First time on the river and what started as a six mile trip, accidentally turned Into a 15 mile journey. The emplyees at canoe the caney could not have been cooler or more understanding when picking us up at a further landing. I highly highly recommend using this company to paddle down the caney. An amazing experience on the river and a great company. You won't be disappointed. read more

We just paid $105 for 1 canoe. People are nice. It's fine. Could be closer to either the drop off or the pick up. I bet you can find a closer place, nicer people, and cheaper. : ) read more

Our family did the 6 mile trip on a canoe this past Saturday, and we really had a superb experience! The staff were prompt, thorough, and professional. It did not take long to get on the river, the float was very easy (perfect for our toddlers!), the water was so clear, there were a couple nice little spots to eat lunch, the pick up point was so easy to locate (and the directions they gave were spot on), and our children had a wonderful time! We actually plan to go back again this weekend! read more

We rented there last July. It was awesome! The staff was very helpful & courteous. Thank you for the great experience!

This was the first time I have been in a kayak. This was an amazing experience. The customer service was world-class. I am over 50 and had a superior time. The people are super nice and helpful. Great day on the river. read more

I would not recommend this place. We spent more time waiting to get on the river than we spent canoeing. I've canoed the Harpeth, Buffalo, and Piney and the canoe companies on these rivers operate much more efficiently. I'm not sure if Canoe the Caney was having an "off" day or what, but my first experience was not good, and I don't think I will go back. My friend and I arrived at 11:30am, and we did not get on the river until 2:30! I felt as though the most crucial time of the day was wasted waiting around. We waited for about an hour for the van to pick us up from the shop and bring us to the loading site, and it took us about 20 minutes to get thru the check-in line with only two other customers in front of us because the sales clerk kept trying to upsell everyone. I'd recommend paying before you go so you don't have to wait in line. Additionally, there wasn't much direction from staff, and they should really get a sign for the exit point because it is very easy to miss. The staff seemed very unorganized and don't communicate well with each other. Also, the website is quite misleading as they boast "affordable canoeing." Their prices are comparable to most other canoe places on a per-person basis. However, please know before you go that they charge an extra $13 for a flimsy back rest, which they did not mention when they asked if I wanted one. I did not think it would be extra as Canoe Music City has built-in backrests in their canoes and don't charge extra for them. My total for my half of the canoe that I split with my friend came to $51 (canoe + back rest + waterproof phone case which I bought for $5). I wish this place operated more efficiently because the Caney is so beautiful, but they have kinks they need to work out. read more

Wow is all I can say. Been here once before and had a good time. This time we waited for over 2 hours and sat forever, then sat on a bus and were told there were canoes then there were not. Then we had to fly down the river. Then we were told we were getting a refund, then it was turned into a free trip the next time. Poor service!! We won't be back! read more

Great customer service! Easy going and laid back. Lots of fun, I definitely recommend this place!

Canoe the caney is a great adventure for the weekend. Lots of fun things to see on the river and perfect for a summer day.

Feel Tricked. From out of town (5+ hours away) in town for 1 day only. Called and they recommended to book online so as not to chance showing up and not having spots for the trip. Buried in the online registration was a no-cancellation clause. The night before, they called and cancelled on us saying the river was too high. Since we were only there 1 night, we asked for a refund (no). Asked to speak to a manager (no call back). They only offered to reschedule, which doesn't help us living so far away. They have since changed the online booking so the no cancellation is more prominent, but doesn't help us. Paid the cash, no trip, no services rendered. read more

Best time EVER!!!! Allen is fantastic and and awesome employee, credit to all the staff in general for a great experience!

This is my 6th time down this river with Canoe the Caney. This is the best canoe outfitters in the area. Great customer service, quality boats and the best pirate music in town! Great for families! read more

Not a great experience. Only do the 6 mile canoe option if you choose this place to canoe/kayak and DO NOT go the full 9 miles. The only thing special about the full 9 Miles is that you might see a bald eagle, an otter, and interstate bridges. There are no caves except maybe one. There is no current, so you have to paddle pretty much the entire way. Also, after you've paddled relentlessly for 9 Miles and have spent 5 hours in the Sun and you think it's finally over, you have to walk .5 of a mile to the bus. Then, Once you get to the bus, you have to wait an hour for your driver to round up 10 other people so he can take you back. The customer service was not bad however. read more

Nice staff. Bad service. They make you wait an hour to drop you at the put in, then tell you that you must be at the take out by 4:30. Then you are still waiting at 5:30 for them to drive you back to your car. They have wasted 2 hours of our day and move at a snail's pace. They send one employee to pickup all the boats and he moves like a government worker. The paddle was nice but I would rent elsewhere. Also they only have a couple tandems so they up charge you for a lame canoe. Their single kayaks are really old and beat up. Rental fees were high. For 2 singles and a canoe we forked over 200$ for a 3.5 hour paddle. Since they made us wait an hour to start we had to hurry only to sit at the pickup area for an hour and counting (as I write this). Do yourself a favor I'd you value your time and customer service. Go elsewhere. read more

Find a different company! Way over priced for the experience. The way they run their transportation is a joke. We waited 45 minutes prior to our trip for them to take us to the dam and then after getting to the take out spot at the time they told us to be there, we waited for another hour. Granted it was a holiday and they were busy but they were completely unprepared and understaffed. Also, they tell you one price and it ends up being way more. They charge 30$ per person for the shuttle ride plus the canoe. When it's all said and done it's 80$ for two people and one canoe. The shuttle vans are shoddy pieces of crap. We had a blow out on the way back to the marina. The actual canoe trip itself was very enjoyable but they ruined the experience. read more

We chose the 3 hour/6 mile trip. The lady who I paid and the bus driver told us if we paddled the whole way we'd be finished in 1 1/2 hours. We wanted a leisurely trip, so we only paddled to stay in the middle of the river. We finished in 1 hr and 15 min. For $24.99 per person, that is a rip off. For 8 of us, I spent over $200 dollars and felt like I flushed it down the crapper. read more

I went here a Friday morning with my family from FL . We left around 10 when the dam generator was not on and it took us about 2 hours to complete the 6 mile trip to Happy Hollow boat ramp. The water was cold and clear to the bottom which was pretty shallow in many parts and busy with fly fishermen but it was a beautiful ride, scenic spots where we stopped for lunch, breaks and pictures. There were cool breezes and fog over the water which looked super cool. The shuttle that picks you up and drops you off was clean, cool enough and the service nice. The canoes were comfortable and just fine for our size group: 2 canoes for 7. We had two little ones in the middle between two rowing adults. The other canoe had 1 adult, 1 teenager and 1 11yo. The pricing was per person and not per canoe. The kids were free. read more

Not a good experience. Very unorganized. They made us wait for an hour and a half, even though two other buses left with people who arrived after us. We were told that the larger bus is needed to accommodate the larger group, and that the smaller bus with driver Candy would be right behind us. After waiting for about an hour, we asked how to interpret "right behind" and were told "another five minutes". Those 5 minutes stretched into 30. When we finally got to the drop off point one kayak had a broken seat, but no replacement was available. We did not want to argue with the helpless staff anyway. At the pickup location, we again head to wait, even though two of their buses went past the pickup spot without stopping. We eventually had to flag down one of their drivers to get a ride back to the shop. read more

Unbelievable disorganized business. I inquired multiple times about a season pass and the terms kept changing each time I would call. I thought I had it straightened out, so after calling to make sure they had an opening for the time we would arrive, we drove an hour over there. When we arrived, over 120 students from a nearby school were standing outside and the inside of the building was also packed. NOBODY was wearings masks. We left and came back an hour later and the students were gone. Previously I was told the I could purchase a season pass for a tandem kayak, if that's what I wanted and could bring anyone along since I would have the pass. But the day we went, the clerk said I would have to pay for 2 season passes because someone would be riding in the same tandem kayak. This was the exact opposite of what someone else told me a few days before.This would have been well over $400! so we drove another hour back home and will never be back. They could have had my business if they had their act together. read more

Definitely would not recommend this outfit for canoeing the Caney. We arrived at 8;30am as instructed 30 min prior to our 9am departure. The check in was disorganized and large groups were herded under a tent to wait for the shuttle bus which seemed unwise given the current Covid19 conditions in this area. There was no reduced capacity on the shuttle bus but at least folks were instructed to wear a mask on the bus. With all of the waiting we did not get onto the river until 10am, which was an hour and half after our arrival. The kayaks we were given were in poor condition. The river itself was lovely, clean and clear. However, the beauty of the trip was ruined when we arrived at the exit point of our trip to find a large group waiting for the shuttles. Even though we had texted when we were close the exit of the river as instructed, there was no shuttle in sight. We waited over an hour for the shuttle in 90 degree weather. During this hour waiting, we saw many shuttles from other competing companies come and go. We texted the office again and also called and were told that a shuttle was on the way. When the shuttle, which was an old school bus, finally arrived it could not accomodate all those who were waiting. Folks were loaded onto the bus, many not adhering the mask required rule and we sat for 15 min while the driver counted the passengers and then overlaoded the bus to try to get all that were waiting on. It was like sitting in a Covid19 petrie dish. I am not sure how this outfit can get away with shuttling 50+ people in a small space during the pandemic, legally or in good conscience. This experience was extremely concerning. If you want to canoe the Caney choose a different company! read more

How this place is still in business is beyond me. I can't even get a reservation made for a canoe trip. The Book Now button takes you to a page that clearly states you are not making a reservation, you are making a request for a reservation, and that until you pay, you have not booked your trip. You hear nothing back from them from your request. You call them on the phone, and they say, there are only two of us working right now and we can't take any information over the phone. We haven't been able to print off the requests from the website for two days and so can't make any reservations over the phone. Call us back tomorrow. I call back, same story. I've never seen anything so pathetic in my life. read more

Complete disaster. Our confirmation email asked us to be there 30 minutes before our start time at 11am, so we arrive at 10:30am as requested. After what can only be described as total chaos, we did not get to the water and receive kayaks for over 2 hours. After we were told to "be prepared at how fast we would be given our kayaks once we get off the bus" we literally waiting 30 minutes because the employees could not find any more kayak paddles. The employee eventually told us they did not have any more kayak paddles so we had no choice but to use a canoe oar for the kayak. Having to use a canoe oar on a kayak was not the experience we paid for and it made it much more difficult. We pre-booked this kayak day so why would you book more kayak time slots than the number of kayak paddles you have?! On top of all of that, the bus situation is extremely disorganized. In addition to the disorganization and extreme wait times (we were told max 30 min and there were people on our bus that had been waiting for over 1 hour) do not tell customers it is a requirement to wear masks on the bus and then not require your bus drivers to wear one. read more

Saw all the bad reviews and was a little nervous, but what a great time! We had 3 boys with us (3,6 & 8) and the 6 mile was a perfect trip. Wait was a little long, but not unreasonable. We went Labor Day so a small wait seems fair. It took us about 3 Hours to do the 6 miles. We did stop several times to swim and play. Beware, even on Labor Day the water is frigid!! read more

New to Tennessee and looking for a quick adventure! Spotted the Hwy 40 billboards and decided that would be the " must do" thing on a beautiful spring day! So, April 24 comes along and fits the requirements. Easy drive to the location, no crowds at this point, enjoyed a great local breakfast and went to the office. Very pleasant staff, enjoyed the Q &A and conversation with Ace. The only bad...the water was not being released from the dam...too much rain this season...therefore, no Canoeing the Caney! We were offered the option of canoeing on Center Hill Lake which we accepted. In summary, 4 hours, beautiful scenery, great exercise (ugh) and a lot of laughter. When we were done, one phone call and Ace was there to pick us up in 25 minutes! Very good cell reception in that area and on the lake...so if you needed a quick response...you should be able to communicate. Look forward to the next adventure when the water is being released! read more

Cano the caney will not be be getting my business anymore. I've been here several times, I've had some mixed reviews but never bad enough to post. Today, we walked in and the guy came out and said u want to kayak? You know it's raining. As if we couldn't tell. He then seemed very irritated he was going to have to leave the office so he got the boss. Now two people with me aren't experienced so I get the concern. However we drove 1 1/2 hours and called the day before to make sure they would be open and there would be no issues. They told us rain or shine we do kayaking trips. So when they didn't want to take us kayaking they offered a lake canoe trip. We didn't come for canoeing we came to kayak, so if you are going to offer that you could have at least said u would discount it. I mean after all, it isn't what we wanted. I probably wouldn't have accepted it anyway, but it would have shown you cared we wasted a trip because your employee didn't tell us you didn't wanna take us in the rain. You aren't the only place available and we will just go somewhere else. Last time I shop here. Over priced anyway! And tell your employee to at least not act like we are a burden to him. With that said the owner or manager was nice enough, and the first guy that spoke to us after he noticed we had been waiting several minutes to speak to someone, (as no one was in the customer area of the building) was very nice and went and got the employee that we had obviously bothered by having him get out of his chair and wait on us. Shame there isn't a zero star. Now to drive back an hour and a half! read more

As a patron of the Caney and kayaking in general, this facility is THE WORST. It may appear nice from the outside, but the customer service is beyond horrible. If you like mediocre canoes/kayaks, waiting hours from check in to departure, and over priced services - this is your go to place! read more

The river is absolutely beautiful and we had a good time. However, as has been noted in other reviews, the map they provide clearly said there were markers along the way. That isn't so. Because there were no markers, we never saw (and we were looking!) the first takeout point at 6 miles, our original target. We had to proceed to the second takeout point at 9 miles, which wasn't obvious either. The four of us had to paddle furiously to make it over, as the current was strong. We were told at the office that their marker signs on the river kept getting stolen, so they stopped replacing them. Please consider hanging a temporary marker, such as a paddle, from a tree before the takeout points. The marker can be easily retrieved at the end of the day. A strobe light mounted on the shuttle bus pointing upriver may work as well, provided there's a break in the foliage. We will be back, and we'll be better prepared. First-timers run the very real risk of repeating our mistake. P.S. - stay toward the middle of the river until you're ready to go ashore. We saw two spills by folks who got snagged on underwater logs near the riverbank. It ruined their day. read more

Great story telling. A really fun experience and beautiful grounds. Fun for the whole family.

Craig our driver was awesome. He was a blast on the way back from the water. We brought our own kayaks and it was nice being able to have someone haul them and drop/pick us up. read more

It's not awful but we found it very overpriced. We are from Chattanooga with tons of these operations. $100+ is crazy for 1 Canoe.

If your objective is to rent a canoe or kayak and catch a ride to and from the put-in and take out points, these guys can probably help you out, although we had a very long wait on both ends of our trip. But I'm really here to warn you about a specific trip. They offer a "Romantic Picnic for Two" and that experience was terrible. First of all we had to wait nearly an hour after our appointed time to go to the put-in. The picnic was supposed to be a surprise, but I guess because of the difficulties and delays they were encountering and multiple conversations with the staff, one guy was like "well I guess the cat's out of the bag" and he tossed the picnic lunch into the bus with us. They had told my date that they would give us a ride on our own, AND the brochure promises you a "private shuttle" - but that wasn't true. We were on a bus with a bunch of other people. They give you your picnic in a basket that is not waterproof or even water-resistant. The lunch pictured in the brochure was a yummy-looking vegetable-laden wrap; the actual sandwich was cheap deli-meat and american cheese on white bread (I was just serving sandwiches to the homeless a few days ago and the sandwiches we were served looked just like that). Oh wait - but there were tomatoes on the sandwiches. All that meant was that the white bread was completely soggy. SO gross. They forgot to pack the blanket that was supposed to be included. The "souvenir wine glasses" had no reference to the Caney Fork, the business or anything - just cheap plastic champagne glasses still in the dollar-store packaging. We stopped by the gas station down the road and that is where we found the source of the "Romantic" picnic sandwiches. Complete BS. The manager was gone by the time we got back to our car, and the employee that remained said he could not refund part of the rate but suggested that they might offer me a free "season pass." Not very helpful since I live 7 hours away. The cost of this trip on a weekend is $35 per person for the kayaks and rides, the "Romatic Picnic" is an additional $49.95 (total cost $120.00). So it was $50 for a dollar-store teddy bear, a bottle of grape juice and two sandwiches from the gas station!! So far they haven't done anything to make things right for this lousy experience... they were right about one thing in the brochure, it was "an event I will remember for a lifetime." :p read more

make a reservation. don't be in a hurry. this laid back outfit had friendly staff. the rental and shuttle fees are steep but I believe that's the going rate for most rental companies along the caney fork. not sure why they are so proud on this river. read more

Took their haunted canoe trip a couple of weeks ago with my three grandchildren. It was a lot of fun for all of us. We rode on an old black bus, which got us feeling creepy right before we left. The stories were scary and they gave a lot of history about the area. We all enjoyed and will go back next year, read more

Great trip. Interesting story telling and very organized. Be prepared for walking but it's not too hard. The canoe party stays in a cove so you don't have to worry about getting lost in the dark. I had a great time. Really recommend it! read more

Haunted Canoe trip was awesome!! Great time fore the entire family!! The guides and staff were all professional from check in till the end!

The beautiful, clear river trip was ruined via the wait times. We waited an equal amount of time for pick up and drop off as we spent on the river. We arrived at 9:50am and didn't get on the river until close to 11:30 am. So when the confirmation emails say they run a continuous bus loop every hour...that is a lie. We then called for a pick up as instructed. We arrived at the pick up location a little before 3pm and it was close to 4:40-4:45 before we actually made it back to the parking lot. The prices were high and the equipment was okay- many of the boats had obvious patch work done. The frustration of waiting was unfortunately so great it negated the beauty of the trip. I will not be using or recommending this outfitter. The staff was nice however, service just didn't meet the standard. Other people waiting with us had been there almost 2 hours waiting on a bus. read more

My wife and I have done this for the past three years, usually twice each summer. It is not too far out of Nashville. You can expect a bit of a wait while everyone gets signed in and equipment readied. We opt to get the seat backs. After about a 15 minute drive, you will have reached the drop off point. Load your sunscreen, cooler, etc. into the canoe and you are off. They give you paddles but they are used minimally, most often to steer, especially around the fishermen/women. We cringe when we watch others get into their canoe and take off. We know they will be frustrated because they will reach the end so quickly and have a long time to wait. This is not a ride to hurry. It is all about enjoying the peace and serenity. After some time in the water, we select a shaded area (or you can select one of the many landing areas) and enjoy your lunch. No cell phone, no laptops, just peace and tranquility. Yes, we can't wait to go back this season. read more

Great trip (recommend the 9 mile) and great people that work here! Allen was our driver and made the ride quite enjoyable. Staff inside is friendly and engaging. Kayaks are in great shape and the canoes are very sturdy as well. read more

We had a blast! It took me forever to convince my sister to go with me but she's hooked now. The staff was great and the river is just beautiful! The store was put together really well. They said they just did a remodel on it- I'm not sure what it looked like before but it's pretty awesome for a canoe store. You usually get a shack! The operation was really smooth... We checked in at a long counter with four people checking everyone in. They gave us color coordinated wrist bands for the trip that had their phone number in case we needed them while on the river. They also gave us a river map, jackets, and seat backs at check in. They have a large restroom facility and a concession stand. We ate at the concession stand after the river trip.... Chili cheese dogs were amazing! : ) The river was the star of the show. It was so clean and really quite and peaceful. This is something we will definitely be doing again and again! read more

My sister in law booked this trip for us so I did not check the reviews, but seems like everyone else's experience wasn't the best either. From reading the reviews now, we had a different experience but still not pleased at how it started. It was not busy when we went and we actually did not have to wait at all to be taken out and only about 20 minutes to be picked up so that wasn't bad at all. The river was beautiful so that was a plus also and the woman who helped us check in and the man who drove us were nice also. I did not get to meet "the manager" or whoever the lady talked to for us but wish I would have..... First of all, we booked our 6 mile trip for 11 am, drove the hour and 15 mins to the place only for them to tell us that we could only do a 3 mile trip and needed to be out of the water by 1 (by the time we got to the river it was 11:45 so we were looking at an hour and 15 minute ride) because the DNR were going to be running two generators that day and the water would be moving too fast for us to do the 6 hour trip. That was a bummer and we said that we understood and knew they had no control over it but since we could only do a 3 mile instead of a 6 mile could we get a discounted rate? She said that made sense and went to ask her manager and then she came back out and said that he said no and that we needed to pay the full price! Now I'm upset because we drove all this way and didn't want to pay this company if they wouldn't discount a little for the inconvenience. So I asked, "If you found out our trip was going to be cut in half why couldn't you have called us before we drove all this way and we could've re-booked if needed?" She said they never got our reservation or they would have. My sister in law showed her our confirmation # from booking it and she still said they didn't get it because their website can be "finicky" sometimes!! I couldn't believe it....if you're going to be running a business and expect customers, then get your shit together! I would never use this company again - feel sorry for the kids that worked there. read more