We came up from Illinois for a 2-day paddle and loved the Upper IA River. Hruska's took care of…read morethe canoe and camping. The livery service was always on time, good equipment, very helpful. The Bluffton Campground was very clean, green, quiet. All of the sites were within sight of the river. Good prices for the rentals, camping, firewood. Beautiful area by day and by milky way (incredible stars).

Stayed just outside of Chimney Rock Park, rented 3 kayaks for 2 days with shuttle. Service is…read moreoutstanding. Ridiculously friendly and accommodating. No need to rent anywhere else. Stock up on ice and snacks before you float at the takeout in Bluffton. Will patron them again and can't wait to come back!

This review is about the park area only not the Mystery Cave which is further down the road…read more Start with the unfortunate news, the walking bridge to the historic town of Forestville was closed. I did read about that in the state's info about the park ahead of time. I picked up a map at the office and was told there is a stone walking bridge at marker 8. More bad news on the trail. The field and location maps show markers on the trail but the numbers didn't correspond with the ground signs as many were missing. I just couldn't find the temporary bridge, or marker 8, but took a decent hike on the other trails. The park isn't as scenic as others but there is a variety of trails from easy to difficult, which is what I like. Some steep hills will test your true endurance. Driving out about another 1/2 mile I see more trails I missed, lo leads to marker 8.

We started on the Hiking Club Trail and took an extra loop up to the lookout trail. Well worth the…read moreextra 2m or so round trip to see a view of the valley. Trail was well marked, wide and well groomed. It took us over the creek with stepping stones to keep our feet dry. There were some bigger hills so be prepared for a climb. Much of the hiking trail is shared with horses so be prepared to watch where you step. It was also covered with soft gravel which was hard to walk in at times. This is a huge area and we saw lot of people and activity. A bridge was out so we didn't get to see the old Forestville town as we would have to detour an extra 20 minutes. Very happy we stopped here. We enjoyed the hike very much.

We had breakfast last weekend and of course everything was wonderful. Great food great service and…read morelarge portions. The French connection is always a hit with my son. Prices are so reasonable. This is the spot to get breakfast if you're in Preston.

We met family here & really appreciated the service & the food. We live a distance away, but will…read morebe back in the future.

My niece and I have been tubing on the river for years and we look forward to this annual…read moreexperience. We went out on Sunday and we were told that the river was "running faster than normal" and the route would take two hours instead of the usual three. We thought that might be nice because the weather was kind of chilly and we didn't know if we wanted to be there for three hours. That said, we did not know that the river running faster would mean that it would also feel dangerous in certain parts and the rapids were a lot rougher than normal. We were pushed into various parts of the river where there were sharp rocks and fallen trees jutting out. I understand that root river outfitters doesn't have anything to do with nature, but I do think that there should be a warning about how the river running fast also means that the river is running more rough at certain points. My tube was pushed into a large tree branch from behind and I cracked my neck and I have been in pain ever since. I am not blaming root river outfitters for the situation, but I do think that they should at least let people know what they are getting into when they are going to be having a two hour experience on a river where they really don't have an opportunity to get off if they feel in danger or uncomfortable. This is just something I think that they should inform people before they go.

Great day on the root river. Easy parking and drop off with root river outfitters. Would recommend!read more

Good food good rates great staff helpful fast and filling great fish on Fridays and burgers during…read morethe week

Wow! Amazing experience at this small place! Shari is such a delight! The restrooms are clean and…read morethe food is great. It's a wonderful dive bar and restaurant that's kid friendly with 4 bowling lanes, pool tables and claw machines. Shari gave us great service and wonderful conversation. Highly recommend!

This is really a nice park. Pretty inexpensive and lots for kids to do. If your spending the day in…read moreSpring Grove this is a great way to kill some time. The only thing to remember is they don't take debit or credit cards.

A friend and I fished with Bear Creek Anglers for two half days this past week. As two…read moreinexperienced fly fishermen, we were worried our lack of skills would be a detriment to our experience. Not so. Mike Rogers, our guide, had the patience of Job. Mike taught us a lot, and we greatly improved our fly-fishing skill set. It was great to have a knowledgeable guide not only work with us on the basics but take us to the "holes". If you're new to fly fishing or interested in getting your kids into it, I highly recommend Bear Creek Anglers and guide Mike Rogers.

Wonderful place to learn about trout and trout fishing! One can spend a lot of time there by…read morelooking at all the items on display, viewing the wild trout aquarium, and taking advantage of the free "how-to" sessions on the weekends. I always enjoy visiting and gathering info on how the trout are biting on the streams near by. The NTC has friendly and educated staff as well. Two thumbs up.