One of the highlights of my recent trip to Congaree National Park was a canoe excursion with Palmetto Outdoor and I'm not so sure we could have asked for a better experience. Our guide, Sean, was fantastic from start to finish. Before the trip even began, he was extremely communicative with my friend who made the reservation, ensuring we knew exactly where to meet, what to bring, and what to expect. As someone who appreciates clear logistics while traveling, this was greatly appreciated. Upon arrival, we met our fellow paddlers, many of whom were fellow National Park enthusiasts visiting Congaree for the first time. Everyone was friendly, excited to be there, and Sean helped create a welcoming atmosphere before we even launched our canoes. For a little context: I am absolutely terrified of snakes. In fact, during my first visit to Congaree a couple of years ago, I considered doing a canoe trip but ultimately chickened out because I couldn't stop thinking about my slithery nemeses lurking nearby. This time, I decided to be brave. While several members of our group did spot snakes along Cedar Creek, everyone was incredibly understanding of my fears. When one was spotted, my canoe companion and guide were kind enough to help turn our canoe so I didn't have to see it. It may sound silly, but it made a huge difference and allowed me to actually enjoy the experience rather than spend the entire trip anxiously scanning the shoreline. And enjoy it I did! Paddling Cedar Creek was really scenic and surprisingly relaxing. Between the reflections on the water and the towering trees at times, I felt like I was in a scene from The Notebook. If you're visiting Congaree National Park, I highly recommend adding a paddle trip with Palmetto Outdoor to your itinerary. Great communication, great guide, great group, and a fantastic way to experience part of the park that most visitors never do! read more

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We took a guided canoe tour with Andy in Congaree National Park. Andy was very friendly and kept everyone's spirits high. It was a beautiful day for a tour and the best way to see the park. The paddle was leisurely and Andy had a lot of good information about the park's history and ecology. He takes care of all the setup so you don't have to drag a canoe at any point. The cost was a good value for the experience. I would recommend it to anyone looking to visit. read more

The guides are very knowledgeable and experienced. Cedar creek is beautiful and unspoiled. Amazing trip canoeing down and back. Thanks Christine and Levi for a great adventure. read more

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Never again. Staff was all very kind BUT I don't think a first time tubing person is ready for what you will experience. I counted four whitewater areas, two were pretty difficult to navigate and rough. One is close to the second to last bridge right before you have to get out. Without the assistance of a young man named Jawan, my sister and I would have been in big trouble, many times! This experience needs some improvements for sure. A better way to get over to the exit area, paddles for everyone unless you know you can get through without them, a midway point after the first or second rapids in case you feel you cannot complete the course and a bit more caring for the customers. You sign a waiver and then are left on your own. read more

Hannah and Andy were the very best. I'm an old, crippled, overweight woman and they were MORE than helpful. They made it such a wonderful experience and put up with me and daughter arguing about who didn't know how to row. They were so knowledgeable about the environment and history of the area. It was amazing. So if you think you cannot do this tour due to disabilities etc, please book with this group. They helped an old lady to check off a piece of her bucket list. Thank you again. read more

This was a horrible experience! I paid almost $300 to be left in a river full of huge rocks. I had double tubes and they just didn't move down the river at all. It took all my energy to go just an inch or 2 with my daughter crying next to me because it was pouring rain and lightning going off. The wind was blowing us backwards . Thankfully a group of random strangers helped us go down the river. Finally at the end an employee named bill helped us to an early exit which was also a horrible experience!!! Getting off the tube into jagged rocks cutting up my feet and ankles. My husbands double tube was stuck on the rocks and he had to yell for help and two teens came to pull him and my daughter out! Do not waste your $ with this company !!!!! If you are up to this type of thrill just go buy a tube at Walmart and save your self $ and expectations!!!! I will never go with this company again. read more

Great times with friends out on the tubing experience in West Columbia! The bus driver took us out to the launch area, easy check in to grab tubs and life jackets & easy transition into the water! Took us a bit over 3 hours to get back to the start position. Would definitely recommend to anyone during the summer months and will be back to do it again! read more

Palmetto Outdoor - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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It was a great family experience. Staff were friendly and helpful. The shuttle came right on time and there was plenty of free parking and bathrooms. The river was beautiful just remember your sunscreen, water, and bug spray. Thanks again and I will be back again. read more

Palmetto Outdoor - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

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We arrived and had a easy check in. Hopped on the shuttle and the dropped us off to get our tubes. We figured we'd put in where we got the tubs but ended up having to walk a quarter of a mile to the put in spot carrying our tubs. We had a total of about 1 and 1/2 minute going through rapids (2 spots). BRING a paddle. Luckily one person our group bright one. Two out of the three hours you're pretty much on still water. I would highly recommend a double tube as we were able to sit up and get really comfortable in it. Make sure to have good shoes as the take out spot has lots of rocks when you get out of tube to get to land. read more

We had the best time! Staff was super friendly and a guy in a kayak made sure everyone made it through the rapids. We brought our cooler and next time we'll bring snacks too. Its a bit stuffy on the bus ride there and back but its a quick ride. Parking is limited so get there early, there is a free public parking deck a short walk up the street by the apartments and a large bathroom in the free public parking across the street. Don't bring anything from the car you don't plan to take with you as there are no lockers, they will hold your keys in the office. read more

Palmetto Outdoor - This is the area where you tube. The elbow is the slow and easy part followed by rapids. There are 2 bridges, the second one is the exit. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - West Columbia, South Carolina

Save your money and frustration, plan a trip yourself or find an outfitter that isn't grossly NEGLIGENT and just out to make as much money as possible with the least amount of effort. The check in process was frustrating; the employees seemed completely confused and were anything but welcoming, we were given no direction and were just left to stand aimlessly and wait until someone who seemed knowledgeable but clearly didn't want to be there showed up. He then told us that instead of the route detailed on their website we'd be putting in right there and would float down to an unnamed boat ramp. No information was given about the length of this float except "2-3 hours" (it ended up actually being an hour and a half). To get to the put in spot we had to climb over a sign with cones and ropes stating that the area was closed. We had a group of five, all adults, all looking for the landmarks they'd given us to look for near the take out area; we didn't see any of them. What we did finally see was a couple standing on the end of a boat dock who waited far too long to begin screaming at us that we needed to swim to shore. If we hadn't had strong swimmers in our group we'd never have made it and I was immediately concerned for some of the other people we'd put in with as they had no experience on the water at all. We arrived at said boat dock and there were no ladders or ways to climb onto it, we were fighting the current and the couple was doing nothing to assist. They finally began grabbing for our tubes and the woman instead pulled my shoes off of mine (my shoes were off and attached to the tube because we were expecting to have quite a bit of heads up that we needed to get ready to exit the river) but instead of dropping the shoes on the dock next to her she THREW them past us out into the river with the comment "those were someone's shoes"- no attempt to rectify the situation was ever made, NOT EVEN AN APOLOGY. This same employee yelled at someone else in our party that she didn't have time to buckle her life jacket before jumping off her tube. All five of us had to struggle to get around the side of the dock and then when we approached the two-lane boat ramp there were boats trying to launch; that's right, this "company" knows they've got a ton of tubes trying to come in and haven't even cordoned off one lane of the ramp for us to use. We were the first group in so luckily we were mostly out of the way because the entire take-out process was chaos with people, tubes, exhaust fumes, boats, and trailers all trying to occupy the same space. The float itself was great, it's a wonderful river. But this company is TRASH. read more

What a mess! We just moved here and wanted to check out the river and saw the tubing experience. We thought what a great idea for a Saturday funday. We arrive and there is no parking AT ALL. Not that the lot was full, they just do not offer parking. We were directed to a parking lot around the block that doesn't tow. We were skeptical since the area looked sketchy but parked anyway. If you come there to pay, it's cash only. We had to sign a couple of waivers and you leave your car keys with them as collateral. Next up, you load the bus to the drop off point. We were hot from waiting about 25 min in the sun for the bus to arrive. When it pulled up, we were told that we could not board as people that paid online board first. Excuse me but isn't all money the same? Was my $60 in cash and hassle with parking not good enough to board the bus with other paying customers? Absolutely RIDCULOUS. The lady instructing everyone to load the bus was rude and the bus driver was sort of cool. Next up, you are dropped off at the drop off location above the zoo. You have to pick out your life vest, get your tube and walk a little way down to where you get in the water for the briefing on river safety. PLEASE wear good shoes as I saw broken glass all over the place on the walk there. Water shoes w good soles are highly recommended as there are a lot of rocks in the river too. The river wasn't "flowing" very fast so it took us over 3 hours. It was hot, we got burned, but we survived. The majority of the float felt like just floating in a slow moving lake. There were about 3 parts with some rapid flowing water which was fun. You end up getting out at the location where you originally started. The water is flowing pretty good here which can make it hard to get out. Once you do, you grab your keys and go. I didn't really enjoy walking around West Columbia in nothing but a wet bathing suit but had no choice since there was no parking. Here are some things I recommend: 1. Water shoes w good soles 2. A long stick or hiking pole to push yourself off rocks or the river bank. 3. A floating cooler or something to keep water and sunscreen in. It's HOT and mostly in direct sunlight 4. Bungee cords or something to link the tubes to the group that you're with. 5. Cheap sunglasses because if you fall off...your glasses most likely won't survive If you go prepared, you'll have fun. The water is cold but it feels perfect in 100 degree weather. read more

What an awesome experience! First off, when we got there, I realized I forgot my hat. The nicest guide, Casey, let me borrow his own hat-talk about kind customer service. Everything ran smoothly and it was a wonderful day on the river. We came in from out of town, and it made our trip to Columbia. Highly recommend these kind folk. read more

We went here to get some tubes to float down the river for a friends birthday and first of all, there was no parking, second of all, they didn't have rope for us to tie said tubes to our cars, and then when we took tubes back to get air in them, they said that they didn't have a pump. This was a horrid experience and we will never use them again. read more

Their description of where to end the tubing route was not accurate. We were told to look for two silver aluminum docks and we would see a guy in a kayak waiting fornus to guide us in. About 40 of us passed the "dock" we were supposed to stop at as they underestimated how quickly we would arrive at the dock even though they acknowledged the recent rain and the swift water. One man in a kayak was trying to paddle with 7 of us behind him on a rope. Luckily we were able to flag down a man and his dog in their boat and he took us back to the dock (which is a rickety, abandoned looking pice of trash.) I was separated from one of my children. None of the staff cared. One lady told.me.she confirmed my daughter had not been taken back to the starting point so she must still be in the water, which wasn't possible since I was ahead of her. The police and fire department were there since so many of us were stranded and Palmetto Outdoors said they couldn't help us. They started to look for my daughter but luckily, another mom found her, got her out of the river (along with her kids) and had her call me! When we were stuck in the river, I called PalmertonOutdoors and spoke to a nice little brat who said they have no boats and no one is coming to help. She said swim back up the river, hold onto the treed to take a break, and then keep swimming. We were a mile past the dock and in swift current. We made it about 25 feet in 30 minutes. We never would've been able to swim back. The staff all blamed each other saying it's the owners fault or the kayaker fault. Despite who's fault it is, there was a massive oversight that put around 40 people in danger. They need to come up with a contingency plan. read more

Such a fun place to go for your riveting adventures. They have a variety of different activities you can partake in, but tubing is our go to. It's $20 for the tube rental and bus ride. You're supposed to arrive 30 minutes prior to the hour, but we got lucky and made it just in the Knick of time. The ride on the river is mostly slow, but lovely.. I'm just not a fan that life vests are not optional and that they force you to listen to their safety speech before jumping in the river..even after signing waivers. read more

The staff there was extremely nice! However, once entered the river it was a pain to not get stuck in trees and or on rocks considering having nothing to steer with. At a point we had to ultimately get out of the tube because it was stuck under a tree and was impossible to get unstuck from, ending our trip early. On top of that, that fallen tree was right in a rapid causing my partner in our tube to get pinned under, and stuck in the tube. The trip was too stressful to be enjoyable. read more

Great time with our family on guided canoe trip in Congaree National Park. Evan, our guide was friendly, laid back and knowledgeable. Highly recommend! read more

Mismanaged and horrible customer service. Drove over an hour to get here and find out new rules apply to dogs and kids. Communication is lacking and information is not accurate on website. You are basically on your own, they just give you a ride. Only take cash, hello it is 2019. Get a damn square to process payments so people don't have to bring wallets and cash. read more

If you need a tube and a ride up river this is the place to go. The guys working are always friendly.

This is a full day activity-plan on spending at least 4 hours on the river- and that means packing plenty of food, beverages, and sunscreen! Rent a deluxe tube to carry your gear-don't forget a strap or rope to tie your tubes together...be ready for a ten minute walk along a road then down a dirt path carrying your tube once the bus drops you off upstream... We were a bit cranky after the hot parking lot wait to board the hot bus, then a 10 minute hot walk along the baking pavement..finally we got to the river and had to stand around for another hot five minutes listening to a safety talk that could have happened anytime in the last 30 minutes. read more

The company, itself, was awesome. The river...well...lol...was a tad docile. We got the deluxe package and it was well worth the extra $5...no burns from the tube and didn't lose anything since the tube cover has a mesh bottom. It took approximately 3 hours to drift down river...around a half dozen mild rapids (class 1 and 2). All in all, a fun day with family. read more

I am not one to do a bad review just because but I honestly am so furious right now at the level of incompetence and lack of customer service that I wanted to let everyone know. Book at your own risk and make sure to cover all questions before coming down. This wa not our first time so we were familiar with the rules however they apparently have changed. We drove an hour from Augusta to go down the river with two kids and a dog after calling to make sure they could accommodate. When we tried to pay and register, they told us dogs cannot go without a life vest and they cannot let anyone under 10 on the shuttle. No one bothered to say anything on the phone to me. Last time we took the dog and there were tons of kids at 5 and 6 on the river so not sure what has changed. Information this critical should be on the website and also communicated on the phone when people call. NEvER again will I give one dime of my money to this business. read more

Amazing river rafting trip !!! These folks are on point. Super accommodating and an all around good time. I can't believe the other lower ratings... are you serious people ?! If you can't enjoy this experience you're clearly a snowflake libtard Democrat & you whine about everything. You will not regret booking hour rafting trip with Palmetto!! I give them 5 stars every time I've went and I've gone 5 times. read more

We had our first trip down the river today and went through this company. Trip was self-guided but overall we had a great time and plan to go again soon. read more