The West River is located in southern Vermont in Stratton. Stratton Mountain is one of Vermont’s largest resorts and the beginning point for an awesome whitewater adventure. If you are coming from the Boston/Hartford area it will take approximately three hours to get to Stratton and four and a half hours if you are coming from the New York City area.

The West River ranges from class II to IV and can be fun and exciting for the whole family. It starts at the Ball Mountain Dam where all the water for the river is released and winds through Jamaica State park and ends in Townshend Reservoir. The first rapid is The Landslide which goes for a few miles of exhilarating class III entertainment. Next is The Dumplings rapid with its s-turns and class IV rapids sure to test everyone’s abilities. After The Dumplings which are the largest and longest rapids, there’s plenty of time to relax, have lunch, and play on and off the raft before the day is through.

The whitewater rafting season for the West River runs from April through October. The best time to go is during the fall when the foliage starts to turn brilliant colors and the wildlife is more visible while munching food for the upcoming winter. There is a minimum age requirement of 12 years old for guided tours. Also, at the beginning of this river, there is a steep hike down to the river mouth so come prepared for that with some descent footwear that can get wet.

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