one of these weekends. There is a huge difference between a big release and a regular trip down the river. The water is cold even in August, so dress the way they tell you too, and remember to layer, layer, layer.
The Three Rivers Site is so easy to find! I love the communal campground, whether you’re tent camping or in one of their mini-​cabins most camp sites surround a wide open field where people come out to mingle at nite (especially if you come in a huge group, as we did). The campground location is directly across the street from the Boatman’s Bar & Grill, where you will find nightly entertainment (bands, karaōke, tv’s) in addition to the evening bonfires. Bring your s’mores fixings up, it’s encouraged. You can also grab breakfast here if you don’t feel like camp breakfast. It’s also the staging area for rafting in the morning.
On our weekend Three Rivers provided clam and lobster bake dinner after our Saturday rafting trip. A.maze.balls. Steak, lobsters, corn on the cob, rolls, mashed potatoes, salad and warm cookies. Yes please.
Three rivers guides are fun and awesome people. I felt comfortable and at ease with my guide on our raft, even on a day when there was a very real chance that we could fall out, or be flipped. (We didn’t!) I also had a ton of fun chatting with, hearing stories from and partying with guides after a full day on the water.
Three rivers, I love you. Don’t forget me over the long, lonely Maine winter. I’m going to back as soon as possible next summer, and I plan to pick up right where we left off.

Came to Three Rivers this past weekend with Social Boston Sports. It was an awesome weekend thanks to Three Rivers!
The atmosphere is perfect. On one side of the road is the store/​check in, bar/​restaurant which has a covered patio and an outdoor area where they have a bon fire every night.
The other side of the street is a big field where you can camp in your own tent or rent bunks (8 small beds in one). I would suggest just bringing a tent as I think it’s cheaper. They have men and womens bathrooms with showers too.
Now for the good stuff… the rafting! We were with a group of 150 people and Three Rivers managed it all perfectly! They got us all to fill out our paper work, get into boat groups, get our gear, and go through safety within about 30 — 40 minutes.
My boat ended up having Jeremy as our guide who was awesome! He had been guiding for over 10 years and was really knowledgeable not only about rafting but about the Kennebec (and others) River and area. We had 8000 cfs which apparently makes for absolutely awesome rapids! We hit class 2s, 3s, and 4s. We got to jump out of the boat at one point and swim through too.
Another highlight of Three Rivers was that by the time we got back to camp they had an entire video created and edited of all of us as well as a slide show! We all watched that after our Lobster Bake and lunch that included Lobster, burgers, pasta salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and more.
I highly recommend Three Rivers for your next White Water Rafting trip!

I’ve used different rafting outfits each time I’ve rafted the rivers in Maine. I chose Three Rivers this time around because SBS uses them as their outfit of choice for their trips and I’ve heard nothing but good things about their guides, which is the key to a great trip down the river.
My guide Charley was great. She’s a cute blonde, but behind her looks is a skilled guide who keeps us in line. She will point out if you’re not in sync with the rest of the group, and keeps in mind safety as priority, but she knows her way on the river. She’s a born and bred Mainer and has gone down the rivers in Maine since she was a kid. Her knowledge and skill are top notch where she’s the guide for night runs that the guides do themselves. Her knowledge on the rapids and where to guide the boat was apparent, giving us a thrilling ride throughout the trip. She’s also the office manager, so she’s handling two jobs, but it seems that most of the guides are wearing two hats.
The camp grounds is a wide open space, so not like your typical campsite, but it was fine. There’s also a tavern that serves food and drinks so you can let them good times roll if your staying the evening.

Came here on a rafting/​camping trip. Even with the rainy weather, we had a blast. The trip down the dead was more powerful than expected. The guides are so much fun!
The camp grounds were open and it seemed like it was easy to find a flat place to park a tent. My favorite is the open field they have on the grounds for games and star gazing at night.
My only disappointment was the food at the place, the grilling was a bit overcooked for my taste, but I guess I come to raft and drink not eat!

I just had the best fucking time of my life here. I now want to go white water rafting EVERY.DAY. I swear, if I didn’t have to have a job continously for the entire year, I would seriously consider becoming a guide.
Speaking, of the guides, they are AWESOME! They are hilarious, they know what they are doing, and they make damn sure that you hit everything possible (Thanks Ryan!)
The grounds are huge, and are ideal for playing anyof the following: volleyball, frisbee, kickball, football, dodgeball, wink tackle (Ugh I’m still sore) or anything else you can think of.
I can’t wait to come back, because even though this place is in the middle of NO WHERE, Three Rivers still manages to keep everyone entertained!

I came with Social Boston Sports (SBS) to take on the Dead river with the help of Three Rivers Whitewater Inc. These guides know what’s up. They’re professional and know what they’re doing, and they do it well, but they’re laid back enough that you have a kick ass time doing it — while feeling as safe as one possibly can feel while riding class 5 rapids.
5,500 cfs on the Dead river was what I took on for my first rafting experience… and had a BLAST doing it. Check out pictures of past rafters trips on their website… that will get you PUMPED!
The Three Rivers campground has a pretty sweet setup. On one side of the road is their bar, bonfire area, shop, etc… and on the other side of the road you’ve got a volleyball area, a huge field to play sports or stargaze in, picnic tables, areas to set up tents and camp, mens and women’s bathroom/​bath houses, and platform tent and bunk areas. They also have areas where you can set up some fires and relax with your friends.
The owner and the raft guides were social with everyone and came around and introduced themselves the night before we rafted, and hung out with us the night after we rafted too. Again… professional, but also laid back and just have a kick ass time with you.
One thing I will say about the camp ground, is that when you book your weekend, you might want to ask them about other campers in the area you’ll be staying. Since it’s a mixed and open environment… if you know you’re someone who likes to go to bed early and can’t sleep if there are people out and about partying until the wee hours of the morning, you might want to ask for a more secluded spot. If you want to be in the mix of the party, then no need to worry.
Last thoughts… I CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!

Three Rivers knows how to do it right! I think I am hooked on a new way to get an adrenaline rush!
I came up with Social Boston Sports for a weekend of car camping, fun and games, and of course HIGH WATER RAFTING! The Kennebec River usually has releases that run at 4,000 cfs, but we were able to go on a day that released at 8,000 cfs! This made rapids such as Maytag and Big Mamma just about as fun as you could imagine. Plus since the water is so high there is even a rapid called Swimmer’s Rapid, that well as the name suggests you can float right though!
The staff and owners at Three Rivers are just about the nicest, fun bunch of people you can imagine. We had a blast with our guide Jeremy, who was a wealth of information about the river and rafting in general. Plus all the other guides were a blast to hang out with at the bar and campsite after rafting. And let me not forget to mention the generous hospitality shown to us during the post-​rafting lobster clambake/​steak BBQ! Delicious! After a day of thrilling rafting and once you are stuffed to gills with delicious food, they show you the video and pictures from your trip! That’s right, they sent someone a head of the group at each big rapid to take action shots! The slide presentation is hilarious, they zoom in on individuals faces as they are looking down into the hole of a class 4 rapid!
Camping was not hardcore, even if you pitch a tent like I did for the weekend, there are outhouses with hot water and electricity. Multiple fire pits, and flat paths to pull your car right up to your campsite. In addition to setting up a tent, they also have the option to stay in platform tents or newly built summer bunks. They are all about as basic as they come with no electricity, but comfortable and dry (or at least thats how they looked from my tent flap in a downpour)!
Of course the main building it the Boatman Bar and Grill, which serves as a multifunction meeting space as well as a kick ass bar! They had a $ 6 breakfast buffet in the morning, it was where we watched our slide show and video after the BBQ (it has curtains that are drawn to make the room dark), and at night it was where we threw back Shipyard Summer, played flip cup, shot pool, sang karaōke, listened to the awesome Returnables, and sat around a bonfire.
Three Rivers’ tag line does not lie. They really are «The home of serious fun.»

I love three rivers.
We went memorial day weekend when it was probably way too cold to camp, raft, or skydive, but we attempted to do all three.
The camp grounds are nice, when it’s warm. Stef and I huddled together in freezing temperatures trying to conserve body heat. For the cooler temperatures I would recommend renting a yurt, everyone in there seemed toasty warm and peachy keen. Nice grounds tho, outhouses every five feet, your own camping table, and stone inset for starting a fire. Beautiful forested grounds.
The Rafting down the Penobscot was amazing! You can rent a wet suit, booties, all equipment for a total of $ 15. Sweet. The actually trip to the Penobscot took maybe 30 min. A short walk and then pulling your raft into the water for a quick 10 min drill on raft positioning and directions. Right after that, they take you down Class 5 whitewater into the Class 4 cribs.
Your guides will be completely insane (and that is might high praise from me), and willing to go through extreme lengths to make this the best rafting experience you have ever had. There are also swimming areas where you can jump in and paddle around in your wetsuit (lung paralyzingly cold!). In the middle of the trip they take you to a picnic area, and the guides cook a barbecue meal for you.
The skydiving, sadly, did not work out because of the weather, but they gave us a rain-​check slip and a free night on the campgrounds for whenever we can make it back to three rivers.
Will definitely be back! To skydive and raft the Dead River. One of the highlights of my summer!

All I can say about Three Rivers is – amazing!
If you ever get the chance to go whitewater rafting, definitely check out Three Rivers. I went with 44 other people from Social Boston Sports for the first weekend in September. We got to hit class 5 rapids and were lead by a team of wonderful guides along the Kennebec River.
Three Rivers has both platform tents and pitch your own sites. Each lot has their own spot that includes a campfire pit and a picnic bench. They sell firewood at their store/​gift shop for $ 4 for those that are too lazy to go hunt for wood.
They have a bar/​grille which has activities every night. You can also play volleyball, ping-​pong, pool, video games, and such if you so choose.
We got to experience their clam/​lobster bake, where the only way I can truly describe it is as kick ass. You get your lobster on one plate and then you get to pile your other plate with everything else they are serving which consisted of corn, mashed potatoes, bread, salad, clam, alternative food (steak, chicken, veggie burger — I believe), and so much more. There was so much food! Something definitely worth checking out is the Hollow Log fire. Their breakfast was ok. It wasn’t the greatest but it sufficed for camping.
It can’t get any better than booze all weekend, hitting the rapids, clam/​lobster bake, awesome guides and staff, a huge ass fire, and kick ass group of people to party with.
Thanks SBS & Three Rivers for making my first rafting experience a spectacular one!
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Update (because Craig wants me to review the river too!):
It was the weekend they were doing turbine testing (Sept. 8) and so they released an 8000cfs, class 5 rapids. This would be the day you would be able to catch all the awesome rapids. The guide stated that he doesn’t get to do it very often, but we ended up getting to experience «the mayhem» (i could be completely wrong with the name), but it was suppose to be a wave that comes up like a hand and the fingers comes up when you hit it… and that was when we lost our guide and 2 others on the front right. Nothing topped our guide, coming up from the water, trying to pull himself in, and saying «Pull me in, you dumbass!».
Oh yeh and I did not fall in on my first ride, as I had feared :-D
The water was definitely cold and fast. But was definitely exhilarating. I would most definitely do it again. We got to jump into the water and play games on the calmer side of the river and at Swimmer’s Rapids.
P. S. I’m thinking of doing a skydiving/​rafting trip is anyone is interested.