Rivanna River Company

Rivanna River Company is a paddlesports outfitter and guide service based in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Gabe and Sonya Silver. It describes itself as Charlottesville's first paddlesports outfitting service and operates primarily on the Rivanna River, a 46-mile waterway that flows from its headwaters near Charlottesville to its confluence with the James River in Fluvanna County. The company's trips launch just minutes from Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, making river recreation accessible to locals and visitors alike. The company rents and guides kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards (SUPs), and tubes, and provides shuttles, guides, and related logistics. It serves customers of all experience levels, from total beginners to more adventurous groups, and offers custom group trips for educational field trips, youth and scout groups, and corporate team-building outings. Its stated mission is to make adventures on the water inviting and accessible to people from all backgrounds while cultivating respect for the river, its watershed, and its wildlife. Beyond paddling, Rivanna River Company has expanded into adjacent outdoor and community experiences. It operates Riversong Saunas, described as the region's first public wood-fired sauna, with sauna and cold plunge sessions typically running November through April and Thursday-evening sessions in summer. It also hosts the Rivanna Roots Concert Series and supports trail-oriented events such as Loop deVille, a hike, run, bike, and celebrate-trails event. The company sells gift certificates valid for both river trips and sauna sessions and maintains an e-newsletter for seasonal updates. Rivanna River Company is a private, locally owned business rather than a publicly traded or franchise operation. Its seasonality is explicit: the 2026 river season is closed, with river activities set to reopen in April 2027, while concerts and public events continue. The company positions itself as a community asset and a catalyst for Charlottesville's riverfront renaissance, aiming for a healthy Rivanna River enjoyed, embraced, and valued by the people of Charlottesville.

Rivanna River Company was founded in 2015 by Gabe and Sonya Silver, a husband-and-wife team, as Charlottesville's first paddlesports outfitting service. The founders describe starting the company to share their love of playing outdoors and to help connect Charlottesville with its river. Both brought experience as outdoor educators, which shaped the company's emphasis on skills instruction, educational programs, and friendly advice for customers of all experience levels. From its base minutes from Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, the company built its business around guided and self-guided trips on the Rivanna River, a 46-mile waterway that the Virginia General Assembly named the Commonwealth's first designated Scenic River. The company offers kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, and tubes, along with shuttles and guides, and it caters to beginners as well as more adventurous groups. It also developed a custom group-trip line serving educational field trips, youth and scout groups, and corporate team-building outings, with Gabe Silver serving as Group Programs Manager. Over time the company broadened its offerings beyond paddling into adjacent outdoor and community experiences. It launched Riversong Saunas, described as the region's first public wood-fired sauna, operating primarily November through April with Thursday-evening sauna and cold plunge sessions in summer. It also became a host of the Rivanna Roots Concert Series and supported trail-focused events such as Loop deVille, a hike, run, bike, and celebrate-trails event. Gift certificates were made valid for both river trips and sauna sessions, and the company maintains an e-newsletter for seasonal updates. The business is seasonal by nature. Its 2026 river season closed, with river activities scheduled to reopen in April 2027, while concerts and public events continued into the fall. The company frames its work around a vision of a healthy Rivanna River enjoyed, embraced, and valued by the people of Charlottesville, and around catalyzing Charlottesville's riverfront renaissance.

• 2026

  2026 river season closed; river activities scheduled to reopen in April 2027.

• 2015

  Rivanna River Company founded by Gabe and Sonya Silver as Charlottesville's first paddlesports outfitting service.

• Launched Riversong Saunas, described as the region's first public wood-fired sauna.

• Became host of the Rivanna Roots Concert Series.

• Supported Loop deVille, a hike, run, bike, and celebrate-trails event.

Charlottesville's first paddlesports outfitting service, focused on accessible, beginner-friendly river adventures and community riverfront engagement.

• Kayak trips

• Canoe trips

• Standup paddleboard (SUP) trips

• Tubing trips

• Shuttles

• Guided trips

• Custom group trips for educational field trips, youth and scout groups

• Company outings and organization retreats

• Riversong Saunas wood-fired sauna and cold plunge

• Gift certificates valid for river trips and sauna

• Unconfirmed

  Rivanna River Company opens a new café[6]Rivanna River Company开设新咖啡馆news.google.com

  Reported: 2026-10-10

  The Daily Progress reports that Rivanna River Company has added a new café, which along with its popular saunas is keeping the business afloat after a summer drought.

1. 1Home - Rivanna River Companyrivannarivercompany.com
2. 2About the Rivanna River - Rivanna River Companyrivannarivercompany.com
3. 3About Us - Rivanna River Companyrivannarivercompany.com
4. 4Company Outings & Organization Retreats - Rivanna River Companyrivannarivercompany.com
5. 5Rivanna River Company - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Rivanna River Company开设新咖啡馆news.google.com