Kern River Outfitters

We give the Rafting 5 stars, this is our 1st trip with Momentum, Sean was our raft guide again and he's great!! It was a nice long 8 hour run-with lots of sunshine and laughs.. The only disappointment was that they don't do the photos of action shots while we're on the river, at least they didn't do it this past weekend. It was done last year, before Momentum bought out Kern River Outfitters and those pics were stellar. If they don't do them next year, we'll go elsewhere to a different outfit then switch back when they start up again. All in all it was a great experience and we loved it!!!

If you're looking for a great time, this is the place! Get going while the river water is flowing!This place has great guides and they put your safety first. I went for a full day of rafting and it was great. We rode the upper Kern. The cold water felt great on such a hot day. John was our guide. He was great. You'll have a great time with any of the guides! They're all really fun. It would have been great to be able to jump off your raft and swap to another raft just for fun. The lunch provided was not bad. Sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and lemonade.Definitely would come back to raft with them again!

We went out here for a bachelor party trip and we're lucky enough to get Gabe aka Nick Cage aka Ashton Butcher as our River guide. If you're somewhat of a rowdy bunch and want to get into the thick of the rapids, don't mind getting wet and are looking for more excitement than the normal trek, Gabe (Nick Cage) is your dude. We were all really pumped on the trip. The company was very professional even before we booked our trip, upon arrival, and even with us wanting to go the extra and get kinda gnarly on the river, Gabe (Nick Cage) made sure that we all knew exactly what to expect and what to do depending on what could potentially happen next so we were all in good hands (Nick Cage) and safety was still priority #1. I recommend doing the full day (8 hour) trip. We booked the upper Kern but due to weather got switched to the lower kern which I heard was better. The first trip through is almost like a taste test to get your bearings. We stopped for a rock jump/cliff jump which was chill and then later stopped again for a mid day break. I honestly felt kind of tired and already a little sore at that point but the deli sandwiches were solid and once we went for round two you're already prepared for what's to come but with slightly different conditions so our group was all about going harder the second time which really made the whole trip a blast. (Side note) I haven't done river rafting since high school and I'm 37 now so I'm not seasoned in doing this by any means. Anyways the conversations during the mellow parts of the river were good, we got soaked going for it, floated down the river when it was chill and paddled hard when we were in the thick of it all thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Overall it was an absolute blast and I plan to definitely come back at least once a year to do this same trip. It's good for the soul/spirit. I highly recommend this company and river trip. They did not disappoint. HUGE THANKS to Gabe (Nick Cage/Ashton Butcher) and Kern River Outfitters. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Much love Dave

Always a great time on the river but this crew really made this trip fun! Highly recommend!

I took the intro ride, which is two runs from the old power station above Kernville to Riverside park. The Kern River is super intense compared to last year, when it was barely a dribble in comparison. The staff was super friendly, thorough on training and safety and ensured a great easy experience. I really enjoyed the whole experience. I like their thoroughness and joie de vivre. Highly recommend.

Great experience and an awesome guide! Came in June and did the afternoon trip. 4 hours and about 5 miles. We had a group of 8, split into 2 boats. Mary was a guide and she was fabulous! Our boat had 3 adults and 11 year old. Our other boat had 2 adults, 15 yo and 13 yo. The kids loved it and would do it again. TIPS:*You NEED sunblock, a hat and sunglasses. The sun is strong and bright!!*Bring water, even though you are on the water, you will get thirsty.*Take your camera and let your guide know you want to take pictures so when its calm enough you can. Keep your camera safe. I had mine in a water proof case with a lanyard that I attached to my life vest (NOT around my neck) and I would tuck it into my life vest. (don't leave it dangling)*KRO offers pictures. They were great!

Family and I (my dad and sister) had a great trip with Kern River Outfitters.We did a full weekend trip with the Lower Kern on Day 1 and the Upper Kern on Day 2. It was a blast!The Lower Keen was much more tame and was a great intro to rafting. Some decent spots to get your heart pumping but lots of time to practice with your paddle and learn the ways.Day 2, the Upper Kern was amazing. Before we could even head up river we all had to pass a safety test, swim AND exit a class III rapid in town to prove we could safely save ourselves in rough water if we fell out of the raft in the heavier rapids on the Upper Kern. We all successfully completed the test (which was actually pretty fun itself!) and had a blast on Day 2.The guides and crew were all professional and highly concerned with our safety at all times. We stayed locally and ate locally. Not a lot of options right in Kernville but if you're there for the river, that's the highlight anyway.Would absolutely trust Kern River Outfitters to take me on the river again. Hopefully with my kids when they're a bit older.

Second time river rafting and this place was way better. The instructors are passionate about what they do and are so much fun! They really make sure your experience is fun and great. I forgot who we had but he was awesome! He talked to us throughout the whole way and let us swim in the water as well. We had one of the best times in the class IV trip. This fun for the whole family and the water was so good! Don't hesitate, you will really enjoy this adventure! They also took pictures and they came out amazing! Like if we were pros! Loved it. We bought some shirts and mugs to show support. One of the best experiences we've had in a while.

Raft down the Upper Kern river, with sections ranging from challenging rapids to relaxing floats... 1st im glad that you can book a trip individually. 2nd Worth every penny and drive. Mary is an awesome guide. Specially w her moose jokes. The rest of the crew are friendly.. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED...

I just got back from the 2-day Kern River Safari, and it was fantastic. First, it should be noted that Momentum River Expeditions has taken over from Kern River Outfitters. Everything we experienced was on par or better than the existing reviews we saw, so I don't think there's been any drop off in service. If anything, it may have gotten better.The rafting itself was pretty action-packed in the narrow, fast-flowing lower Kern. The guides were all amazing, and we never felt unsafe. Everyone seemed to have experience guiding all over the US, and they knew the river intimately. While the rafting was great, the camping and the overall level of service really set this experience apart. It was basically white glove treatment the whole time, so we really got to relax and enjoy ourselves. I expected to be doing at least a little lugging and cleaning up, but the only time we had to do anything was when we had to carry the raft along a portage of impassable section of river. Even that "chore" was actually kind of fun.The camping was in a very secluded spot, in clean canvas tents. The guides also cooked an A+ dinner (given our remote location), and there was enough privacy and white noise from the river that my mellow group wasn't at all disturbed by another group that stayed up late into the night. You're definitely roughing it, but you're roughing it about as smoothly as possible (and there are lots of little treats like campfire brownies and Koolaid at lunch to keep you comfortable).So I'd absolutely recommend the Momentum. And the experience of the Safari was an amazing mini vacation for us. If all you care about is rafting, I think they also have a one-day lower Kern trip that hits most the most exciting rapids and probably costs a lot less. But if you've got a good group, I'd highly recommend the two day experience.