We had an amazing time on our recent kayaking trip. We ended up doing the Burners Bottom trip which took about 2.5 hours and it was perfect. Everyone was very helpful and gave us great advise on how to manage our trip. This is our second trip with them and we will be back for our third trip hopefully soon. We had a fantastic day! Thank you! read more

Had a group of family and friends here from North Dakota and we did a tube float. Ages from 7-60 everyone enjoyed the time and the teens enjoyed swimming around and pulling our tube island around the river. Beautiful day and the staff at Downriver are awesome. Very informative and helpful read more

We took the two-day trip with camping at Compton site. Online reservations was a breeze the staff is amazing. They are friendly and helpful, answering any questions and making sure we were informed about shuttle times, river conditions, and any weather precautions. Special shout out to Alex, who went way above and beyond in helping us on the first leg of our trip. He really made our experience more enjoyable! The only "negative" would be about the road condition into the camp site. The poor condition of the road beyond the gated entry really needs attention. read more

Downriver Canoe Company - Boating Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

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What a perfect way to cool off from the heat of summer. This place is just about an hour from DC. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. There is a well stocked gift shop with essentials and merch and they will even hold your keys for you. You can canoe, kayak or do lazy River tubing. My friends and I did a tubing trip this past Saturday. The river was low, so it took almost 4 hours however to float down the ricer on our tubes. Despite the hours, it was an enjoyable adventure. We rented a cooler for our drinks, brought a portable speaker and had a fun times! Don't forget your sunscreen, water shoes and waterproof bags! read more

Downriver Canoe Company - After your river adventure this bus will pick you up - Boating Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

Downriver Canoe Company was AWESOME! It was so fun to experience the river thru this family-run business. From start to finish you could feel the love. The staff were fun, friendly and accommodating. Facilities were well managed and clean. We had the best vacation on the river with our family. The driver was excellent , safe and told us exactly where we needed to put in our canoes & where to take them out. Felt very safe, with all my kids...even my 9 year old. Highly recommend Downriver Canoe Company! read more

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My friend and I did the three-hour tubing trip. Every staff member we encountered was so helpful and professional, making sure we had everything we needed. The equipment is well-maintained. The river itself is gorgeous and we saw a huge bald eagle. A great day. Will return, and highly recommend! read more

Great staff, good equipment, beautiful location, good website..................................

We have been taking kayak trips with Downriver for the past many years (10 years or more.....kids have gone from small to grown!!). They are always helpful, flexible, and thorough. We have never had a problem and always enjoy the trip. The staff is friendly and professional. Bonus...they have a selection of really fun t-shirts to purchase. read more

We had a great time with Downriver Canoe Co. We got a 4 person raft and hit the river for a relaxing no wait stressful paddle down the river. The water level was a little low on the river. We could have used maybe 6 more inches of water. Only wish the river was a little more marked so we knew how far we had to go. Will definitely be back for another go at the river read more

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excellent day on on the river--nice people, good equipment, and VERY EASY to get to from DC--Downriver made it happen

The staff are all very nice but this facility is not equipped nor prepared to help you if you have an emergency or an urgent situation while on the river. This is unsafe and although you have to sign a waiver at the beginning, that is for their protection and not yours. Many other River Outfitters have boats of some sort that are equipped to go out and help people who have issues whilst in the middle of an activity and I would recommend people who are not in the peak of condition in every possible way avoid this facility and try one that has rescue/emergency capabilities. read more

Downriver Canoe Company made everything very easy for us as first timers. Loved the experience, will definitely go back. read more

Downriver Canoe Company - Beautiful rafting downstream Shenandoah River. - Boating Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

We were super happy with DownRiver. We took a whole group of Boy Scouts out over the weekend in canoes. John and the team were easy to work with, super friendly, and very helpful. They were right on time for the pickup, gave the Scouts a great safety brief, and made sure everyone had fun. Highly recommended, and we will certainly be going back next year. One tip- if the river is below a 2.0 on the 'gauge' have them drop you at mile 13, otherwise you fight the rock ridges from mile 10 down to 13. It was do-able, but we all got a work out for sure. read more

This place was perfect! Friendly service, they allowed dogs in canoes, well stocked shop and offered many different river trips depending on how long you wanted to venture out for. They also have overnight trips - awesome. I can't wait to go back to do this. They have a few different places you can choose from as far as campsites so you're not limited on where you can stay - but I'd probably just stay on their property owned site. We chose to do a the 2 hr (by 2 hour they mean you paddle for a continuous 2 hrs straight) 7.5 mile canoe trip. This was perfect. It actually ended up being more like 5.5 hrs for us. We stopped many times to get into the water and to fish in some great spots. It truly was a perfect day. We had a blast but started wondering how much further we had to go. I'd recommend saving Downriver's location on your phone so you can gauge how much further you are to the end. Also if you're looking for a "quieter" day on the river, go on a Sunday afternoon rather than a Saturday. read more

Downriver Canoe Company - Great company and great staff! - Boating Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

I truly appreciated the solid, flexible, competent and knowledgeable staff at Downriver Canoe Co. It's located just south of Front Royal a couple miles away on 340 from the entrance to Skyline Drive, in Bentonville. This shop is well equipped and provides trips down the Shenandoah River via canoe, kayak, or inner tube. Canoes run about $60 each, and kayaks are $34 a pop. The boy and I went with a number of his friends, and people kept trickling in. The folks at Downriver wanted to make a single trip to the drop point so we had to decide what we wanted to do as a group first. The conversation went something like this: We'd like 3 canoes please. Make that 3 canoes and a kayak. Maybe we should go tubing instead. Nevermind, we'd like 2 canoes and a kayak. Oh wait, we have more people, can we have 4 canoes and a kayak? No, just 4 canoes. Oh, make that 4 canoes and a kayak? Thanks. In the end, it all got figured out, and we got set up with oars and lifejackets and were on our merry way in the big huge van upriver (south) to the drop point for our 7+ mile canoe trip. The boy and I wanted to make the trip back a little faster than everyone else, because I was planning to attend Richard C.'s birthday shindig in the city, so we were the first into the water. What a perfect day to be out! It was warm, there was a wonderful breeze, the sun was slanting down out of the sky and made the trees shimmer with light. The water was cool and refreshing, so the one time we capsized (oops!) it was more of a respite from the warmth of the air than an unpleasant chill. The estimate we got for the length of the canoe trip was about three hours, but we paddled our way past all of the slowpokes in the water and made it back in just under two and change. It was a good pace to get your heart pumping, but not enough to wear out your arms. If you're looking for a great time outdoors and on the water, I'd highly recommend Downriver Canoe Co. I'd lightly suggest that you make sure that it's rained recently before a trip here, though - we went when the water was kind of low, and it made getting over some of the rocks a little challenging. Still, good fun and a perfect excuse to get away from the city for a day! read more

Fantastic operation! Super professional, helpful, and expedient on getting you on the river and out. I took the two-day trip and camped at their campground (for free!!) halfway through and at the end (so I would be more rested for the drive home). The trip (water level 2.6"; in July) was great! Totally recommended! The campground was very well taken care of. There actually is a shower there that's not advertised. It's a hose and shower head hooked up to the water source. While it's really cold, it felt very refreshing on a hot summer day. At the shop, I was impressed by how fast and professional they are. They make sure you are prepared and we basically had a private shuttle take us to the river and then a private shuttle take us back to the camp right after we returned the paddles and PFDs after our trip. Everyone, from the person at the shop to the drivers were very friendly and provided all the info we needed. Pro tips: lash all of your things to your canoe in case you flip (we would sit at the campground and watch people drift down with flipped canoes and all their things floating off). Also, wear your life vest for the Compton rapids. Bring a gallon of water per person per day, a sun hat, and long sleeve shirt (like a paddle shirt or rashguard) to protect from the sun. When the water is described as "crystal clear" on the shop's website, bring snorkel gear and flippers too! And lastly, I recommend going when the water level is at least 2.5" since any shallower could result in a lot of slow going from sliding along the bottom. read more

Really cool experience to be able to Kayak in the Shenandoah! This place offers a reasonable price for their Kayaks. The staff is super cool and will walk you through everything. read more

Good Times Like the name suggests, this is a canoe company. But it's more. They can set you up with a canoe, kayak(s) or a raft, and they'll take you up river so you can just cruise down the river at your leisure. You can take an easy-peasy three-mile trip or some trips that supposedly take more than one day. They have excellent facilities, a huge selection of watercraft, an excellent website with up to date 411 on water levels and fishing conditions. Precious and I like to get a raft (it's softer and easier on the backside if I'm not being too subtle) and float down the river. We both like to fish. We bring a lunch and some non-alcoholic beverages. We take a swim. Precious likes turtles, and there are always plenty of turtles sunbathing on a nice day. It's a great day trip. One word of caution is that the last mile or so before the end, the river is very rocky and very shallow. If the water level is low, then you can get stuck, and you have to get out and walk your craft over the rocks. In the spring this is no problem. But in July and August if it doesn't rain for a few days, this can be an aggravation. The fishing is still good though, and the river is still just as pretty. DCC also offers tubing where you can get a truck tube and just float. So on a weekend day the last couple of miles you have to maneuver your craft through a maze of drunk rednecks. For us we prefer a nice quiet Tuesday or some other day during the week when we almost have the river all to ourselves. read more

Well organized Straight from their website: Our base at Bentonville Low Water Bridge is the finishing point for most of our trips. After signing up for the trip of your choice, leave your car in safety at our base while we shuttle you to your starting point and let you float down river, back to our base, finishing at your leisure What this means is no dirty n wet bus ride back to base camp! Much better this way as ive learmed through experience! read more

After a typical week working for da man, hitting the Shenandoah for a little R&R is a good bet. Sure, you can go the kayak/canoe route and do a lazy paddle down the river ... but for the folks that simply want to relax and enjoy a good float, tubing wins hands down. What to bring: - Your posse. Your crew. Your buddies. Hell, even that annoying lady from accounting who parks her ass on the edge of your desk every morning and begins chatting as you try to drown yourself in your coffee mug. The trip will even make her tolerable... - Sunscreen. Lots of it. At best you'll still get a decent bake... at worst with no sunblock, you might as well grow pincers cause your ass will look like a lobster. Trust me on this one -- this isn't one of those times to "be a man" and declare sunblock is for sissy boys. - Beverages. Lots of them. And of course a cooler and ice to keep said beverages ice cold. Yes, they get their own damn tube. Secure the valuable cargo accordingly. And listen to the sensible friend in your group and bring some water too. - Water shoes. Tevas, Keens, Merrells .. whatever covers your feet and is made to get wet. No, the four inch Manolo heels aren't gonna cut it here. And your string beach sandals will be pushing it. Some parts of the river are shallow, and you'll have to walk da tube. And you'll be walking on sharp rocks and ledges. - A good attitude. Nothing ruins a tubing trip faster then some whiner complaining about the water, the sun, the rocks, and that occasional local on the shore with his belly hanging out over his belt giving them the eye. Don't be "that guy" and ruin it for the rest of us on the river! - Cheetos. Just cause they're good dammit. See you on the river. read more

There are dozens of Canoe Companies on the Shenandoah. This one is special because of their campsite - and if you are going to go canoe camping you really have to camp. Their camp site is at a spectacular bend in the river - cliffs on one side, rapids on the other, and a lovely bay for swimming in. Or washing your kids hair if you've been there for several days. I expected the Shenandoah ( come on, it has an Army named after it () to be raging like the Mississippi, I did not realize that there are amny places you can walk acros the river on - so you will bottom out a few times, but this is an absolutely fantastic weekend adventure - and less than 90 minutes from the Beltway. Do it ! read more

I have been to Downriver the past two years for a Fourth of July tubing trip. My first time was an absolute blast. I was with a group of about 15 people, and the process to rent tubes and get on the water was fast and straightforward. The safety talk is helpful, and the staff is extremely friendly. The second trip (this past year) was just as fun, with a group of 10. The drivers who shuttle groups to and from launch and pick up sites have a lot of experience and tips to offer on how to have a safe and happy float. However, the ride back to the main check in/parking grounds at the end of the tube has caused me hesitation to tube with this company again. There was an incident with an oncoming car that caused one of our passengers to speak up about the driver texting while hauling a van full of people and a trailer with about a dozen kayaks. The driver became defensive and made negative comments about a group of people driving home drunk, even though we had sober members who were assigned to drive us home. This was a very stark flip from the friendly (same driver) guy who was encouraging us to shotgun beers at the most opportune times. I know the rest of the group being inebriated and obnoxious was not helping our case, but the initiator was one of our sober members. The breaking point was when he began uttering inappropriate slurs that were clearly directed at several members of our group. Luckily, management was more than professional during and after the situation. They gave us a voucher to tube again, assuring us that this was not a normal practice, will not be tolerated again in the future, and that the driver had been suspended. I even received a very friendly and apologetic follow-up email. I wish them all the best as they are a small business with so much competition in the area. Hopefully this was a one-time experience. Everyone has a bad day, right? Float on, folks... read more

My wife and I researched several canoe liveries near Culpeper, VA and found the Yelp reviews for Downriver the best. And they were right. From their web site to the friendly folks on the phone and in person. They were helpful and very nice. The river was clear and smooth with plenty of turtles, fish, blue heron and even two eagles to watch as we drifted this lovely river. Thanks and we recommend it! read more

So I had an opportunity to Kayak at a group rate with a friend of a friend. Beware, the safety brief is limited, so if you are beginner you might want to get someone to teach you some basics. The kayaks were nice, bright yellow ones. I went for a single one because I am a control freak when it comes to water craft. Double kayaks are very inefficient unless you have someone with you that is in sync with your rhythm. We did the 15 mile trip on a gorgeous day! supposedly the water was high.....which was good because if it was normal or low, I'm sure if I would have liked it here. I bottomed out a few times and I didn't even think it was too low. The depth is at most 3 feet. There are some rapids on here, so batten down the hatches and stow your gear (like cameras) in water tight containers! There is one class 2/3 rapids that seem to flip everyone over, but it's not that bad if you go bow in. There is a good place to portage and have lunch. You'll at least get quality entrainment by watching everyone wipe in the small rapids. Towards the end of the trip you will come across the drunk floats (tubers). And they ALWAYS want a tow, and are waving around beers. I have no tolerance for these people. This irritated me all the way to the end. We're here to enjoy the peace and beauty of the river and get a good paddling workout in.....not at the club, sloppy drunk trying to pick people up. Overall, I thought it was okay. I was expecting a peaceful kayak trip, and the drunks ruined it. read more

Downriver Canoe is great. In addition to having canoes, kayaks and tubes, they also have their own campground. I have done the camp/canoe trip for the past two years. The campground is at a beautiful spot right next to the river and after the rapids. The best part is that they can pick you up at the campground and drive you to the starting point and then you finish at your campground! We've always had large groups and Downriver is always accommodating. The staff is very friendly and flexible. I would highly recommend Downriver to anyone. read more

The workers here are as friendly as they come. Prices are decent, and their equipment is well maintained. We recently went on their 7-mile canoe trip, and had a good time despite the river's low water level. After putting on our life vests, they shuttled the two of us via van to an upstream location. While in the van, the driver explained the "challenges" we might face and tips and pointers. He dropped our canoe down and from there we were on our own. As I said earlier, the water level was low. We scraped so many rocks and actually got stuck a handful of times. Nevertheless, the trip was very enjoyable. At the end, another employee offered us a ride back to the parking lot, which was very much appreciated. read more

We were taking a last minute vacation and decided to head to VA to spend some time exploring Shenandoah National Park. We brought our kayaks thinking we might get to do some paddling on the Shenandoah River. The problem was how to get back to our car. Downriver Canoe Company to the rescue! They offer transport of you and your kayak or canoe upriver so you can just paddle back to their facility and your car. The guys at the office were super friendly and helpful and with the ability to just show up and get a ride with our kayaks upriver relatively quickly, we were on the river about 30 minutes after showing up. The guy driving us was friendly and we chatted the whole way to the drop off point. He helped us get our kayaks down to the river and gave us the lay of the land and suggestions for what to expect and how to navigate some expected rapids. We also have to give a shout out to whoever wrote the copy for their brochure, that we picked up at the Front Royal Info center. It was hysterical and was one of the deciding factors in us utilizing their services. The two best quotes were on wildlife where they mention Mountain Lions seldom dismember canoeists (almost never) and where they provide directions from New Orleans that direct you to drive north to St. Louis , turn right and look for signs. Highly recommend this business! read more

Very courteous staff. Friendly and knowledgeable drivers. A very pleasant experience from check-in to coming ashore. They have a clean facility with plenty of parking. The process is smooth. There are plenty of buses and drivers to get you on the river quick. We highly recommend this outfit for Shenandoah river outings! read more

Still love them but even more so after they kindly mailed my keys back to me after my last trip

Superb medium sized tubing co. Right on the edge of the Shenandoah river state par, this tubing co has affordable tubing trips that are just delightful. Full of riffles and calm, they couldn't be more lovely. Enjoy! read more

Best staff ever! I went to go tubing on a Saturday morning and my experience was nothing short but amazing. Checking in and getting everything situated was a painless process. After we got all that we needed and a quick rundown of the safety guidelines it was a short walk to the river. I've been tubing before and most companies would drive you to the location then you end at where you started. Downriver rather you start at the top. There's a shuttle that runs every 15 minutes to pick you up at the end. After a long day of tubing I come to find out I had lost my keys in the river. We ended at around 4pm and luckily I had a spare at home (1.5 hours away) that my roommates later came and dropped it off for me. While I waited, the entire staff came to check up on me. It was a long day and on top of everything else, we were starving. I asked the owner, John what were our food options for delivery and he said there weren't many i.e 0. Later he surprised us with his personal pizza he had been saving for dinner and said "here's your delivery," and laughed. We asked if he wanted money but he refused. He also later joined us in conversation and we got to know about him and his business very well. Overall my experience (besides losing my keys) was amazing and I can't wait to come back! read more

Can't say enough good things about Downriver Canoe Company. Have used them for years and have always received friendly and professional service. On October 16th they went above and beyond when it comes to service. In my excitement to get on the river in my kayak I had inadvertently left my cell phone in its waterproof container and my fishing vest on the bus. Only took me 20 minutes to lose the only fishing lure that I had, so was facing the rest of my trip without either being able to fish or take photos. After about 45 minutes or so on the water I see someone standing by the river at a boat ramp holding their arms out wide, turned out to be the owner, John, with my gear! His willingness to go the extra mile made an already great float even better. As a bonus, it's great to know that the Shenandoah has folks that truly care for the river. read more

We passed Downriver Canoe Company on our way to our campsite, so part of the 5 stars is for convenience. All of the staff were very friendly and had a great sense of humor. I asked if the trip we chose was safe for novice canoers and the reply I received was "we haven't had a fatality all week". In any case, we did Trip #3, a 7 1/2 mile canoe trip. Took about 3 hours and was $61 for two of us sharing a canoe. The staff thoroughly reviewed the river map with us before sending us on our way. They also checked our PFDs (personal flotation device) and made sure we were comfortable with how to paddle. We took a cooler and some snacks and were driven up river to get the trip going. It was so relaxing and a gorgeous trip. This is an experience for people that want to get away on their own, but are not extreme adventure seekers. read more

July 17, 2013 Wow! Such a great trip! We have been heading down to go tubing on groups of 4 to 14 for at least 6 years. We usually went w SRO but they were full and they have jerked us around with refund policy/ credits, etc and have no clear policies. Anyway, we hit Downriver CC and it was by far the best trip we have ever been on. So smoothly run and easy and fun plus the prices are great. No long waits standing around getting bit by bugs, no crappy stinky old tubes that smell funky, plenty of friendly staff eager to help and a beautiful trip. Tubes are something you wouldn't notice but these were nice and fairly new and HAD CUPHOLDERS. (Which isn't always good if you are slipping on and off to go swimming but we were hugely impressed...so simple. We went during the terrible heat wave and are going back with a bigger group next weekend. read more

We had a great time doing the 4 hour kayak trip. I highly recommend the kayaks over the canoes-- we saw 2 canoes capsize behind us and it did not look fun! The water was very warm and the scenery was beautiful. The drunk tubers were obnoxious, but they are only on a very short part of the river. read more

My family loves visiting the Shenandoah every year and we look forward to it. We usually go tubing through a different company, but this year that company sold out so we chose DRCC instead. There's plenty of parking. You can choose to park in the gravel up front or off to the left in the grass. The check in process was very easy. You walk in to the building and grab release forms and a pen and can go out on the patio to fill them out. When you're done go back inside and stand in line to pay. There's 2 very small changing rooms outside to the left and 2 bathrooms inside. You grab your cooler tubes and wait for the bus. The bus drives you about 2 minutes to the drop off point. At the drop off you will find your river tubes. Grab one that has a lot of air in it. I was unimpressed with this part of the river. I realize that the water was low, but compared to the part we normally go to there's so much more rocks and algae, which to us is not pleasant. There wasn't very many places that you could jump off of the tube to swim which was disappointing especially on a hot day. The exit area was the worse. In my opinion, they couldn't have chose a rockier area to do it in. They tell you to stay on your tube and try and paddle with your hands over to the exit ramp. Let's be real though, its almost impossible to do unless your on the right side already. You'll be falling every minute or so trying to get out. Overall, we still had a fun day on the river. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad. read more

Oops, I should have written this review a long time ago. We went canoeing here LAST June (2011) and had a great time. I chose this outfitter because of their quality Yelp reviews and we were not disappointed. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I remember having a discrepancy with what they charged me for our daytrip, and the manager was helpful and getting it all worked out. We wanted to take our 35 pound mutt with us and Downriver was happy to oblige. Totally our bad that he tried to go swimming when we stopped for lunch and almost got swept away. Haha, looking back it is funny, then, sort of terrifying. Anyway, the Shenadoah is a beautiful river to cruise on and I can't recommend Downriver enough. We're going back this summer for sure. read more

I went here to go tubing. Yes, its more affordable than the places near Leesburg and Harpers Ferry but I guess you get what you pay for. I'm sure for canoeing its fine but tubing here was pretty miserable. Water was low and slow, nothing exciting and its a long long run. About halfway through and up all the way until the end, the water becomes completely covered in seaweeds and other nasty plant murk. It was quite disgusting to wade through and by the end I couldn't wait to get out. I've come here twice on different years and it was the same conditions both times. read more

We had a great time. Took canoe trip number 4, with our two 7 yr old boys. We were warned about Compton rapids and how to best approach it. well we messed something up because we flipped, and lost a kids paddle and one of the chair inserts they gave us for the kids. We didn't care because we were happy every one was okay. When we got back ready to pay to replace what we had lost they shrugged it off. "It happens all the time." Awesome!. We will be going back maybe for the 2 day trip. On the downside: It's nothing they have control over but the river is open to cattle who are doing their business in the water, makes one wonder what the e.coli counts are? read more

Great place! A well-run operation that can accomodate large groups...and several large groups on the same day. Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. I organized a group of 12 people and we did trip number 4, or 12 miles in kayaks. We hit several places with class 1 rapids and two places with class 2 rapids. The trip was enjoyable and we knew exactly how to navigate the river thanks to the instructions by one of the staff as well as the free maps they provided to us. The only downside was the river was pretty busy with what seemed like hundreds of people in tubes. Got kind of dicey on the first set of rapids as the tubers seemed oblivious to those around them but that's not the company's fault. We all agreed at the end of the day that we would return! read more