This is a family owned business. And as we say in the South, "good people"! They were very…read moreresponsive, personable, and kind. They have a nice restroom and sell sodas. Easy, peasy. In no at all, we were on the water. I even enjoyed the conversation on the short bus ride! The trip down the creek was amazing! And bonus points for kayaking with cows! They must have gotten out of their fence. It was a highlight for sure! If you want to have a good time, go to Big Will Outfitters! We will be back soon!

Awesome friendly staff got us safely to the launch and gave us lots of great information on the…read moreway. The creek is beautiful and it's a 6 mile float back to the takeout which was clearly marked. The pvc rails made it easy to get our kayaks out instead of having to carry them up the stairs. Highly recommended!

Absolutely amazing time!!! 10/10 would recommend!! Amazing people amazing time for a great price!!!read more

We LOVE this place!! First time we went we just kayaked. This time we brought our camper and spent…read morethe whole weekend! We had a great time and the management were super helpful and very friendly!! Had a great float and a great time-Will definitely back! You can bring your own kayak or rent one from them.

Friendly staff. Calm and relaxing float trip, with some rapids, but nothing to crazy. Fun family…read moretrip.

So I must have been to this place a couple of dozen times over the years and for good reason…read more Actually, for a variety of good reasons. Sometimes in life you say to yourself, "I should be paddling down a river in a kayak", and then you realize the logistical issues of actually doing that. You can't predict the Cahaba which runs through Birmingham. Is it moving too fast today? Is the water so low that my boat will just scrape the rocks at the bottom? Unless you're a seasoned kayaker it's best not to risk being out in unpredictable waters and so you need a place to go where you can know what to expect. Coosa River Adventures is that place. Good, clean family run business. Wide variety of sit-on-top kayaks that won't sink. Rent everything you need for 29 bucks, take a bus ride down to Jordan dam and paddle your way back to your car. The section of river that you're on starts at the bottom of Jordan dam, and so since they know on a daily basis what the flow rate of the dam is, they know the conditions of the river as well. Predictable water is critical for someone who wants to enjoy the day without having anxiety about whether they might encounter dangerous conditions. You can give them a call and they'll have information about the flow rate which can help you plan your trip. 2000cfm is slow, low and easy. 4000cfm is still nothing to worry about. 6000cfm is a little more adventurous. 8000 is about the higgest flow rate you'll see and it can get a little choppy in places. Once a year or so they run 10000cfm for a whitewater festival which can be a blast, but expect to fall out of your boat at least once. Over the 7 to 8 mile stretch there are a variety of small islands, rock formations etc where you can stop for a break, have a picnic, take a nap in the blistering sun or open up your dry box and take a few pics. The main rapid, known as "moccasin gap" can be categorized as class 3 depending on the flow of the river. The other small rapids are generally just little bits of choppy water that liven up the trip. An important thing to note is that the river is very wide, and so if you have no interest in paddling through any rapids, you can easily bypass them and just float peacefully along. Fun for everyone. A few tips....don't litter, don't take off your life jacket and then fall out of your boat. Don't lose your boat or paddle. Don't get so intoxicated that you fall down on a slippery rock and crack your skull. Do bring a dry box, pelican case or whatever to keep your stuff dry. Do tie that to your boat. Do pack some bottles of water and some snacks for the trip. Do call ahead and make a reservation to help them plan for how many boats they're going to need to ferry down to the starting point. The shuttles run at 9am, 11am and 1pm and it takes between 3 to 6 hours to finish the trip depending on the flow rate of the river and how fast you decide to paddle. Get there early. There's a brief sign in/safety meeting and then you're on the bus and on your way. So all in all this place is pretty amazing. Really friendly and down to Earth people, a safe, predictable section of river which has rapids for those who want them and byways for those who don't. They'll rent you everything you need and they have a small shop for picking up extras that you might want. The facilities are a bit rustic, but more than adequate and the prices are good especially if you consider that they may be the only people around really offering what they're offering. Definitely worth the trip if you decide that paddling down a river is something you want to do.

Not only do they have a wide range of scuba certification classes, but they rent paddle boards as…read morewell! The water is bright blue and absolutely beautiful, it's such a great place to learn how to paddle board (no waves, no current). The rentals are fairly reasonably priced (~$15/hr) but you can also bring your own and just pay the usage fee (~$6). The dock is well maintained and so are the paddle boards, the owner/staff are incredibly nice and welcoming. Note that they're only open on Saturday's and Sunday's. Can't wait to come back and one day get scuba certified here!

Came here with my friend on Saturday (mid-morning) to paddle boat. It was our first time attempting…read moreto do so and also at this site (never would have expected to find this quarry in the middle of an industrial area). We rented our paddleboards for $15/hr and went right for it. They also have life vests available to borrow if you need. Kayaks were also available for rental as well as diving gear etc. This is a well run, organized and very pretty diving area, would definitely recommend for an outdoor adventure!

Friends and I were looking for a super-simple, laid-back way to kayak/canoe down the Cahaba one…read moreSaturday afternoon (minimal fuss with coordinating boats/rides, etc but maximal river time) . Canoe the Cahaba was the closest option to downtown Birmingham and offered two routes- 5.0 and 9.9 miles. We elected to do the longer 9.9 mile trip and were not disappointed. Their business model is pretty simple: they offer parking and a shuttle -boats in tow- to the appropriate put-in for your trip. Life vests, paddles and boats are all included and are in good working order. The paddle is easy, rapid-free so even novice outdoors-people will feel comfortable. Our 9.9 mile trip took about 6.5 hours with copious down time picnicking, swimming and rock skipping. We had a really brilliant time and look forward to using this outfitter again. The only caveat keeping this place from 5-stars is the too-casual way in which appointments are made. The number provided is someone's cell phone number and the communication is super casual. We ended up waiting over an hour past our reservation time on the day-of because the guy (possibly the only employee) was held up with a larger group... it would have been nice to sleep in or snag some breakfast if we had known he was going to be behind but 15 minutes turned into 60 without any fanfare. Nonetheless, a great opportunity for canoeing/kayaking in relatively close proximity to downtown.

This is no longer open. Had to shut down due to the pandemic. Didn't get a chance to do thisread more

Been here over the summer. Great fun, owner was very nice and accommodating. Will go again.read more

I visited big Canoe Creek for the first time this last weekend for an easy kayaking trip…read more My friends and I typically go to Coosa River adventures, but I've heard for so many years from friends that big Canoe Creek is really relaxing and a great time and I need to check it out. We were really looking for something a little closer and something a little more low-key and that wouldn't be an all day adventure. Big canoe Creek in Springfield was just that. It was really close to Birmingham and the paddle took about two hours with little to no stops. When we arrived, you park in a field, and then you have to walk a little bit of the way to the outfitter building. Let me tell you, this is not what I expected at all. This was so cute and quaint, and decorated with bistro lights through the trees! I felt like I was so much further away from Birmingham than I was and it really was a true family operation. The mom and son duo quickly got us checked in and told us to get our lifejackets and paddles, and then meet down by the van and we would head off for the put in. At the top where you checked in there was a food cart with fresh baked sourdough items and a sheet to send Venmo or cash app. The mom and daughter make them and it was just such a special touch. You bet that whenever we got back I purchased two things of sourdough. It was so good! You ride in a van to the put in and it was a tight fit, but it was a pretty close drive so it wasn't bad. The creek/paddle itself was so easy and really great for families and beginners. Me and my friends have kayaked a lot but we really wanted something relaxing and this was absolutely perfect. As you walk back to the outfitter from the creek, there are multiple campsites, which is a really cool option if you want a fun weekend trip away. Thank you all for such a great experience. We'll definitely come back!

Had a great time,water a little low ,not their fault staff as always was great, 4th time there,I…read morewould and have recommended it

Wonderful day in the river. River was beautiful and the staff were great. Looking forward to…read moreusing them again.

This was my first experience on the Duck River, and it was a great one! Higher Pursuits made…read morebooking online really easy, the pricing was fair, many different options as to what type of boat you wanted for the day, and offered updates on Facebook in regards to weather/closings for the day. The location was really easy to find, once we arrived we checked in and were offered some general information about what to do and the location of changing rooms/restrooms. We were also given instructions about the route we would be floating, the vast collection of mussels we may see, and information about other wildlife we may come across, and safteg information. The launch is a quick drive from the base location. The employees were all very friendly and helpful. They got us all set up and sent us on our way. The water was shallow, but still had some nice current in places. The Duck River was extremely peaceful, and not over crowded (the spacing out between groups from Higher Pursuits helped with that greatly). Getting picked up at the end, and knowing where to stop was also made to be a breeze. Higher Pursuits runs things like a well oiled machine and really has a great system going! Between the ease of everything, the peaceful kayaking location, and the friendly customer service I could not have asked for a better experience!

The river trip you need! Put down the phone and go!!…read more Think Ritz Carlton service, but with a tie dyed t-shirts and a friendly smile. The crew here will help you find the perfect river experience to make you forget your day to day drag. Along this beautiful clear and unspoiled river I saw turtles, blue herons, fish, and a teenage raccoon washing his hands in the flowing water. I almost expected him to wave and burst into song like a Disney film (Perhaps I need professional help). Seriously, this trip was just the thing I needed, I'm sure a visit will put a smile on your face as well.

Great people and great service. The river is unbelievably beautiful and the fishing is awesomeread more