OWL Rafting, Adventure Raft & Resort Review
Early this July, the family and I (and our friends with their kids) had a chance to get up to OWL Rafting for some whitewater, camping, and so. much. food. Read on for a first-hand account of what it’s like to stay in a camping trailer at OWL Rafting.
Located just 90 minutes west of Ottawa, you will find OWL Rafting situated on the Ottawa River. As you pull up you will see the large log constructed pavilion and store front. The store itself, while smaller in size than many camp stores, is filled with excellent quality merchandise like water bottles, ball caps, sweatshirts and water shoes… anything you would need for a white-water adventure that you may have forgotten.
Campsite: For our adventure we chose a trailer site (water and electric only), but many other options are available including tent sites, cabins and large canvas “glamping” tents. The sites are very level in an open grassy area. They are located very close to the pavilion but offer very little privacy. There are no firepits located on the RV sites, as no camper fires are permitted at OWL, instead campers are encouraged to use the pavilion as their gathering space which has a very large indoor fireplace, or the outdoor group area with a campfire provided by OWL.
Campground: Holding off on the rafting for a moment to focus on the campground, OWL Rafting has a private, beautiful sandy beach, a floating raft with a slide, and countless water toys that are free to use including canoes, kayaks and paddleboards (plus lifejackets!). On land there is a sauna, beach volleyball courts, frisbee golf and a playground for the kids. The communal bathrooms are unique and incorporate the green Clivus technology of recycling toilets that use no water or chemicals. I haven’t asked, and don’t really want to know, what the waste is being recycled into, but while using the facilities you will notice the complete absence of foul odors and a cool refreshing breeze on your backside. Outside are individual outdoor showers with smooth stone floors and view of the sky.
When you choose a two-night stay, included with your site and rafting are your breakfast, lunch and dinner of your rafting day, and breakfast and lunch the following day. The meals are served in a large open pavilion with panoramic views of the river. Breakfast was standard, consisting of eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, bagels, fruit, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Once the staff have ensured everyone has eaten there is an opportunity for seconds and thirds. Lunch was served on one of OWL’s large pontoon boats which picked us up on the river after the rapids. We enjoyed our 45-minute cruise back to OWL while eating porkchops, vegetarian option was tofu skewers with fresh veggies, salads, dinner rolls, and cookies for dessert along with lemonade, tea and coffee. Back in the pavilion, dinner was steak, vegetarian option was stuffed peppers (delicious!) with baked potatoes, salad, and tallboy of locally brewed beer, plus apple crumble a la mode for dessert. Lunch the following day was BBQ chicken or delicious falafel, again with salads and cookies for dessert – but to be honest, we were so full from the previous four meals, that we could barely eat anymore!
Rafting! Your rafting adventure starts shortly after breakfast with a safety briefing in the pavilion after which the rafters gather a lifejacket, helmet and paddle all provided by OWL. During the safety briefing you are assigned to your rafting group and guide, and offered an opportunity to pack up anything you may need after rafting and on the pontoon boat such as a towel or sweatshirt. Once everyone has on their sunscreen and gear, all rafters board a school bus for the 10-15 minute drive to the river put-in where you meet your guide and pile into the raft. Once on the water, your guide will teach everyone some basic strokes and commands and then you’re off to your first rapid! Depending on the level of whitewater difficulty you have chosen, and the depth of the river, your guide will pick the best trip for you. No two trips are ever the same! Without going into detail about every rapid, I believe it is sufficient to say, each one was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in our raft. Our guide, Scottish Pete, was knowledgeable, personable and very entertaining. We felt safe in his raft.
Value: We booked a 2-night “Adventure Raft & Resort Package” which included our full day of rafting and all five meals. Booking an RV site was an extra $50 CAD per night and worth every penny.
Caution! For those bringing a camping trailer, OWL rafting does not have a pump out on site. We had luck and were allowed to pump out at the nearby KOA. Thank you for that Renfrew / Ottawa West KOA!
Heads up! For moderate intensity rafting trips or higher, rafters must weigh at least 90lbs, and they will weigh you at check in!
Tip! Book on Black Friday, we saved 30% on both the rafting package and campsite fees!
Final word: The whole family loved OWL Rafting, this was our second family trip, and we plan on making it an annual event.
We’d love to hear about your adventures! Feel free to leave comments describing your own experiences, good or bad, or join our private Facebook community “Glamping Essentials Campfire Collective”. Should you have any specific questions, please email Jason@glampingessentials.ca.
~ Jason
