Please Note:
- Children must be age 6 or older
- Please wear water shoes, sandals w/ heel strap, old tennis shoes (NO flip flops or bare feet)
- NO alcohol allowed and NO glass containers on the river, thanks!
- In consideration of other customers on the shuttle bus, we do not allow dogs on the trips.
- Please arrive 20 minutes before scheduled Trip Time
- Bring water and snacks
- All customers will be required to sign a Liability Waiver and Assumption of Risk Agreement before participating in the trip. A link to an online waiver form will be sent with your confirmation email when you book.
Reservations:
Reservations are required. Click here to book online!
When and Where to Arrive:
Unless otherwise specified in your trip confirmation message, you should arrive at our shop location (1520 E. High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902,), 20 minutes prior to your scheduled trip time. We are located in a beautiful riverside field behind the Hogwaller Brewing Company and Sugar Bear Ice Cream (both are fantastic local businesses you should visit before or after your trip!). You will turn into the parking lot between these two businesses and follow the signs around back to a gravel parking lot. You will park here and be shuttled at the beginning or end of your trip.
Weather and River Condition Policies:
You will be contacted by email and/or cell phone the day before or at 8 AM the morning of your trip if weather or river conditions cause a trip cancellation. Trips cancelled by operator will be rescheduled or refunded.
Cancellation Policy:
Weather and River Condition Policies: You will be contacted by email and/or cell phone the day before or at 8 AM the morning of your trip if weather or river conditions cause a trip cancellation. Trips cancelled by operator will be rescheduled or refunded.
Cancellation Policy: Customers signed up for regular self-guided trips will receive a full refund with 48 hours notice of cancellation. No-shows will be charged the full price. Reservations for guided trips or any unique, custom trip not on our regular schedule must be cancelled or changed at least 72 hours in advance to receive a refund.
PLEASE NOTE: We run trips rain or shine if the weather and river conditions do not pose unacceptable risk. If RRC cancels a trip due to dangerous weather or other unforeseen circumstances, customers will receive a full refund. Please contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. No-shows will be charged the full price.
What to Wear: Plan to get wet. Dress in a bathing suit or shorts, a shirt with sleeves for sun protection, and a hat with a brim. Non-cotton clothing will be most comfortable and will dry quickly. Wear appropriate footwear, such as tennis shoes, water shoes, or sturdy sandals with heel straps. We don’t allow flip flops or bare feet. You will very likely need to get out of your boat and onto sand, rocks, and mud during your trip. We recommend that you have a full change of dry clothes and dry shoes available in your car at the end of your trip.
What to Bring:
For all paddling trips, we require that you bring one cell phone for safety reasons. You will most likely need a dry bag, so please obtain one in advance, or plan to rent one from us for $5 the day of your trip. Aside from your cell phone, we urge you to leave valuables and electronics locked in your car. We can hold your keys at our office while you are on the river. Please plan for the elements by bringing the following items with you for your trip.
- Please leave your Bluetooth speakers and other electronic speakers home. We ask that customers not use these to protect the natural setting and the peaceful enjoyment of the river by everyone out there.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat with a brim,
- Plenty of water and snacks
- Optional items: Insect repellant, camera, a small cooler (fits on the back of our kayaks), swim goggles or a snorkel mask
- Bring any medications that could be needed during the trip (or for the rest of the day/night in an emergency situation). This is particularly critical for Epi-Pens, Inhalers, Nitroglycerin, etc. that can save your life. Aside from your cell phone, we urge you to leave valuables and electronics locked in your car.
- For spring and fall trips, a warm layer such as a synthetic fleece jacket or sweatshirt
A Note on Late Summer Water Levels:
Late summer with variable rainfall can cause low-water conditions on the Rivanna. This means that the river can be slower with more rocks to dodge out there. On some short sections of the river, you can expect to run over or into some rocks. Sometimes this will necessitate getting out of the boat to pull it off the rocks. This makes it especially necessary to wear appropriate footwear, such as tennis shoes, water shoes, or sturdy sandals with heel straps. On the bright side, the water is generally clearer, which is great for fish-watching, snorkeling, and swimming, and the river is a great place to go for a refreshing experience in nature on hot summer days.
Safety Considerations:
All customers are required to be able to swim. When considering if a child is ready for a paddling trip, remember that the boat can flip and leave the child on their own to swim out of the river or back to the boat. The Minimum age for all downriver trips is 6 years old, but parents/guardians/youth leaders should consider the above situation before bringing children along. Any child 13 years or younger is required by law to wear their life jacket at all times while on the water. Rivanna River Company policy also requires everyone to wear their life jacket at all times while on the water.
Alcohol and water are a dangerous combination.
We strongly urge customers to consider the risks and plan to enjoy your trip without the distraction of mind-altering substances of any kind. Public consumption of alcohol at boat ramps and on the river is illegal. The Rivanna River Co. reserves the right to deny service to a customer at any time if our staff observes unsafe behavior and/or intoxication. Glass bottles or containers of any kind do not belong on the river. Because glass is an imminent hazard to customers, wildlife, and other river users, we do not allow customers to take glass containers on trips.