Super easy to make an afternoon on the river happen. I have a boat, but rented one for my 13 year old daughter. They set her up with a life jacket and a quick run through of the basics. We were off in no time and saw some great wildlife. read more

See all

Super easy kayak rental from May - September. I rented a kayak on a Monday morning at the Tower Rd. / Winnetka location. Parked, and 5 minutes later I was in the water. Rentals are $20 / hour but Mondays you get 20% off. They take cash or credit cards. read more

Chicago River Canoe & Kayak - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had a good experience here recently. The employee or maybe owner Eric was very professional. He gave us lessons on how to hold the kayak paddle and told us all about the boats. It was our first time in a kayak and was prompt to get us out on the water. We couldn't ask for more! It was refreshing to get such great customer service from a small place like this in Orland Park. Thanks Eric we'll be back again! read more

Nate at Clark Park location was great! He made easy and fun to check-in and out our kayaks. This stretch of the river is lovely, we lots of birds and it was so peaceful and yet a good workout. I will be going back again. read more

I wanted to make sure I didn't grow a third nipple after being exposed to the waters of the Chicago River, so I waited a couple of weeks before posting this review. Not having experienced any adverse effects I can now give the kayaking adventure a solid 5 stars. The whole experience was fun from start to finish. The staff at CRC&K were very personable and efficient in providing quick training on kayaking techniques. Of course, not much kayaking skills are required on this mild river. Paddling against the current is a bit of a work out and I am glad we went upstream first. That enabled us to coast down later with only a little bit of steering to avoid cantankerous ducks. I would highly recommend CRC&K for an active adventure in the city. And should I start sprouting any additional limbs, I promise to immediately update this review. read more

Chicago River Canoe & Kayak - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My favorite kayaking spot, I get out at least once every summer to this launch. I was disappointed this year to see a pontoon and 2 speed boats with their motors on creating a wake in a no wake zone. Also disturbed to see 3 kayakers fishing when the sign clearly says no fishing. I go out there to enjoy nature, undisturbed and relatively unspoilt, not sullied by the sound of motors and kayakers depleting the fish population. read more

How can I say this without sounding too over-the-top?.... I love this company! Specifically the Skokie Lagoons location in Winnetka. I might just love them so much because of the lone fact that they helped me setup the perfect proposal to my girlfriend (now fiance)! That might be a good enough reason on its own - but there's more: the scenery is great, the water is so peaceful, and the people that work there are so accommodating and just beyond nice. For those interested, I began planning the proposal to (then) my girlfriend in early June. Ryan, one of their employees, helped me piece it together. He had some of his associates (and even some LivingSocial associates) involved. By mid-July, it was all ironed out. My idea was to somewhat replicate the "Kiss The Girl" boat scene from The Little Mermaid (my fiance's favorite cartoon growing up). So ideally, I wanted us to go off on our own for a bit and I would ask her. Another Chicago River Canoe & Kayak associate, Liam, was in on it and even kayaked over to take the pictures you see in the collage (which I added to their photos) - how amazing is that?? In the end, she said yes (thank you, Mary!), we got tons of amazing photos taken by Liam, and it all worked out so much better than even I expected it to. I can't write this review (and I wish I can give these guys 6 stars) without again thanking Ryan and Liam as well as Rachel, Martha, Lindsay, and everyone else associated with the 07-15-12 trip. I'll never forget that day as it was not only the first time I canoed, but also the first (and God willing last!) time I proposed to anyone! read more

Chicago River Canoe & Kayak - Thanks to Chicago River Canoe & Kayak for making my proposal to my girlfriend as perfect as it could've been. Awesome place! - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Apparently closes at 5pm on Sunday even though website says 6pm. And if you get there before five, the employee will be missing for 15 minutes and then show up at 5:05 and say they are closed. Go a few hours before close to be safe I guess... read more

Great place for some paddling. They offer you instruction if you need it and leave you alone if you don't.

Like getting a good work out, being outside, seeing some wildlife, having fun, I highly recommend kayaking in the Chicago river. It's a nice beak from the city while your in the city. I promise you that you won't glow or get a virus from the river.....it was surprisingly clean. I haven't been on a tour so I can only recommend the kayak's. If you decide to take a tandem kayak be prepared to quarrel a little, how to paddle, not paddling hard enough, and I can feel you making those faces at me from behind (I don't know how she knew I was doing that). It's also a little harder to paddle seeing that you have twice the weight, but overall I still would recommend them. Paddling up stream obviously is the way to go but people do decide to go downstream for a different view. Really the current is not that strong so you can do either one. It does give your upper body a nice workout so it's nice to coast more down stream. The view itself is nice, greenery, some animals (I swear that duck was giving me an evil eye and wanted to tip the boat over), other friendly boaters, and marked street bridges so you know about where you are or how far you've gone. Other then the paddling I found it very relaxing and will be going back. I recommend calling to reserving a kayak or canoe, they fill up really fast. They open at 9am, I got there at 10am on a Sunday morning, I blinked and there were a bunch more people waiting. The staff is young so they are a little slow but helpful if you don't know what you're doing. I was in the water and ready to go ten min. later. What really makes this company amazing is how CHEAP they are!! $15 an hour for single kayak and canoes, $20 for tandem kayaks. read more

I was really disappointed. I read various reviews and thought this would be a great experience for my birthday. Ryan coordinated everything and he was very understanding and patient, so no complaints there. Once my friends and I arrived to the location, we were introduced to Frank and Liam. Liam was rude, cursed at my friends, and was not patient. It was our first time, and we had a bit of trouble getting the hang of things, but once we did he made us return with a group that was coming back from their trip. We were maybe 20 min in the water when we had to return. I wasn't expecting that at all. I was sad for the rest of the evening since I had been looking forward to this for weeks. My friends also felt bad and thought it was bad service. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Originally the plan was to go canoeing, because I had a slight nervousness about kayaks. Upon arrival though my friend and I saw they were out of canoes and tandem kayaks (my second choice). One of the ladies, Jessica, asked if we wanted to do the single kayaks since that's all they at the moment. Well, I didn't really. But we had walked two miles to go, so I wasn't about to turn back. I explained my nervousness to Jessica and she was awesome at soothing my worries. She didn't lie, people do fall out, but she showed me what I could do right to make sure that didn't happen. We signed a quick disclaimer, and were assisted into the kayaks. I'm so glad I went. It was a peaceful part of the Chicago river. Didn't run into any motorized vehicles to stir the water so it was a great first time place to go. I recommend this place for their location and great people! read more

I want to say I've taken five or six sessions (4 weeks each) of the cardio kayak classes here and went on the Kankakee river & Crane viewing trip last year and I can't complain about anything! I went to a Cardio Kayak class with a few friends a couple of years ago. I wouldn't call myself a very athletic person and I've never been all that interested in the outdoors or nature. At first, I found kayaking a bit challenging and was pretty sore after the classes. It was something different for me, but I really started to enjoy it after a few times on the water. During your first class, the instructors give you the basics and help you develop proper technique along the way. All of the staff that I've met have been very friendly and helpful, which makes it a great activity for beginners. read more

I went on the Chicago River tour, it was the first time I tried them, and first time in the Chicago region ... but not my first kayak experience. I've gone on tours and rented kayaks for solo trips before, but I'd still call myself a beginner. The 2 guides assigned to us were friendly and the kayaks were decent, and the river was very cool to kayak through. I've posted a couple pix here. I might be feeling crabby but I had 3 negative experiences, thus knocking some stars off the rating. I'll take more trips w/them and if it turned out to be just this one trip, I'll revise the review/rating. 1. This is not a tour, despite what the web page says ("Our guides will help you notice hidden natural features and explain the surprising, paradoxical ecology of this heavily engineered natural area.") Unlike any other tour (walking, bike, kayak) I've ever been on, they did not stop and wait for people to to gather before explaining something about the river or where we were. They never stopped. About 20 kayakers were strung out about a 1/4 mile, more as we went on. If you were one of the 2 or three faster kayakers and were by the front guide, you got some information, I think. I could see he was saying something but in the middle of the pack, I couldn't hear. If you were by the rear guide, he was silent. When prompted, he was nice enough, but didn't know much at all about the river, its history, ecology, or the area (called Ravenswood Manor "River Manor"). He was a young, friendly kid. They should train river guides to be able to answer nature questions ('what kind of trees are these?" "hmm. I don't know." "What are these huge pipes for?" "Good question.") before sending them out. So, it's not a tour, it's more of "paddle north for an hour, try to keep up, and then we turn around." I was disappointed by this. 2. They insist on the most difficult way to get in and out of the kayak from their low dock, involving using the oar as a lever behind you. ... normally only something you'd do on rocky shore (see the 2 minute mark on this video: http://www.nrs.com/learn/safely-get-in-and-out-of-your-kayak.asp ... any of the previous methods in that vid show "from a dock" methods that are more common and easier, especially for beginners, which this tour invited.) I'm round and not that flexible, and it was difficult. Worse, their dock was FULL of goose poop. They should have hosed it all down before we arrived. Instead, a guide tried sweeping a 15" section of poop into the water, leaving goose poop stains on the dock. You got it on your shoes so it was in the kayak. If you sat on the dock while getting in/out, it got on your clothes. Suggestion to management or Chicago Park District: install a proper kayak/canoe lift/launch, like they have in River Park. In the meantime, train the guides to use any of the other "step in and sit down (while someone holds it steady)" methods shown in that video. 3. I went with my brother, a first-time kayaker. The guides did not take enough time to fit his seat properly, so he was never able to sit up and use the resistance from his back against a solid surface. He didn't know any better, but when we started out I saw it. One guide said "everything okay?" as we were starting out, and I yelled out, "no!" and called him over to look, and asked him to fix his seat. The guide said "oh that's a fishing kayak so you can bend back and cast." Well we weren't fishing. We were rowing non-stop for 2 hours. They should've gone back and given him a proper model, I don't know why they didn't. He was struggling, and his first-time kayak experience was not as great as it should have been. In sum, if you're a somewhat experienced kayaker, their rates are fine, and the equipment is okay (just don't get that fishing kayak! lol). Don't bother with the tour though. It's a shame that the management couldn't be bothered with training its staff on how to lead actual tours, and make sure they had the knowledge to teach and inform. Also: Please buy a long hose for bad goose poop days. read more

See all

My husband and I did the Moonlight Dinner Paddle last night and really enjoyed it. We live in Lincoln Square so the launch spot just south of Addison at Rockwell was really convenient for us. Upon our arrival, everything was very well organized - we were checked in, confirmed which boats we had selected and received our life jackets. The guide, Liam, was great. He explained everything clearly before we headed out on the water and spent time during the ride chatting with people and answering any questions about the ride and the wildlife we saw along the way (herons, geese, ducks, racoons). We paddled for about 1h15 or so before arriving at River Park. When we arrived, dinner had been delivered and was all set up on a lovely grassy area along the river. I love that they order from a local neighborhood restaurant, Noon-o-kabob. It was delicious! After eating and relaxing for about 45 minutes, we set back downstream for the return trip, which took about a half hour. It was fun paddling in the dark and the headlamps helped us spot wildlife on the shores (they provide some headlamps but we brought our own). I highly recommend the dinner paddle - the route is peaceful and serene and the staff is fantastic. read more

I highly recommend this service. We rented single kayaks on a Sunday afternoon, received some simple instructions and set off. It took us about an hour and a half to get to Lawrence and back, during which time we saw a turtle, many ducks and several different species of birds. I was a newbie, but had no problem controlling the kayak, and, surprisingly, was never in danger of falling in. I'll wait a couple of days and change my review if I suddenly become extremely ill from being on the Chicago river. read more

Good times! Affordable fun close to home. We rented a tandem. I recomend renting a single for each person, tandem takes a lots of time to figure out. With a tandem you might be zig-zagging and arguing about which way to go. Staff is friendly, small operaton, was not crowded for a nice Saturday afternoon. We saw geese, blue heron, fish (was thinking about the song "summertime, ....fish are jumping") some other stocky heron, and mallards. It was nice to do something a bit different. These people do a great job, highly recomended! read more

I bought the Skyscraper Canyon Tour through Living Social. I had to reschedule twice (bad weather the day before), and the company was very easy to work with, which was a pleasant surprise. We finally had good weather, and I went with my boyfriend on a tandem kayak. We started down in Chinatown, went north up to Lake St, and then east to about Michigan Ave. It was about 5-6 miles, and it took us about 2.5 hours to finish the trip. We arrived at 7:00pm, got on the water shortly after, were back and docked at 9:30pm. I regret not knowing out how long the tour would be, I assumed a couple miles, 1 hour max. I was shocked when I got there and found out it would be a 2-3 hour tour. This was my fault, I didn't read the site description. My boyfriend and I were so exhausted that we pretty much let ourselves drift the last mile back. But for the experienced kayaker, it would have been a breeze. The guides, Liam and Craig, were great! Craig showed us the basic moves, and both guides made the trip casual and comfortable for us newbies. They were both knowledgeable, approachable, and seemed to genuinely enjoy our company. It felt like kayaking with friends! And lets not forget about the view: AMAZING! I have lived here for 5 years, and I've never seen such beautiful views of downtown (from the south at Roosevelt, and in the loop). We recommend that you bring a change of clothes, and a water bottle. The guides stored our bags in a safe locker during the trip. We ate at Lawrence's afterwards. It wasn't great, but anything is edible after near physical exhaustion. read more

Simply stated: Friendly staff, beautiful/scenic paddles, affordable price. A great way to see neighborhoods in the city. Quiet with limited boat traffic. read more

What a delight to have this place in our neighborhood. Easy bike ride but they have plenty of parking. Friendly and helpful staff. - can rent single or tandem kayaks hourly - can rent canoes as well - children over 3 are allowed - DOGS are allowed in canoes!! We will be back!! read more

Just took a group of middle schoolers on a kayaking field trip at the skokie lagoon location. I could not have been happier with my experience there. HUGE shout out to Ryan. He was super patient with the kids (even when two of our kids flipped their kayak, yikes!), and willing to share all his knowledge of the wildlife in the area (and answer even the most silly of questions). Even if you aren't taking a group of students out on a field trip, make sure you make it a point to go kayaking with these guys. read more

Chicago River Canoe & Kayak - Fun times! - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Paddling is very zen. A kooky way to experience Chicago. Loved it.

My husband and I took my in-laws on a kayak ride to celebrate their birthdays. We wanted a nice, easy trip that wasn't too crowded. My husband found this place and we were happy to see that they launched from Addison and Rockwell, just a few blocks from home. The people who work there are just wonderful, and so helpful. They explained everything to us, go us in our kayaks, and always asked if we had any questions. We had all been kayaking before, so we didn't really expect any problems. We went at a slow pace and were out for about two hours. We headed up the Chicago River to Foster Ave, then paddled our way back. I will say that the views are pretty - lots of trees and grasses - and we felt pretty secluded on our trip, as you can't really see the homes and businesses along the river while you're kayaking. We also saw some wildlife, which kind of surprised me. There were ducks, herrings, and we even saw some turtles. The bad: it does smell. Not everywhere, and it's definitely at its worst while you're near the sanitary treatment plant, but it wasn't bad the whole time. There was also a noticeable amount of garbage strewn about in the river itself. The part I found a bit disconcerting was that some of the little tunnels where I'm assuming waste goes has little warning signs posted near them that warn of the water being unsafe to swim in. You get a little wet when you're kayaking, so I made sure to shower the moment I got home. I think it was $15/hour/kayak that we were out there, and each couple sat in a double kayak. They have single kayaks and canoes too. Oh, and yes, they do allow credit card payment, which I wasn't sure about when we walked up to the place since it's just a teeny building in the middle of a field. I would recommend this business to others and am thinking about taking one of their guide-led tours soon. read more

This is like a hidden gem! For someone with no desire to paddle the river downtown but still wants to be in the city, this is a perfect option. There is ample parking and a lot of different boat options. Groupon usually has a kayak deal too. It's a beautiful facility. read more

Wonderful family time kayaking this morning ! Great accommodation and service! Coming back many times in the Summer ! Thank you!

I've lived in the city for years but never got around to kayaking on the river. Glad I finally did! My girlfriend and I went to the Rockwell St. location, which is right off the street behind Lane Tech. The staff was super friendly and got us sorted out with lifejackets and a double kayak right away. We had looked at the tours online but decided to do the walk-in and just go on our own, which ended up just fine. We only saw other kayakers and canoeists on the river, which was always calm and there was no way to get lost. Once you get going, you quickly feel you're out in nature. We spotted several herons on the shoreline, and even saw a couple of them catch and eat fish. We paddled up to Foster and back, which took about two hours. It was a workout, but heading downriver on the way back made it easier. You do get a little wet, so wear swimsuit bottoms. And though I wouldn't want to swim in it, the water wasn't noticeable smelly or dirty, as I've heard it is closer to downtown. Overall a great afternoon. read more

Chicago River Canoe & Kayak - Heading north toward Foster. - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I purchased a deal through Living Social and wasn't quite sure what to expect. To my surprise my boyfriend and I had a great time! It took us about 15 minutes to get the hang of things, but the staff was very patient and helpful. We're planning to sign up for the downtown tour in the coming months. read more

Yeah! Flipping kayaking and junk! Went over the 4th of July weekend, opted to do it up here to avoid the potential of things bring throw at us from patrons of the Cubs/ Sox game, the Taste, and just general 4th rowdiness. Glad we did- $15/hr and a super relaxing tour. The people running it were really nice and helpful to my fiance who had never kayaked before. They assured him that he wouldn't tip into the what he called "poo water". And no, he didn't tip. read more

This was a great opportunity to do something other than sit at the end of a bar and drink myself silly. A group of us did the midnight paddle and dinner which was really not at midnight and the dinner was less than the best BUT it didn't really matter. It was just nice to be in the great outdoors, or at least Chicago's version of that. Canoing down the north branch of the Chicago river gave us a view of the interesting houses that back up against the river. I can't say that there was much animal life except for the occasional bird or rat but then again I really wasn't expecting much either. The people that ran it were very nice and laid back. Everybody canoed or kayaked at their own pace and went as far as they wanted to. I had a great time. read more

Won't kayak with this company again. Did the evening skyscraper tour, which had a few highlights, the buildings were beautiful at night, but this is not a tour. This is hop in a kayak for 8 miles, basically on your own, with little guidance. The outfit is pretty shoddy, we had two guides for probably 17 people. The guides allowed the boats to get so far apart, we probably stretched over a mile and often couldn't see each other. This wasn't a big deal until it was dark, and then it was unnerving. One could easily have a problem, capsize, and no one would know the difference. These people didn't have their act together from the get go, we didn't leave on time and safety is not a primary concern. Try a different company. read more

I've done the moonlight dinner paddles twice and will go again next year. They are organized, the dinner is fabulous, fun is had by all, and the price is totally right. People are afraid of the river...and maybe rightfully so, but neither time did anyone fall in or even come really close. You do get some wet...but that's what skin is for..to keep bad germs out! It's a great workout, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who was completely out of shape. I'm no jock at all and it was difficult, but I wasn't unhappy at the end. I felt like I had a tremendous experience and a healthy one at that. It's made me seriously consider buying a kayak for myself :-) Oh, I see here I'm supposed to say if it's good for kids...they have single kayaks, double kayaks and canoes. I think kids in a canoe are a fine plan...but maybe not their own kayak if it's their first time..but what do I know. read more

My girlfriend and I went to the Skokie Lagoons location and rented a canoe for the day. We went on a tuesday so we didn't have to make a reservation. The shed was easy to locate and the staff was friendly and very helpful. My girlfriend had never went canoeing before so this was the perfect place to take her. The Lagoons are very calm and secluded. We even took a picnic basket and found a perfect spot! The day turned out to be a very good experience. I would recommend this place to anyone that wants to just get away from the city and enjoy a peaceful day with mother nature and a special someone. read more

FANTASTIC!!! What a great experience! My first time kayaking and this was a great place to go. My friends and I were nervous about getting in the kayak (and not falling in the water) but the instructors got us in without incident and were super patient and nice! The water is pretty calm in this section so it makes it easier for beginners like us. It was such a relaxing experience, I felt like I just came out of a yoga class when I was done. GO! GO! GO!! read more

My friend and I ended up renting a tandem kayak at the lagoons launch. The guy running the location, Ryan, was extremely upbeat and enjoyable. He gave us a pretty good idea of the area we'd be paddling, and we were off. During our 2.5 hour excursion, we traveled twice around the island directly in front of the launch, as well as a bit further north. We spotted a turtle and tons of herons. We even got to observe a heron as it caught and ate a fish, which was really exciting. We were hoping to see more wildlife, but it was still a worthwhile trip. read more

I was a little disappointed. I read all the previous reviews and thought this was a great place. The canoes were nice, the people were nice, there was a lot of wildlife, but there was also a decent amount of garbage, areas that smelled of sewage, and areas that homeless people obviously lived. This place also has 2 launch points, so just to clarify I went to the one near lane tech. There has to be nicer places than this to go canoeing...and I shall find them! read more

I did the Skyscraper Canyon tour and have a few specific pieces of feedback and things that potential kayakers should consider. Hopefully the company reads their Yelp reviews as well! - The arrival was very disorganized. I felt like employees were running around having people sign things (including a "waiver" that was just a blank piece of computer paper...I never signed it because nobody asked me to). There was no organized system for getting everyone ready to go. Also, I felt like the company was a little too accommodating to people who arrived late. Every time it felt like we were almost ready to go, a bunch more people came late and had to be outfitted with equipment. If you arrive on time, just plan to be waiting around for awhile. - At our turnaround spot, again I felt it was pretty disorganized. Instructors were trying to pass out lamps for people to attach to their life jackets for safety, but they were just randomly yelling out "who needs a lamp?" and trying to navigate their way through approximately 20 kayaks to pass out lamps. This took about 20 minutes, and several of the lamps did not work. It would have been more efficient to pass these out in advance, before we launched. Again, lots of waiting around both in and out of the kayaks. - The company is very up front about how long the trip is. However, I think it would be beneficial to offer a turning around option before the Trump Tower (i.e., the Sears tower), and those who want to turn around can split off with a different instructor. By the time we got back, it was pitch black, and our entire group seemed to be dead silent. I think the consensus was that the trip was too long, even for athletes and experienced kayakers. - I don't know if this is typical, but I felt like our group was huge - possibly 20 kayaks? There were so many people that we were stretched out pretty far along the river, causing the front paddlers to have to constantly stop and wait. It seemed to me that the group was pretty large and cumbersome, even with three guides. The instructors seemed knowledgeable overall, and I got some cool views of the city, but I think that a few more procedural and organizational steps from company, as well as smaller groups and an option for a shorter trip, would make this more fun. read more

I took my mom here for her birthday. We had a BLAST. We did our own journey together in a single kayak and had a great bonding experience together. I brought my portable speaker with me and we caressed our paddles through the river while singing and exploring the Chicago River. I'm looking forward to warm weather again so we can each have our own kayak and race each other. read more

Kick ass attendants, super friendly! Loved the experience and would definitely come back!