Cacapon River Outfitters

CRO Began as Crafts Adventures in 2018 when Ken and Melanie Craft wanted to bring their love for the rivers and floating on inner tubes to the Berkeley Springs area. 2018 was a slow-start season. It rained nearly every weekend and very few tube trips went down the rivers. They were also putting tubes on both the Cacapon River and Potomac River. 

2019 was a better season, and it helped hone how Mel and Ken wanted to run the business. More tube trips were able to get down the rivers, and larger groups started to book. Then COVID struck. 2020 began with not even knowing if they’d be able to open. The state released very restrictive rules (limiting passengers to 6 per vehicle, masks, and strenuous cleansing routines). The Crafts persevered and adhered to the restrictions, surviving the first season of the Pandemic. 2021 Came up fast, they added passenger vehicles and had more customers than ever, most weekends were fully booked and only a few were interrupted due to weather. This season was hard however, the multiple trips to and from the river took their toll on vehicles leaving 3 of them in need of major repair.

Over the off-season, Ken and Mel took time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t work, and how they wanted to shape the business. This season we’re changing the name of the company to Cacapon River Outfitters and we’re only running trips on the Cacapon River. This will allow us to focus on our flagship product and ensure the highest level of service possible. 

Under New Management

In June of 2022 an opportunity was presented that would take the Craft Family to a new state. The business assets were sold to Andrey of Stoney Creek Country Store (Our largent run operator) and will continue as Cacapon River Outfitters after the 2022 season. Melanie and I have thoroughly enjoyed running this business and love every single customer that came through in our 5 years of operation. Life has other plans and they’ve handed the reigns over on a high note.