The biggest flaw with this movie -- can anyone explain it?

That part of the movie didn't add up at all. What the hell were these guys doing in a place where the only way out was through Class 4.9 rapids, anyway?

Why weren't they just driving to the next state or towards the Canadian border?

Yeah it’s a pretty impressive plot hole.

When you think about it it’s not the only time in that film when you have to suspend disbelief. I like it, it’s schlocky fun and cool to see Streep in an action film and Bacon being hammy, but it does require you to go with the flow, if you will.

I can get with the silly idea that they prefer to travel by river to go undetected and once they were on the river they couldn't go back. But the whole idea that they MUST travel through the Gauntlet flies right out of the window once David Straithharn travels past it by foot even quicker than the rest (okay, the rafting group did take a rest). Why wouldn't Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly just do that after Meryl Streep told them it was too dangerous I was confused about that last time I watched and I was still confused when I watched it this time while specifically paying attention to it. It is a plothole in my opinion.