Northern Outdoors Reviews
Reviews of Northern Outdoors Adventure Resort and Northern Outdoors Rafting Trips
We love what we do- and it shows. Our guests rave about their experiences- from the reservation process to the river, the brewpub to the hot tub. Read our reviews below- from Google and Trip Advisor- and then come see for yourself why guests return year after year to Northern Outdoors!
Northern Outdoors' reviews on Google:
Mark McDonald
18:21 03 Sep 24
We had a really fun time on a short stay for a rafting trip on Labor Day. We stayed in the 2-person canvas tents, which were reasonably priced and comfortable, although very basic. The restaurant had... some great comfort food, such as buffalo chicken mac and cheese. The rafting trip was very well organized, safe, and really fun. Our guide, Brinna, had the right mix of conversation, knowledge of the Kennebec River and other rivers where they operate, taking charge at the right times to get us to row, and cracking a few camp-style jokes to lighten the mood. Halfway down the river, lunch at a riverside beach was delicious and filling - there was more than enough to satisfy even the deepest hunger. I would recommended staying for at least a couple of nights and scheduling more than one activity (e.g. hiking, ATVs, river rafting), as there is so much to do.read more
Marissa S
14:00 28 Aug 24
We came up here for a work trip to stay in the cabins and go white water rafting. We all had an absolutely incredible time! Ashley was our raft guide and she was great. She kept the energy high even... when it poured through lunch and the second half of the day. The food by the river was delicious and the hot chocolate was the perfect beverage to warm up by the fire with. The slide show at the end with Ashley was hilarious. Definitely a trip to remember!read more
Clarissa Jane
15:42 23 Aug 24
Patronized the restaurant and retail shop. Wonderful food, coffee was great, service was awesome.
Mike Maple
18:25 19 Aug 24
We traveled from south Florida to Boston to you just to raft down the river. Will certainly tell others about our trip and encourage them to put you on their list!
Jason Clark
13:55 19 Aug 24
The team was great. My son had a summer class final exam to take and they found him a quite spot to take the exam. They went out of their way.
mary Ortiz
20:16 17 Aug 24
We had a great experience staying in the lodge! We loved the staff and the whitewater rafting with our guide Fields! What a great experience for all ages! We loved the food 😋 too!! Staff... was friendly and down to earth!read more
Jennifer Burke
16:09 09 Aug 24
We can't say enough great things about our experience here. Customer service is a top priority. Everyone we interacted with was kind and helpful. We spent one day on the Kennebec River and had THE... BEST guide. Thank you, Ashley for making the ride enjoyable and safe for all of us. You are truly great at what you do.We would absolutely recommend this facility to our friends and family.read more
Robert C.
00:30 03 Aug 24
The staff at Northern Outdoors delivered a family vacation to remember! My white water rafting adventure on the Kennebec river and two night resort stay with my wife and two young kids exceeded my... family's expectations in every possible way.RESERVATIONS: They were were quick to answer my online questions with plenty of details that gave me all the answers I needed prior to booking my reservation. Reserving my stay and rafting trip online was easy, and the email confirmation had all the details I needed.SERVICE: From the moment I arrived with my wife and two small children, the woman at the front desk was highly professional, accommodating and very friendly. When my wife later lost an item of hers, the front desk staff was very kind and helpful in the effort to help her find it, which she did. Our breakfast hostess was super cool and friendly, and had my kids smiling. Our dinner and lunch waitresses and bartender were also friendly and great, and brought out our orders promptly, especially considering how busy the pub was for dinner.LODGING: We stayed in the lodge room above the brewery. It had a rustic, but charming feel, with three beds, a private bathroom, an AC and small corner mounted TV. There is also free WiFi. The room and bedding were clean and comfy. The shower had nice shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in dispenser bottles on the shower wall for guests to freely use. I was originally worried that being above the pub would be noisy and that it would be difficult for my wife and kids to sleep, but it was actually pretty soundproof and quiet, and we all got a restful sleep.The pool and hot-tub right outside the pub and room were also big hits, especially with my kids. There is also a small arcade room to the side of the pub, with some limited arcade options, like a couple of racing games and pinball machine, which was ok.FOOD: The menu at the Kennebec River Pub Brewery isn't very large, but it is good pub food. My kids loved the pizza, chicken tenders, and chocolate chip pancakes. I had Fish & Chips for one dinner, which was good. My wife really liked her salad. The Chicken Fried Steak I had for one breakfast was awesome!BEER: The Blueberry Ale, White Water Wheat, and Magic Hole IPA were all excellent! I bought a 4-pack of the Magic Hole IPA because of the great taste and cool can design.RAFTING: This was my first white water rafting experience, which I decided to do for my birthday, and I am so glad I did it here. From our bus ride to the launch site, all the guides were fun and kept things lively. My rafting guide, Sarah, was awesome and provided an exhilarating and safe white water rafting experience that was everything I could have hoped for...and more! Throughout the excitement of crashing into the white water waves, she gave clear instructions, looked out for the safety of everyone on the raft, and made us all feel like a cohesive team. She was also very informative, telling us the cool history of the river and the rafting company during the more easy going parts toward the latter end of the afternoon trip down the river. She also pointed out two bald eagles, which was definitely a cool sight. The lunch we had on the riverbank was excellent and worthy of a top notch restaurant meal. I had the fresh salmon option, but you can get a steak or, I believe, a veggie meal. Overall an amazing rafting adventure for which I am grateful.GIFT SHOP: We got some great souvenirs at the gift shop. The shop was especially useful, because I was able to get quick dry tops and water shoes the day of my rafting trip at a great value price, better than what I saw online. Saved me from having to do an online shop beforehand.CONCLUSION: To wrap up, Northern Outdoors provided me and my family a white water rafting experience and rustic stay that was above and beyond! We can't wait to return. If you are at all interested in white water rafting - be it solo, with friends, or with a family that includes children - you can't go wrong here. Highly recommended!read more
Dave Briggs
21:04 01 Aug 24
Not sure where to start... very responsive via email to some enquiries that we had before booking.Booking very easy, straightforward, and did the waivers online which sped things up on the... morning.Alarm went bright and early this morning to get to Northern Outdoors for 7.30am (registration was from 7.45).A couple of safety meetings and talks, and then time to board the bus for the put in sight - around half an hour away.We were kept thoroughly entertained by one of the guides - John - who gave us a wildlife and general talk on the way. Very funny!We were very very fortunate to get Erik as our whitewater guide for the day - great guy, very friendly, easy going, explained everything well and a real crefit to Northern Outdoors.A couple more safety things, and we were off down the river. Erik was great, and didnt realise there was a video and photographer at different key locations on the route.. will come to this a bit later.Stopped for some really delicious lunch -cooked by all the guides and included in the price. Northern Ourdoors are one of the only whitewater tours that do lunch like this. Really tasty, despite being cooked on a beach! They all did a fantastic job.Then an easier ride back to the centre where people could jump into the water and swim or float alongside the boat.When we got back to the centre, we got to see the photos and videos taken throughout the trip down the river - entertained by John again with a running commentary of the photos! You can buy them and the video, so we're going to do that after I send this!A huge thank you and shout out to Erik. Hope you really enjoy the rest of your time at Northern Outdoors! Thank you so much for looking after us, especially Abigail, the 'paddle princess'!Thanks and well done to Molly who lead the whole river ride today, to John for the entertainment, and to all the other instructors for the best day, and one that none of us will forget.Thank you finally to Northern Outdoors - youve created a whole day-long experience that has sent us all away with huge smiles, and fantastic memories.We're going to try and come back - wont be for a few years - to ride the Dead River and maybe even the Penobscot!Thank you so much. Hugely appreciated.read more
Suresh Valloppillil
17:22 31 Jul 24
Everything was great, I just wish that there was clear indications when making the reservations that there is no soap or shampoo in the rooms. I had to drive 10 minutes away to the closest shop.
Anne Hutchinson
14:26 30 Jul 24
Had an amazing experience whitewater rafting on the Kennebec river with family! The staff was all professional, detail oriented and communicative. Special shout out to our guide, Sade, who was... incredible and went above and beyond to make our experience wonderful! I look forward to returning!read more
sbt133
01:09 29 Jul 24
Came with a batchelor party to raft on the Kennebec, and rent side by sides through 201 MotorSports on the premises. Overall was a great experience, with exceptional staff energy and enthusiasm... throughout the experience. Shoutout to Aleda our tourguide on day 1 with the raft trip, who maintained her friendship with our group until our departure. Our group is considering now making this an annual event. Even the food was on point, and basic cabin arrangements for camping. Im sure the upgraded cabins are much nicer, but the basic camping tents allow for a great escape from the cityread more
PETER HOYOS
14:26 27 Jul 24
10/10 experience. What an amazing time we had. I highly recommend Northern Outdoors. We have 2 young kids and wanted to Whitewater raft. The staff made it so easy and super fun. The guides are all... great. In particular our guide Sarah made our experience truly unforgettable.Also want to thank Ryan our trip leader for making us feel like family. There is also a hilarious guide. I don’t know his name but he is a Physical education teacher. Great timesSincerely,Bernal Family.read more
Stephen Goodwin
20:07 24 Jul 24
Northern Outdoors relentlessly offers a fabulous whitewater rafting experience. From the registration process to the day of rafting trip, I can't recommend Northern Outddors enough. This is my... eighth time traveling down the Penobscot with them and it simply gets better each year! They are sublime! Thanks for making it our best weekend every year!read more
