Highly recommend Mark's tours! I did his Muddy Creek tour (just north of Delta) on Saturday, July…read more23. See his website calendar for current tours. This location below the Holtwood dam is spectacular. We went around the upper and lower bear islands, which were breathtaking. It was an opportunity to get up close and personal with nature. Being on the river, the green jungle, and blue sky and nature allowed me to reconnect with myself. All the while, getting exercise. Life's been crazy lately and I was able to just relax again. It was a hot day, so we found a sandy cove and went for a swim. The water was refreshing, and I enjoyed great conversation with some new friends. Further, Mark gave instruction to the new paddlers in the group. New paddlers kept right up with the more experienced paddlers, so don't be afraid to go if you don't have kayaking experience. He also offers historic knowledge of the area (canals, cabins on the island, water flow, etc). He's a wealth of knowledge. It was an awesome experience. Looking forward to the next trip. KayakingmadeEZ.com One last point, I decided to go on the tour at the last minute and contacted Mark the night before. He was gracious enough to accommodate me. When I arrived the next morning, my kayak was waiting for me on the beach.

Mark Sargable was a very patient and skilled instructor. I have a bit of a fear of boats/water, and…read morehe helped me overcome my fears enough to sneak me aboard a kayak! (lack of combustion engine, and moving parts helped). I'm glad my partner talked me in to going, it was a memorable and relaxing experience.

Great selection of paddleboards and excellent service. Also have kayaks, leasing, lessons, and…read moretrips. Store is cute and personnel wonderful and informative.

I rent kayaks from here. The current price for a single-person kayak is $26 for 2 hours (which…read moreincludes kayak, paddle & life-jacket), then $8 for every hour after that. The kayaks are already lined up at the launch point until the day is over. Go play, then after you return your rental gear, go pay. The Susquehanna River is a gentle river...the water is more like that of a bay or a lake. There are beaches and islands to explore. There are marinas and and docks so there is some traffic areas with boaters and jet-skiers, but it isn't daunting...just stick to the river bank until you're comfortable...you will be paddling in the middle of the river, soaking up the view like a pro before you even realize it! The staff is really, really nice, friendly and helpful. I highly recommend spending the day on the Susquehanna and Shank's Mare. note: the launch point is directly across the shop where there is public parking, picnic tables, docks, fishing, duck feeding, etc.

This year, we tried Hummel Run. It was a lot of fun. My kids and I loved it. We saw deer and a…read moremuskrat and a lot of birds. In previous years, we have twice done the three-hour Bald Eagle Run. I really want to do the midnight moon kayak, and also the historic Union Canal tour; however, we have not had good luck with the timing of these two tours. Cocoa Kayaks is always a highlight on our trips to Hershey! I highly recommend them!

Had a great trip with Cocoa Kayaking this afternoon. We did the Bald Eagle Run today and half way…read morethough the run we had a Bald Eagle fry right over us. The equipment and staff were great and Mike who took us to the drop of point gave us some great knowledge about the Swatara Creek and the creek biosystems on the way. I highly recommend the company if you want a great creek Kayaking adventure!

My family and I did the 1/2 day rock climbing and all had an amazing time! My kids are 13 and 14…read moreand none of us had ever climbed before. Cody was a great instructor and was very patient with us. I was afraid that my kids wouldn't be able to do it but they made it to the top of three climbs and had so much fun. I highly recommend giving this a try, even if you have no experience!

My 7 yr old daughter and I booked a half day rock climbing trip with Cody. We had an excellent…read moretime. Within our 5 hours (and more thanks to Cody's hospitality) we climbed 3 spots, repelled off a 70 ft drop, had a delicious lunch of chicken, veggies, cheese, bread, and assortment of jams/dips, and had a tremendous time. My daughter conquered the 70 ft vertical thanks to Cody's direction and guidance. We definitely recommend Adventure Explorations and hope to book them again this summer.

This was one of the funnest experiences I've had in awhile! So much so that I'm even going to…read moreignore how hard it was to find the actual creek to canoe/kayak/raft in & once you're in the area, you're lucky if you have one bar of cell reception. That said, we found our location, with the intention of rafting until we met a nice gentleman with loads of experience and advice considering we were newbies. My fiancé and I chose to Kayak so we could be together. We opted to kayak on the calmer side of the creek to get our feet wet. No pun intended and enjoyed one of the most beautiful, relaxing scenic experiences ever. Next time, we're going to go on the four hour aggressive side of the creek experience & I will edit this to talk about that experience. That said, I had the greatest time and can't wait to return in two weeks.

**This is stop 4 on my list "Road Trips Around DC: Canoeing and Civil War History in MD"**…read more This company is wonderful! They essentially work with you to figure out if kayaking or canoeing is better (mostly dictated by water level that day), teach you pointers before you get in the water, and even give you a map and a zip lock bag for valuables before sending you on your merry way down the river... You show up at their address at Devil's backbone (about 15 minute drive from Antietam Battlefield and Inn at Antietam, both also part of my list) and it's a residence with a big garage. It seems deceiving until you notice all the kayaks and canoes laying around which are the dead giveaway. They have a wonderful dog who may be the first to greet you and they spend time with you to make sure you are comfortable with your kayak or canoe and with the map. Life jacket and ore(s) included of course. They let you know if there are any downed trees or other obstacles and how to navigate around them which is clutch. It's a national park and you're literally canoeing through the battlefield so the river isn't exactly maintained routinely, so pay attention to what you're told about downed trees (lean forward, not back when going under a low hanging tree). The run is awesome! We did the "most asked for" which is labeled as such on their website from Devil's Backbone to Burnside Bridge (an important battlefield site) and it was about 8 miles or 4 hours. The map they give you is very detailed so you know exactly where you are and when to get out. They meet you at the end to drive you back to your car which is nice so you're not totally on your own. This really felt like genuine canoeing to me- not commercialized, rock and tree obstacles along the way to challenge you, and not even that many houses along the river so you really feel like you're at one with nature. Oh, and there are lots of cows mooing to cheer you on along the way. Arranging the trip and paying for it are super simple. just call them and they have a great sense of humor and after just a mere minute, you know they care and want you to have a great time. Their website has a ton of information so don't be overwhelmed- just comb through it and it's as thorough as you can get: what to bring, what not to bring, what to wear, the water level and rapid categories that you'll see, as well as local places to stay and eat (this is how I found Inn at Antietam). If the water is at such a height to allow you to pull over for lunch, ask them where it is best to do so. At one point, it seemed on the map that there's a general store close to the river if someone stays behind with the gear! Again, ask them. Go on a weekday- we were the only paddlers we saw on the whole river and we ran into only a family wading into the water. Otherwise, we were totally isolated and it was wonderful and peaceful. Bring sunscreen. Bring a sense of adventure. The owners are super and have great stories. You'll love it.

I surprised my wife with a Kayak adventure - made easy with KayakLanCo. Terilyn met us at the boat…read morelaunch and had everything ready for us. While not novices, we had limited experience with Kayaking, but Terilyn gave us a great tutorial and answered all of our questions. Conejohela Flats on the Susquehanna River did not disappoint with herons, egrets, belted king-fisher, cormorant and an immature bald eagle! When we returned to the launch, Terilyn was there to greet us and help these seniors out of our kayaks. Polite, friendly and knowledgeable, Terilyn runs her business well. This was our first experience with KayakLanCo, but will not be our last!

Easy to book, great instructor, and great communication throughout the whole process!read more

When you are in Hershey and you want to try something different, you have to stop off at Hershey…read moreOutfitters. The Hershey Outfitters offers great out of the box activities in Hershey including kayaking, a challenge ropes course, Segway tours and a great Falconry experience. I tried out both the ropes-course and the Falconry Experience. First, the ropes-course was a fun activity where you climbed on different events. At the end, you got to do a zip line! While the ropes-course was fun it was nowhere near as amazing as the Falconry Experience. The Experience allowed you to see falcons in action and eventually you get to hold one! While I signed up for the kayaking, I was unfortunately unable to do so because of the rain. I found the cancellation somewhat ridiculous as it was only drizzling, but at least they called somewhat early. All the staff here was really nice and informative! Paul, Jack and Marc were especially great! Altogether, this is a great place to sign-up for a variety of fun activities.

I did the Segway tour and it was so much fun. Aaliyah was the most helpful and kind person. She not…read moreonly was very professional and gave a great tour but she gave us great ideas for what to do in Hershey. Definitely recommend this experience to everyone! :)

So happy we purchased new kayaks from Blue Mountain Outfitters! Sarah was so helpful, friendly and…read moreknowledgeable! Being new to this, she even illustrated how to secure the kayaks to the roof rack! Many high quality kayaks and canoes to choose from and reasonably priced! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!

Very nice place to visit and see exactly what you are looking for or interested in buying…read more The Young Lady that owns the Outfitters is knowledgeable of all the different types of kayaks, canoes and boats she sells! The experience made me buy one of the Hammer Kayaks. If you're looking for something affordable or expensive, this is the place you should check out! Huge selection of options available and tons of accessories for every age! I'm also very happy with the prices for everything and would recommend to visit and try spending time there! After spending 3 hours looking at multiple options I found exactly what I wanted. This is also no pressure and you can check out the boats for your experience buying! Thanks for your advice and experience helping me understand what I wanted!

Stephanie was very accommodating for our group of 11, which changed in number until the day before…read moreour trip. It was easy to schedule and she is very flexible. She has great knowledge of the section of river on which we traveled. Equipment was in great shape. It was a nice, easy, and relaxing float down the Susquehanna. Saw a few Bald Eagles along the way. She even updated our reservations times at the restaurant (Penn's Tavern- which is excellent!) at our exit point based on our anticipated arrival. I would highly recommend this trip for individuals and groups of all ages!

From the owner: At Appalachian Kayak, we love to be on the water and want to share that love with you. That's why…read morewe work very hard to make sure your trip is safe and enjoyable every time! We offer rental of kayaks as well as shuttle service for yours. Specialty services include lessons, kayak camp for kids and yoga/kayak/lunch packages.

We loved our stay here. The site was quiet, clean, functional, and everyone was super friendly.read more

REVIEW FOR CABINS: Decided to rent out some of the cabins with friends during THE YEAR OF THE…read morePANDEMIC. We were really happy with the cabins - we stayed in the Chestnut cabin. Here are the pluses: Price - under $50 a night. Bargain! Inside cabin: Electricity - bring a long extension cord with multi plugs. Heat - Such a plus since we were in the fall. Fan - Very useful for the summer. Two bunkbeds with bottom bunks that are either a full or queen. Long table with seating Plenty of lighting Cleaning materials - they provide a broom to keep the floor clean. Outside cabin: Outdoor plug for electricity Two picnic tables - one under shelter (so so nice!) / also next to fire ring Overhang is excellent for keeping things dry and sheltered Fire ring Due to COVID, check in is not until 5 PM. Ugh, what a drag. They did let us get in finally at 4:00 PM - after all, it was a Sunday and hardly anyone was around. Check out is 9 AM. Stay for at least 2 nights. Firewood is $7 for a small bundle. Drive around - you might find better deals from locals. Bathrooms were toasty warm and cleaned daily. We didn't use showers, but other people said the hot water was plentiful and it was cleaned well. Utility sinks are behind the bathrooms and extremely useful for dishes and other cleaning.