In summer they rent kayaks and do a shuttle for a 7 mile run on the Cannon River from above the…read moreCannon River Wilderness Area to Dundas (or Northfield). The trip takes about 2 hours if the river is flowing fast but in Aug 2021, the river was super low and they said that it was taking folks 3-5 hours. You leave your car at the take-out and they shuttle you up. I only had 2 hours. I called and they left a kayak out for me at the Dundas take-out. In the morning, I paddled up river to the Cannon River Wilderness Area (I'd guess 2 miles) and then paddled back to the take-out. It was really pretty. It is all trees along this section of river. I saw lots of birds. I think the part in the wilderness area is even nicer so do the 7-mi trip if you have time. If you do the trip when the river is low, make sure to take shoes for walking in the river. You'll need to get out and drag the boat sometimes. So like tennis shoes not flip flops. The owner was super nice and helpful on the phone.

A few weeks ago, I went with my significant other and her friends on a snowshoe trip with this…read moregroup. There was a Living Social deal so we did it and booked the wine tasting experience. The snowshoe hike was moved near Northfield, MN and alot more hills and climbing than expected. However, we did get a great view of the ice caves. Also, the sandwiches and soup was delicious. At the end, we had a nice winetasting before heading back home. Our guides were the best and made everyone felt at ease without pushing too hard.

Overall, my friend and I had a pretty good experience. The jet skis were superb and the weather out…read morewas beautiful. We were debating doing the 1 or 2 hour rental. We decided to go with the 2 hour rental and were happy that we did. The 1 hour rental would not have been enough time given the massive size of the lake. My only critique is to train the young high school boys a little bit about customer service. They were very rude while assisting us with getting on and off the jet skis and looked like it was a pain to be helping us. On the other hand, the high school girl checking us in and out was great!

Overall we got to have fun on the lake but I will say these machines are a bit beat up and seem to…read moreneed a tune up. As I would turn the machine would lose a lot of power and my partner ran out of gas with a hour left, so they didn't fill up both machines asine still had half a tank left. $600 deposit and make sure to take a good video of the machines. The process of receiving instruction was a little odd as a younger kid was giving us rules then a seemingly drunk older man in a truck kept talking over him who I assume is the owner? Kind of a weird dynamic going on here. The process of taking off and riding was good no issues there.

My wife and I attended a paddling class with Pilgrim Paddles to learn techniques needed to paddle a…read moresolo canoe and be better at paddling together in a tandem canoe. We had basic experience paddling a tandem canoe but after taking this class and receiving great instruction on so many paddle strokes and techniques, we understood the nuances necessary to control a canoe in ways I never thought were possible. The instructor, Jeff, is incredibly knowledgeable and accomplished and has amazing patience working with new students. He also has a very strong safety ethic and ensures his students not only learn how to be a better paddler but also confident with safety protocols essential to manage conditions that increase risks when paddling a canoe. I highly recommend taking paddling instruction from Jeff and Pilgrim Paddles.

A couple of years ago I wanted(thought I wanted)to learn to paddle board. I knew Jeff from a group…read morekayak class some years previous. He attempted to teach me paddle board skills. He was successful teaching me the rules and safety protocol. He was patient and had a sense of humor with me because it simply was not going to be something I would accomplish. I have said to a friend that if I had to be lost in the wilderness, I would want to be with Jeff because he is experienced and level headed. Jeff is a thoughtful and masterful expert in his field.

I had such an incredible experience Ice climbing. Tony, our guide and shop owner, was incredibly…read moreinformative, easy going, and truly made the experience enjoyable. He even worked with my limited availability. You can tell he is passionate about what he does. He provided me with quality gear to use! I would come back ! Highly recommend.

Tony knows his stuff and this river is a hidden gem. If you live kayaking and unspoiled nature,…read morethen put this on your list

Everyone in the store, the shop, and the dock was very helpful. We had a lot of fun with the boat…read moreand tubing and all that. However, as amateurs, we actually damaged the boat. Blake - maybe the manager - was very understanding and helpful. They towed us in and kept costs down for us. Yes we had to pay, but that's expected. I have to highly recommend this company. I find the service to be exceptional even when we damaged their boat.

WHAT GREAT 4TH OF JULY PARTY! Parks Marina did another…read morewonderful job this year entertaining guests on their 4th of July freedom Cruise!

I returned to Wai Nani for their Excelsior location this time (previously enjoyed Wayzata). I had a…read morereservation for 4pm, but was late due to not being able to find the rental spot. The website lists the address as 135 Lake St, Excelsior, MN, but based on Apple Maps their location is more accurately described as West Lake Street or First Street, as there is a baseball diamond at 135 Lake Street. We called the company for help as we were lost and to let them know we were running late as a result, and they were unsympathetic but eventually got us to the right spot (albeit late for an only one hour reservation). The two students working said we still ONLY had the time remaining for our hour reservation (i.e. until 5pm) so we had lost the time we couldn't find the location and made no accommodation for us, although they also noted there were no reservations after ours. I completely understand needing to avoid a scheduling conflict, but I certainly wished for a little more understanding after not finding the location since they clarified we wouldn't create an issue by simply pushing our reservation back 20 minutes (if that would have been allowed).

I was in need of a family outing for a family of 4 with two adult kids in their 20's. I thought…read morethis would be something we might all enjoy and I was right! The equipment was clean and easy to understand. We got a thorough instruction. As a mom, I felt very safe about it. Our grown kids loved it. Our daughter said she wants to return with her boyfriend. It was new and fun!

This place... This place. I like this place. I took my…read moreparents here one weekend when I had decided that we had not yet done anything 'as a family' in a while. What do I mean? Well I come from a family that doesn't go camping or does many outdoorsy things besides walking or biking. So I decided, why not take everyone kayaking to see how it goes. The price for a the kayaking rental was affordable, but also they fit you and take care of you very well here. You're not really timed on the rental, its more of, "Hey let us know when you get to the pick up point and we will go pick you up." They are super friendly, and even launched my family and myself from the dock themselves. Of course, there is a safety video, life jackets, a map and kayaking accessories. But besides that, it was a great experience on the Mississippi. We brought food on the trip as well, so eating fried chicken on the Mississippi was great. I would go with Clear Waters Outfitting Co. again. The pick up was great, the driver was very sociable, and accommodating to our needs. Bottom line: Great place to rent from, and a great staff behind them.

We just love this company! We utilized their shuttle services to take us and our kayaks North on…read morethe Mississippi so we could do a sweet 5 mile paddle back down yesterday. Super friendly and helpful staff! Lots of great kayaks and canoes for sale and rent in their shop, as well as cool gear (and more!) in their fun gift shop. We will definitely be back!

Thanks to the St Croix Dock team for installing our dock and having great customer service.read more

St Croix Dock is great! We love the service and convenience of the business location! The staff…read moreare super friendly and are happy to answer questions about their products and services.