On a trip back to my hometown, I went on a 12 mile canoe trip down the Fox River. I loved it! I hadn't been down the Fox in many years. Going to Ayers made it super easy. This way, we didn't have to transport any canoes. They took care of that. We made a 10 AM reservation, which gave us time to drive there and stop for breakfast. We were taken on a school bus with just one other family who was also renting canoes. They drove us to the starting point and we canoed back to Ayers. It was simply a beautiful trip! We saw deer, herons, turtles and lots of geese. The rocks on the sides of the river are amazing. There is a picnic area with bathrooms half-way through with bathrooms and then we canoed the rest of the way to Ayers. The only issue we had, was a small leak in the canoe. It wasn't a bid deal, but we did bail waiter one time. read more

Super friendly staff! Great prices for an ALL DAY or Half day adventure!! Perfect place to see the true beauty in the Illinois Valley. read more

Best bet is to bring your own kayak or canoe and go early morning on a weekday. Launch quietly at sunup, and enjoy the scenery and solitude right out back of Ayer's -- the prettiest stretch of bluffs. Pay the small launch fee at the office before you leave, and be sure to give them some extra dough for the convenience. It's well worth it! Nice owners who have always been supportive and accommodating for people that respect and appreciate the beauty of the river. Leave no trace. read more

Under nee ownership and management which has made a huge difference. Reasonable rates, Eric and his staff were so nice, and the river route with all the bluffs were just beautiful. They offer kayaks, canoes and inner tubes; family friendly and fun. You can also launch your own and be shuttled which we did. We'd highly recommend and will continue to go back. read more

I so wanted to give them 4 stars.... My first trip with Ayer's was great. I think the staff is very friendly, but could be a little more helpful (it was my first time there and I said as much to several different employees) but no one seemed to want to help me. The bathrooms were very clean!! I was so happy with my first trip tubing that I booked again for the following Sunday. Unfortunately the second trip was a bomb. When I got to the drop off, there were 2 tubes left, one was deflated and the other had no mesh bottom (which is what I had the first trip) there was no one around to ask for help. I have a medical condition so having to fight with a tube that didn't have the bottom made the trip miserable. I also feel being charged 35 dollars for the lesser quality tube isn't best business practice. I was so happy to find a place close to my house and I was looking forward to many more trips, however after my last trip there I will be trying other places. I feel like I need to respond to the very aggressive comment by Ayer's. Your staff may have been "present " but I stood there for some time looking for someone to help me along with other people, who eventually did what I did and grabbed everything we needed with NO help from the staff. I would have LOVED to have had a staff member help me or even let me know there were other tubes available, if I just asked! There was no one to ask! Or maybe you should be more organized, have a more attentive staff. Also when exiting the river there were at least 6 people standing around (staff) talking and instead of coming to try and help anyone, they continued to talk until I approached them and politely asked if someone could cut the twine off my cooler. Honestly I would have expected a better response!!!!! Something more like, I'm so sorry we didn't meet your expectations, but if next time you visit us, when you check in you could talk to a staff member and we'll make sure you get the equipment that suits you better. Clearly you CANNOT take constructive criticism, and your customer service skills are subpar. I honestly would have been back if you responded differently. I guess that's your loss....... read more

Don't listen to the negativity. This place is great and they are definitely open for business. We, and many of our friends have been going here for many years. It is always a fun time. Never a bad experience. Canoeing and camping are both fabulous. Do yourself a favor and check it out. read more

This place is the best. Super laid back family run operation only 90 minutes from Chicago. They don't care how much booze you bring on the trip, which is a really good thing for our group! It's really affordable, I want to say like $45 per canoe for a 12-mile day trip. After they drive you 12 miles up the river (yes, in a short bus, see pics) you just take your time canoeing back to where you started. Camping is $5 per person over night, which is great b/c it's in a huge open area with fire pits so it can accomodate just about any sized group. Last time we were there a local guy stopped by the site and sold us some firewood which was super convenient. If you're looking for a one or two-day canoe trip from Chicago, this is your place. read more

See all

We had a terrible experience with Ayers Landing employees and owner yesterday. After giving them 250 to float down the river, we finished our trip and started loafing up our boats. I was immediately confronted by multiple aggressive and rude employees saying that I wasn't loading my stuff fast enough. I was threatened with physical violence by an employee as well as the younger one of the two owners. These people have no respect for their customers. They are extremely unprofessional, drinking while "shuttling" customers on their old crappy school busses, cussing at and threatening customers that paid for their services. I highly recommend using a different company, these rude people do not deserve a penny of your money! read more

This place is AWESOME! Ayers Landing rents canoes in Wedron, IL (right near Ottawa) and is about a two hour drive from the Evanston area. This place utilizes a branch of the Fox river and I have made it a yearly trip for myself and roughly 15 + friends every August. First of all, you can bring all the booze you want to this place (just no glass bottles, be kind to the environment!) ISecondly, t's hoppin' with people on summer weekends but not overcrowded at all. Thirdly, very affordable prices....for an all day 12 mile ca-brewing trip, you pay $45/canoe (and that's divided into 2-3 peeps). The owner and employees are very friendly and accomodating (coming from Chicago, this place is definitely a bit 'country' and I love it!). They also have facilities and a small store on the premises that sells some food and other essentials. For the 12 mile trip, they bus you down to a starting point and you canoe back to Ayers...it can take anywhere from 4-7 hours to finish the trip, and there are cool spots to stop off at along the way, such as places to cliff dive and whatnot. The water level fluctuates, and the first year I went I had to get out and push a few times...last year there were some fast rapids due to all the extra flooding...but this year the level will be 'just right'...how do I know this? I called the uber-friendly owner and gots all the info. If you are looking for a fantastic summer day-getaway with all your buddies that is not far from Chicago, this is the place to go! (many other places in IL will NOT allow you to drink-while-canoeing, so this place is a hidden gem!) read more

This is our second trip and it won't be our last! I don't know what more you could ask for - their equipment is in excellent condition, everyone is very friendly, it is reasonably priced and their portable bathrooms are the cleanest I've been in. We did the 6 mile (but the 12 mile costs the same). 2019 canoe rental is $55 and camping is $10 per person. They have ice and firewood available, as well as a little "diner" on the premises. Our large $2 coffees the next morning were a short walk from the tent. read more

I love Ayers Landing for how cheap and totally non-pain in the ass it is. For the overnight trip its $85 per canoe for a 24 mile ride down the river, which is far more scenic than its middle of farmland Illinois location would lead you to believe. You can put 2 or 3 people in the giant metal canoe and load them up with pretty much all the food, beer and equipment you can possibly need for 2 days out in the wild. There are no forms to fill out, no obnoxious self appointed river experts telling you how to canoe and camp. In fact Ayers Landing is so laid back the little old dude driving the bus to the drop off point didn't really know where he was taking us until another employee told him. When we got to the river they unloaded the boats, life vests and paddles, told us "have fun and stay dry" and took off. You can camp on any of the islands you come across along the way to continue your wilderness debauchery before sleeping under the stars. The second day there are some good places to cliff jump which I couldn't find my last time out but it was also cold and rainy so motivation was low. read more

About as easy as renting a canoe gets. You give these guys $50 bucks, they drop you off at the entry point. Canoe down a 6 or 12 mile route and you end up back where you start. Canoes are all decent quality and you get included life jackets. Only slight negative was amount of loud (drunk) people on the river, but I sound like a debbie downer even writing that. Just wanted to throw that out there for any families or anyone looking for a quiet trip down the river. A+ overall and will probably come back again! read more

Ayers is a must if you're looking for your next camping/canoeing adventure. Awesome staff, great setup. We like to camp the night before, walk down in the morning and they drive you and your gear up river where you canoe back and end at the campground and camp that night as well. Bring a cooler full of food/drinks (beer), even your dog if you like! The stretch you canoe down is amazing with lots of wildlife, scenery and sandbars to stop off and stretch your legs. Even cliff jumping near the end of the run for the brave ones in the bunch. Highly recommend Ayers Landing , have been and will continue to make multiple trips every year! read more

AMAZING!!! Knew we were in for a treat when our group (MUGWUMP!! ~ Yes, we are the annoying people yelling it both day and night!! ;p ) ~ organized a canoe/camping trip for us all to meet up. The scenery, was absolutely amazing! That was a given. Starved Rock, and the area around, was and will always be one of my favorite areas to explore. It's beauty never grows old! We did get caught in a storm and had to beach up, wait it out...but waiting wasn't such an inconvenience when you have beautiful cliffs around you...also seen a Fawn come up to the edge of the River to drink in the storm - where was my camera?!! Couldn't have been more then 5 months old...old enough to be on his own, but sure his Mom wasn't too far behind. Really was happy that the trip itself was not rushed. Drive you to the canoe, even put up with our rowdy selves - driver was a peach, taking our group picture too! Showed us the canoes, what they were marked with, where the twine was...and you're on your own. Nobody there barking out orders. Didn't get much rain this year, but the water flowed pretty smooth. Got stuck a few times..especially AFTER the storm!! Kept going around in circles!! Camping, is extremely laid back. Will give them they have a very creepy house at the corner of the lot. Texas Chainsaw meets Freddy - really wanted to take some better pictures of the place!! Primitive. But bathrooms are super clean and kept in great shape. Even after a busy weekend. The icing on the cake for me however was the beach, and spending time up there at night watching the huge moon and cloud formations. There's people that live on the beach that had an awesome setup...guy would jam out his guitar - pretty awesome btw! Sounded good! - had a fire, and was just out there enjoying the night. Was probably my favorite spot...just taking in the scenery and jamming out - unknowingly to our neighbors ;) ~ Really Really loved this place. Super laid back. No uptight snobs barking orders. Pretty much do what you want - upon reason of course. The area surrounding the campground is very pretty and secluded. Feels like you're a world away - until you see the fireworks through the trees during Riverfest (hey! Bonus!!) There was talk about holding next years Mugwump at Ayers as well - hope they do!! Not too far to drive, an awesome escape from reality for a while...we'll be back either way!! ~ read more

This was the best part of our camping trip by far. We spent the day before hiking and camping at Starved Rock and then headed to Ayer's Landing in the morning. It was just my boyfriend and I so we got one canoe which I believe was around $50. We did the 12 mile float, and they take you by bus 12 miles up the river, drop you off, and you canoe back to the landing and your car. It was so peaceful and pretty on the Fox River, with only a few other people on the river that we saw. I would canoe again here in a heartbeat! read more

Ayers Landing Canoe Rentals - Boating Near Me - Wedron, Illinois

See all

Excellent trip and experience quick easy and no hassle. I nice stretch of scenic river.

I love Ayers Landing! This year was our 2nd year going. Our group had so much fun the last time we went, we had to set up another outing. For $50 a canoe ($25 a person) you get an all day, fun, relaxing experience. We always try to get a large group together, this year we were a group of 12, so we tied 6 canoes together and just enjoyed the scenery while floating down the river. The only negative I will have to say about this experience, is the water is horribly disgusting, and avoid getting into it at all costs. Other than that, I absolutely love coming here, we have never had any bad experience with this outing. I suggest it for anyone who enjoys outdoors activities, who can stomach a yucky brown water, and doesn't mind stopping at creeks and small islands to pee in the bushes. I can't wait to go back again! read more

So much fun! The canoe rental is $50 a canoe, and they drop you off at either the 6 mile or 12 mile entry point and you float back down to your car. We had 5 canoes in our group, so we tied them all together and floated as a group. I can't wait to do it again! read more

Ayers Landing Canoe Rentals - Boating Near Me - Wedron, Illinois

Ayers USE to be great!!! I've been coming for 9 years and the customer service continues to decline. The staff is rude unless they're drunk. They just doubled the cost to camp as well.. If you want to have fun past 10PM go to C &M 10 mins down the road. read more

Grab a canoe, bring some friends and a lot of food and drink. It's 55 bucks for a canoe, and you can fit two people comfortably in one. We did the six mile one which was plenty. The current is strong enough you don't even have to actually use your oar. We had a blast, highly recommend. read more

This was a horrible experience. The so called guide told us the canoes are all the same so we spent most of the 12 miles trying not to tip over again. When we called they said the speed was normal when it was real fast. My son is horrified and will never get on a canoe again. Thanks for ruining my 4th weekend. The manager Kris didn't even know there was a difference in the canoes. Never again. Fuck those hillbilly pieces of crap. We could have drowned because of them. read more

Go with friends every year sometimes twice and it is a blast. They make it very easy to have fun. My friends and I all tie up the canoes together (with the rope they provide) and float down the river having a good ole' time! We bring coolers and snacks and everything you would want to have a good time for the day! read more

OMG! This was so much fun!!! My husband and I were invited last minute and luckily there were enough canoes available. It was a beautiful day. I'm glad we went with some folks that had done this in the past and knew exactly where to go! We are pretty adventurous but had no idea what to expect. What a breeze to get the canoe in the water and get on our way. There is so much wild life to see and lots of birds coming and going. We saw herons to hawks to turtles to cows and heard horses too! Can't wait to go back. Maybe we will bring the dog since they are dog friendly! It would be a great way to see if he swims and likes it! Thanks so much for a great day! read more

This could be the most miserable collection of individuals you might ever come across. I called well ahead and made reservations for my annual guys trip and, when we arrived, they had no record of my call. When I made the reservation I was very clear that I planned to bring my pop up camper as I have done in years past. When we got there, they made me park it by the office and then drive into town and buy a new tent. I have 2 tents at home and would have brought one if they had bothered to let me know they changed their rules. Their stretch of the river is beautiful, but there are other operators in the area. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere read more

I love this place. I have been going there every year for the past 7 years. The people are great. They even have a little joint you can have breakfast in the morning. It is a safe way to get drunk and be able to camp and not have to drive anywhere. I was there last weekend & am going back in three weeks. There is a great bar in walking distance (Opie's) where you can go for great fried chicken on Saturday night after a long day of canoeing. read more

This was a fantastic little get away. The canoe ride was so relaxing and very beautiful. We took the 6 mi ride and it took us about 3 hrs or so. We did camp and that was good too. It is more of a party atmosphere and not really for kids. We had a blast this weekend and can't wait to go back again. The staff wwere fantastic and super nice. The bathrooms were very clean but there is no shower. read more

Ayers Landing Canoe Rentals - Boating Near Me - Wedron, Illinois

See all

My family and I have been going to Ayers every year for over 10 years. We normally camp out for the weekend...and go canoeing. The canoe ride is my favorite! They let you take coolers and you can fill it up with all the drinks/alcohol you want. Even my dogs get in on the action! Canoeing that is! Only downside is that they do not have any showers...but who needs a shower when you're camping right? Great place, friendly staff. read more

we where just there we had 15 people in our party .but when we booked our trip they failed to tell us the river was low so before u leave call them to make sure the river has enough water otherwise you will paddle and hit every sand bar their is and it is not pleasent.... good luck otherwise pretty cool place read more

It was perfect for what we wanted to do. They were able to accommodate a large group. And you cant beat the price. I would definitely return. read more

We usually go to Ayers 2-4 times a year. We park a vehicle, pay the landing fee cause we use our own boats and we pay to camp the night. It's been a tradition of ours for about 4+ years... and my boyfriend has been coming here even longer. All the staff knows our names. We're always clean and quiet... we even clean up after some of the other campers. But this last memorial day weekend... After paying for camping and getting settled, we were told we can't camp there anymore. Because we don't rent their boats. We are taking up space in the field where other paying customers should be camping! Excuse me?! First of all... we paid to land, and we paid to camp... and the last three times we camped... they were lucky we camped... cause they only had like 3 other tents! After all the stories, the smiles, the honesty, and the fun... they have lost a large group of some of the most respectful 30 year old outdoor enthusiasts they could ever ask to pay to stay at that dump. They can keep the 2 am bloody screaming fights that tend to break out over holiday weekends... I was getting tired of no one ever doing anything about the violent drunks that camp there. read more

Not exactly really easy to find beacuse of some missing road signs due to construction and GPS having no connection - but if you're attentive to the numbered roads - you'll be ok. Basically a floating party. Buses left close enough to on time and the crowd was of mild size, hearty temper and very very thirsty. Plenty of places to stop, chill and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Water was a dark green soupy type of affair but not too fightening. Boats were in great shape and the kayak made for a nice variation during the trip. We saw heron, frogs, turtles, plenty of huge turkey vultures, druken twentysomethings and nothing but smiles. My toddler had a great time and despite the fairly wasted crowd - everyone was very friendly and polite. I would gladly return - but save some energy for the amazingly dull ride home through the corn - or what passes as corn this summer. If you're coming from Chicago - you'll be on local roads for about 30 miles - they move fast - but not exactly the most memorable landscapes apart from the river area. i loved how laid back the place was and the facilities we well maintained. read more