Jim Thorpe River Adventures
Lehighton, PA · 1 hour 15 minutes from Reading · Over $50 a person
Raft trips run 7 days a week from April 1; the last posted 2026 dam release days are October 9 and 10.
Plan the day
Jim Thorpe River Adventures is a guided whitewater rafting outfitter on the Lehigh River, based at the Lehighton Outdoor Center in Lehighton, PA. Trips range from an easy family float to the 13-mile BigTime Whitewater run.
The Lehigh River runs through its gorge here, and on scheduled dam release days the water comes up and the rapids with it; the 2026 schedule runs from May into October. The EasyWater float takes kids as young as 4, Intro to Whitewater covers 10 miles with more than 4 hours on the river, and BigTime Whitewater is the 13-mile long day. Guides paddle alongside in kayaks.
Before you go
Reserve ahead; a $20 per person deposit confirms a rafting trip. Wear water shoes or old sneakers, not flip-flops, and skip cotton; a wetsuit is mandatory through April and rents for $12. Bring a change of clothes, an eyeglass strap, a visor hat and waterproof sunscreen. Box lunches are $14.
Coming up
The last 2026 dam release days are Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, the final scheduled big-water days of the season.
Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.
