The Kicking Horse is a big river. It has big rapids, lots of volume, 32 km of raftable river and three accessible canyons. With numerous trip options available, we know narrowing down the choices can be a daunting task. If you're wondering what the most popular rafting trip on the Kicking Horse River is, we'll lay it all out.
Add to that, that you have different aged participants, different abilities and different desired levels of excitement, and the decision becomes even more difficult.
While we have lots of information available on all the trips offered on the Kicking Horse River, we wanted to make your life easier.
People regularly ask us what's the most popular trip on the Kicking Horse, and here it is: THE WHITE WATER DISCOVERY TRIP.
Thousands and thousands of people have rafted the Kicking Horse River, and rafting the upper and middle canyons is consistently what most guests choose.
For a rundown of what you'll be getting, here it is.
the skinny (what's the WHITE WATER DISCOVERY all about?)
- It rafts the upper and middle canyons of the Kicking Horse River (22 km on water)
- It's a great balance of gentle, scenic rafting in the upper canyon, and big, continuous whitewater in the middle canyon
- Includes a hot, riverside BBQ lunch halfway through the day with LOTS of options for everyone
- Finishes with a campfire and a big cheers to the day
- Runs daily from 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
- Minimum age is 12 years old and 90 lbs
- No experience required
why do people love this trip
- It starts off with the calmer stretch of river in the morning which gives you time to get comfortable in the raft and familiar with your guide. For any first-timers or nervous rafters this is really nice, as you'll be able to build your confidence before hitting the whitewater. If you're not nervous, people still love rafting the upper canyon as the views are stunning and you'll have a chance to go for a swim if you're up for it.
- Rafting the upper canyon also means you get lunch. Return guests joke all the time that they come back just for the food. Think sizzling steaks, juicy chicken breasts, fat burgers, soulful sole fish, big hot dogs and flavourful veggie burgers. Add to that our buffet of salads and other sides and you've got yourself a real riverside feast.
- The second section you'll raft is called the middle canyon. Starting off with a 1 km stretch of continuous class 4 white water (class 4 being the highest we can commercially raft) definitely gets the smiles out, and it's rapid after rapid throughout the rest of the 10 km canyon.
- At high water, the middle canyon is as big as the Kicking Horse ever gets. It's an amazing experience to have and it's our guides favourite time of the season.
- Spending a full day on the river provides a more complete rafting experience. To really get a taste of what river rafting is all about, it's nice to spend as much time on the river as your schedule permits.
- By the time you reach the middle canyon and everyone's comfortable in the boat, your guide will give you the opportunity to play some river games. If you really want to go for it, try your hand at the river rodeo!
- It's a full day on the river which allows you to take in many different views and landscapes. There are wide open valleys, 365 degree views of towering mountain peaks and pristine glacial water. There are cascading waterfalls that are clean enough to drink, wildlife and warm summer sun. It's a lot to take in in one day, which means it'll be a day to remember
- Because the minimum age is 12 and 90 pounds it's accessible to most groups and lots of families (if you have younger kids, however, check out the best option for family rafting on the Kicking Horse)
While we could go on and on, it's probably best if you come and experience it for yourself.
The Kicking Horse River is renowned for a reason, and it's located in such a beautiful part of the world.
We love our river and hope to share it with you. We'll have a big cheers at the end of the day to pay our respects to the river, and to you for taking the time to experience this beauty.
Get a sense of what a full day of rafting on the Kicking Horse looks like by watching the video below.
Given the balance of calm water and big whitewater, scenery and rapids, excitement and laughter, there's no doubt people love the White Water Discovery trip.
Ready to confirm your seats?
While the White Water Discovery is the most popular rafting trip on the Kicking Horse River, there are many other tours to choose from. If this isn't the trip for you, check out our trip selector to find the perfect option.
If you have other questions or would like to get in touch, contact us by emailing trips@glacierraft.com.
We hope to raft with you this summer and cheers from all of us here at Glacier
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