Wildwater Reservation Policies

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Permitting Agencies

At all locations Wildwater hold permits and leases to operate.

On the Chattooga and Nantahala Rivers the US Forest Service is charged with protecting our wilderness.  Wildwater is proud to hold permits, allowing us to conduct river trips on protected land and waters that might otherwise be inaccessible to most members of the public.  All our operations and facilities are operated on a non-discriminatory basis and Wildwater is an equal opportunity employer.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age disability and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status or parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.  (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)  Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD).  To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

Office Hours

We are open seven days per week in the summer with extended hours as late as 8pm.  Spring and fall we are also open seven days per week, 9 to 5 weekdays and limited weekend hours.  In the winter months we are in the business office Monday through Friday 9 to 5 Eastern Time.

Reserving Your Trip

Call 800-451-9972 to check on availability and trip times.  If the day and time of you trip is important, make your reservation immediately.  If you and your party are flexible wait until later, but keep in mind the Chattooga trips and Saturdays at other locations often fill weeks in advance and sometimes months in advance!  Check availability and book online.

For groups of 9 or less, full payment is due.  If you are sending a check we will hold your reservation for seven (7) days if your trip is more than two weeks.

For groups of 10 or more, telephone reservations made more than 30 days away require a deposit payment equal to $20 per person.  Full amount is due 30 days prior to trip date.

All phone reservations made within 10 days of trip must be paid in full with VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover at the time the reservation is made.  All online bookings must be paid in full when making the reservation.

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Cancellation Guarantee

Wildwater has the best, flexible cancellation policy in the adventure industry! Our exclusive Cancellation Guarantee service gives you total freedom to change your mind and not worry if you have to cancel or reschedule any Wildwater adventures or lodging!

  • Full Refund except for Cancellation Guarantee Fee for any reservation cancelled by 1pm the day before their Activity or Lodging.
  • Full Credit in the form of a Voucher or Wildwater Adventure Dollars for any Activity or Lodging cancelled the same day scheduled.  Cancellation must be made prior to Activity Start Time.
  • A 7.5% Fee will be charged on the reservation.  This is non-refundable.
  • Freedom to reschedule is unlimited as long as it is done before activity starting time for any reason including weather.
  • Anyone wishing to request special treatment or changes to any policy may complete an “Exception Form” to be submitted to the CEO for a decision.  There must be extenuating circumstances; car accident, death in the family, documented illness, etc.  Notification to Wildwater must have been made shortly after incident, not at check-in.  Supporting documentation is required.

Regular Cancellation Policy

If you choose to opt out of the Cancellation Guarantee.

  • Full refund less one $10 reservation fee for any reservation cancelled 14 days in advance.
  • $20 per person cancellation fee for any activity cancelled between 14 and 7 days before first Activity.
  • No refunds for any reservation cancelled less than seven days before activity date.
  • Rescheduling will be treated as a cancellation.
  • No refunds for inclement weather

Responsibility – An Important Notice

While Wildwater Ltd., Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours, Inc., Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, LLC. and the managing agencies set minimum age/or weight restrictions you must also evaluate your own fitness level.  Participating in outdoor activities involves inherent risks and can be physically demanding.

Alcohol, illegal drugs, and many legal drugs can affect your abilities, they are not allowed on or immediately prior to activities.  We will remove from the trip or tour anyone under the influence and no refund will be made.

Medical

Weight restrictions may apply.  More strenuous trips require higher levels of physical fitness.  People who are obese, have heart trouble or have special medical conditions should consult a physician before taking a river trip.  Persons with various disabilities are welcome, pending an advance discussion of all special requirements.  Women who are pregnant should not participate in Rafting or Zipline experiences.

Liability Waiver

All participants are required to sign a standard liability release or acknowledgement before each trip, acknowledging awareness and acceptance of some risks associated with the trip.  Anyone under the age of 18 has to have a parent or guardian co-sign.  Waiver forms are available for print on each activity page.

Trip or Tour Changes

Reasonable changes in trips and tours may be made where deemed advisable for the comfort and well being of the participants, including cancellation due to water fluctuation, high winds, temperature, insufficient bookings and other factors.  A full refund will be given if we are forced to cancel a trip or tour.  Shortened experiences will be prorated.

Tipping

Our guides work very hard to provide an excellent outdoor experience for your family or group.  They appreciate whatever feedback you can offer them, including a gratuity if you so desire.

Guide Requests

Wildwater is proud of the fact that we can sometimes bring our Guests together with their favorite guides.  However, guide requests are sometimes not possible and cannot be guaranteed for a variety of reasons.  We will do everything we can to schedule you with the guide you have requested, but please understand; your request may not be feasible.

How We Protect Your Personal and Financial Information

We use many safeguards that include both technical and physical measures to protect your information. These safeguards are continually updated and maintained to the best of our abilities.

For online transactions, we use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, which encrypts your information automatically, and digital security certificates that guarantee your information is being transmitted in secure form directly to our web servers, and not to an unauthorized server.  Due to the nature of our services, it is necessary to collect and store a certain amount of personal and financial information.  By submitting your information to us, you consent to the storage of this information for a period of time deemed appropriate by us.  Our internal computer systems are protected with anti-virus/spyware protection and firewalls that block unauthorized access by individuals or networks.

Privacy Policy

Wildwater sends out a weekly e-newsletter and occasional mail on area or activity specific news that we think you’ll want to hear about, but you can count on us NEVER to sell or share your email or mailing address with any third party.  Additionally, all address, personal and financial information is strictly protected. Read our complete Privacy Policy here.

Wildwater Partners

Wildwater works with many partners including Nantahala Gorge canopy Tours, Inc., Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, LLC, Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, lodging partners and others.  Our goals and objectives are the same, to provide high quality experiences with your comfort and well being in mind.  Please be aware not all services are provided by Wildwater Ltd.