Stay lengths
- 1-day rafting trip (non-staying day visit)
- 2-night all-inclusive adventure weekend
- 4–5 night multi-activity Ottawa Valley adventure week
Wellness getawayMindReach
Wilderness Tours Raft & Kayak Resort
North America's first adventure resort on the Ottawa River — 650 acres, world-class whitewater, beach, and almost 50 years of earned expertise
Foresters Falls, ON
Listed on MindReach Getaways, curated wellness stays worldwide
From ~CAD $100/person — confirm at wildernesstours.com
At a glance
Everything you need to plan Wilderness Tours Raft & Kayak Resort
Stay length, inclusions, seasons, and travel at a glance before you reach out to book.
Included
- Access to 650-acre resort grounds
- Beach and inflatable water park
- Mountain bike trail network
- Sauna access
- All meals included in all-inclusive packages
Ideal for
- First-time rafters wanting a guided, beginner-safe introduction to the Ottawa River
- Adventure couples seeking an adrenaline-anchored weekend escape from Ottawa or Toronto
- Families wanting a multi-activity resort where everyone from children to adults is fully engaged
- Experienced kayakers wanting whitewater clinics on the National Whitewater Park
Seasons
- Spring (May–June) for peak Ottawa River water levels and the most powerful whitewater experience
- Summer (July–August) for full resort programming — beach, water park, music, and full rafting season
- Early autumn (September–October) for cooler air, excellent river conditions, and Ottawa Valley foliage
- Late spring (April) for early-season snowmelt conditions — high-volume water for expert paddlers
Getting there
Wilderness Tours is at 1260 Grants Settlement Road, Foresters Falls, ON K0J 1V0. From Ottawa: take Highway 17 West to Beachburg Road / Foresters Falls — approximately 130 km / 1.5 hours. From Toronto: take Highway 401 East to Kingston, then Highway 7 North to Renfrew, then follow signs to Beachburg — approximately 370 km / 3.5 hours. Detailed directions and map at wildernesstours.com/location-map.
From
From ~CAD $100/person — confirm at wildernesstours.com
Concierge
Questions before you book?
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Experience highlights
What a stay here actually feels like.
01
Ottawa River whitewater
One of North America's great whitewater rivers — the Ottawa's parallel channels and rapids system at Foresters Falls deliver everything from beginner-safe Class II to expert Class IV–V.
02
Nearly 50 years of Ottawa River expertise
North America's first adventure resort, founded 1975 — certified guides, half a century of river knowledge, and the track record that comes with it.
03
650-acre resort on the river
Mountain biking trails, beach, inflatable water park, sauna, and live music — a full-service resort built around the river rather than despite it.
04
All-inclusive adventure culture
Communal meals, shared experience, and the culture of an adventure community — the all-inclusive format that WT pioneered and that has defined adventure resort hospitality for decades.
05
National Whitewater Park access
The resort's current location puts guests at the National Whitewater Park — direct access to the best, most technically varied stretch of the Ottawa River.
Gallery
The setting
Spaces, views, and surroundings at Wilderness Tours Raft & Kayak Resort.
Your journey
Arrival on the Ottawa River
Drive into the Ottawa Valley through increasing boreal forest — the river appears at Foresters Falls with the width and power of a genuinely significant waterway. The resort's position at the National Whitewater Park puts the best of the river immediately accessible.
Gear up and get briefed
The guides issue wetsuits, paddles, helmets, and life jackets, and run a thorough briefing on river safety and paddle technique before any group launches. The tone is expert without being intimidating — nearly 50 years of introducing beginners to the river shows in the process.
On the Ottawa River
The river trip itself — whether a half-day beginner excursion or a full-day expert run — is the centrepiece of the Wilderness Tours experience. The combination of rapids, calm stretches, island channels, and the scale of the Ottawa Valley landscape is difficult to replicate in any other Ontario setting.
Beach and water park
Return to the resort's beach and inflatable water park for the afternoon recovery — the community gathering that happens after a day on the river, with the particular pleasure of physical fatigue well earned.
Evening at the resort
Live music, communal meals, and the particular culture of an adventure resort in high season — a community of people who have all been on the river, comparing notes and planning tomorrow's run, with the Ottawa Valley forest and river sounds as the backdrop.
About
About this getaway
Wilderness Tours Raft & Kayak Resort is North America's original adventure resort, founded in 1975 on the banks of the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley — a 650-acre property at Foresters Falls, Ontario, offering whitewater rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, and a full outdoor recreation program against the backdrop of the Ottawa River's legendary rapids system and the National Whitewater Park.
The resort's whitewater program spans every intensity level: guided beginner rafting on calmer stretches, intermediate half-day trips on classic Ottawa River rapids, and expert multi-day expeditions tackling the river's most challenging channels. Kayak instruction and multi-day kayaking clinics are offered through the season, cementing Wilderness Tours' reputation as the definitive Ottawa River paddling destination.
Beyond the water, the 650-acre resort provides mountain biking on a trail network through forest and riverside terrain, a beachfront area with inflatable water park, stand-up paddleboarding and sit-on-top kayaking, a sauna, live music, and over 60 accommodation units ranging from meadow tent sites and glamping tents to cozy cabins and family cottages. Meals are included in all-inclusive packages — a community dining experience that has been a hallmark of the WT culture for nearly five decades.
For travellers seeking an adrenaline-anchored resort experience within two hours of Ottawa or three hours of Toronto, Wilderness Tours delivers what no spa resort can: the physical exhilaration of the river, the community culture of an adventure resort, and the particular pleasure of earning rest and food through a day on the Ottawa River.
Wilderness Tours was founded in 1975 by a group of whitewater enthusiasts who recognized that the Ottawa River offered one of the great rafting experiences in North America, and that what was missing was a resort designed to make it accessible to all skill levels. The Foresters Falls location — where the Ottawa River squeezes through a maze of rapids, channels, and islands — gave the property its character: a stretch of river with genuine whitewater that was still manageable for guided groups and novice paddlers.
Packages & pricing
Rates and availability from the property's official booking page.
Day Trip — Whitewater Rafting
From ~CAD $100/person — confirm at wildernesstours.com
Full-day guided rafting on the Ottawa River with certified guides. Equipment and lunch included.
Check dates & bookAll-Inclusive Adventure Weekend
From ~CAD $300/person — confirm at wildernesstours.com
Two nights in cabin or tent, two days of rafting, all meals, and full resort access including beach and mountain biking.
Check dates & bookMulti-Day Kayak Clinic
From ~CAD $400/person — confirm at wildernesstours.com
2–4 day instructor-led whitewater kayak clinic on the Ottawa River. Accommodation and meals included.
Check dates & bookPlan your trip
Availability notes
- • May–June high-water season and summer long weekends book 2–4 weeks ahead.
- • Canada Day (July 1) and Civic Holiday (August) weekends are highest demand — book early.
- • Spring high-water season (late April–May) is the most exciting time for advanced paddlers and fills quickly.
Accommodation
- Tent camping sites (meadow and wooded)
- RV sites with full hookups
- Glamping tents
- Cozy cabins (with and without washrooms)
- Family cottages
- Hostel-style units
Location & travel
- Getting there
- Wilderness Tours is at 1260 Grants Settlement Road, Foresters Falls, ON K0J 1V0. From Ottawa: take Highway 17 West to Beachburg Road / Foresters Falls — approximately 130 km / 1.5 hours. From Toronto: take Highway 401 East to Kingston, then Highway 7 North to Renfrew, then follow signs to Beachburg — approximately 370 km / 3.5 hours. Detailed directions and map at wildernesstours.com/location-map.
Policies
- Minimum stay
- No minimum stay required for most bookings — day trips and multi-day packages both available. Confirm on wildernesstours.com.
- Cancellation
- See wildernesstours.com or contact raft@wildernesstours.com for current cancellation and refund terms.
- Children
- Families with children are welcome. Minimum age requirements apply to certain river activities — confirm when booking.
Contact & book
Reach the retreat directly or reserve online
FAQ
Good to know
Where is Wilderness Tours located and how do I get there?
Wilderness Tours is at 1260 Grants Settlement Road, Foresters Falls, ON K0J 1V0 — in the Ottawa Valley, approximately 130 km west of Ottawa (about 1.5 hours) and 370 km northeast of Toronto (about 3.5 hours). From Ottawa: take Highway 17 West toward Pembroke; from Toronto: take Highway 401 East to Kingston, then Highway 7 to Highway 132 toward Renfrew County. Detailed directions are at wildernesstours.com/location-map.
What is the Ottawa River whitewater experience like?
The Ottawa River at Foresters Falls is one of North America's great whitewater rivers — a system of parallel channels, rapids, and islands that delivers everything from manageable Class II water for complete beginners to challenging Class IV–V rapids for expert paddlers. Certified Wilderness Tours guides lead every trip, with appropriate river sections assigned by skill level. No experience is needed for beginner rafting.
Do I need prior experience to raft with Wilderness Tours?
No. Wilderness Tours offers guided beginner trips explicitly designed for first-time rafters — certified guides manage the river section, provide full instruction before launch, and supply all equipment (wetsuit, paddle, helmet, life jacket). The resort has been introducing beginners to the Ottawa River for nearly 50 years.
What accommodation options are available at the resort?
Wilderness Tours has over 60 accommodation units: meadow and wooded tent camping sites, RV sites with and without full hookups, glamping tents, cozy cabins with and without washrooms, hostel-style units, and family cottages. All are within the 650-acre resort property, steps from the river activities. See wildernesstours.com for current unit descriptions and pricing.
What activities are available beyond rafting and kayaking?
The resort offers mountain biking on its 650-acre trail network, an inflatable water park and beach area, stand-up paddleboarding, sit-on-top kayaking, a sauna, live music performances, and evening programming. All-inclusive packages bundle meals with activities — the communal dining experience is a core part of the resort culture.
Is Wilderness Tours suitable for families with children?
Yes. Wilderness Tours actively caters to families: the beach and inflatable water park are ideal for children, younger family members can participate in gentler river activities, and the resort's community atmosphere makes multi-generational trips a natural fit. Confirm minimum age requirements for specific rafting and kayaking activities when booking.
What is the best season to visit Wilderness Tours?
The Ottawa River season runs from spring snowmelt (late April) through early October, with peak water levels and the most dramatic rafting in May and June. Summer (July–August) is peak resort season with full programming. Shoulder season (May–June and September–October) offers excellent whitewater with smaller crowds and cooler temperatures.
How do I book at Wilderness Tours?
Book directly at wildernesstours.com or call toll-free +1 888-723-8669, or email raft@wildernesstours.com. Summer weekends and the May–June high-water season book 2–4 weeks ahead. All-inclusive weekend packages are the most popular format and tend to fill the fastest. Book direct with the property — book direct with the resort.
Location
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