Skidmore is less than an an hour from the Hudson River rafting companies - class IV and V in the spring, and lower in the summer.
Lehigh River gorge in PA
American Whitewater Association info:
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3138
There are tons of colleges within an hour - Muhlenberg, Moravian, East Stroudsburg, Desales, Bloomsburg, even all the Philly-area ones are close enough.
Colorado State has a beautiful spot very near campus.
My friend’s daughter works at Colby. One of her jobs is to take freshmen on trips and sometimes they go whitewater rafting. The young woman is a registered Maine guide. 
second vcu , D attends vcuarts and went white water rafting throughout Oct.