Michelle was incredibly friendly and helpful. The paddle board I rented was in great condition and…read moreeasy to transport and use as it was inflatable and she provided a pump. She made returning the equipment easy as well. She doesn't hassle you with an extra fee for having the paddle board past 4 hours or for the pump as some spots for renting down in Phoenix do. All around great experience!

Excellent experience with Michelle!…read more We came unprepared from phoenix to escape the heat -decided to spend weekend on the water and called Michelle the last minute. She kindly showed us how to place the kayak on the car rack & extra tips and recommendations. Best kayaking experience in Payson ever Highly recommended

I can't begin to tell you how gorgeous this lake is. What a hidden gem! I'm a native of AZ and only…read morejust recently learned about Blue Ridge Reservoir (also known as C.C. Cragin). I almost didn't want to review it because I want to keep it all to myself. Because it is so narrow, it almost looks like a river. Blue Ridge is 8 miles end-to-end and is stocked with rainbow and brown trout. It is a popular destination for canoers and kayakers because of restrictions to motor boats more than 10 horsepower. I could have floated on this water for hours. The scenery at Blue Ridge reservoir is beautiful. It's located off Highway 87 about 30 miles north of Strawberry on the Mogollon Rim. There is only one convenience store with gas pumps nearby and no cell service. Rock Crossing Campground is the only organized campsite nearby if you want to stay overnight. The great thing is there are no permits needed or fees to enter Blue Ridge Reservoir. But it does get crowded at times and Forest Service workers will only allow one car at a time to enter when the lot is full. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle as the gravel road to the reservoir can get pretty bumpy. There is a bathroom on site at the overflow parking lot. Blue Ridge Reservoir is very peaceful and relaxing. I went over Memorial Weekend and it wasn't too crowed at all. It's definitely worth camping nearby so you can spend a full day here.

Great day here! Much larger than anticipated. Beautiful location within Coconino National Forest…read more Apparently this road is not open year round, nor are some of the local camprounds. Gravel forest road that any car can drive but beware of some deep ruts in areas. Vault toilets in upper parking lot. Nice concrete boat ramp. Jealous of those that were camping via kayaks.

Located in cottonwood about 1 hour south of Sedona. Fun fun fun! I want to go again 10 times!…read more This is usually a self guided kayak excursion. Ben came with us today, a special treat and he is amazing, had knowledge of the river, plants, birds. He made sure everyone was safe and had a good experience. The time on the website and email are slightly off. It says 10:00a to 1:00p. This is more than enough. Meeting time is 8:45a and you need to be at meeting area by 9:00a. Then you get on a shuttle for a 10 minute drive to go up river where you will launch. So you car is at the end point of kayaking. We got a tandem inflatable kayak which cost about $150 for 2 people. There are taxes and don't forget gratuities, in cash. Don't know if they take venmo or Zelle. The adventure...so most of it is easy slow floating. There are a few spots where it flows faster and you may have to steer trees and rocks. We came in last week of August, so low water season. The river is only 3-4 feet deep in the majority of places. The weather was perfect today at around 70sF near 9:00a and around 82F at 10:00a. High is 88F at 2-3p. It rained in the last few days so we got very fast flow and completed our trip from 9:00 to 11:15am ish. We were down changing and in the car by 11:30a. In the 2.5 duration, you may get out on land halfway and take a snack / water break and stretch legs for circulation. We were told that high water season is spring. Something about May being the month where they let water out so water is lower then as well. The Verde river provides water to Phoenix. You can be all levels and come. The guide will give you general instructions in the beginning and provide life vests. All ages kids and toddlers can come. If your kid is smaller than perhaps age 12, you may need to bring your own baby or kid sized life vest for them. Your butt and arms, and bag will be wet. They suggest a zip lock bag to hold your phone and wallet, but bring any backpack. It will get a little muddy from your feet (just clean it at home). Definitely need hat, sunglasses. Suggest to bring 1-2 liters of water and snacks. You have time to eat 1 hour in on the land. Suggest you to wear swim suit or quick dry T shirt, and board shorts (for surfing, boogie boarding) or quick dry hiking shorts and water shoes like Teva. There is a lot of trees on the route but you'll get sun. They do not take more than 11-12 people at a time. I hope this helps. I look forward to coming again.

Had a great time kayaking down the Verde today, starting from Beasley Flat with Ben meeting us to…read morego over all the details. He was super knowledgeable and pointed out a lot of cool geological facts as he bussed us to our drop point. The water was refreshing in the warm sun and definitely worth the trip. We took off at 10am, took our time and got back to our car right about noon. Will definitely be back!!!

I have rented Kayaks from Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch several times over the past few years and have…read morealways had great service and a wonderful experience. Reserving a spot and kayak is easy on the online website. Once you navigate down to the main road to the Guest Ranch, it can be a little confusing as they always have a roadblock as you progress towards the parking lot. Just proceed past the sign to the parking lot ahead. After parking, walk back towards the ranch and check in. Guest services will provide a wrist band as well as a parking pass to place on your dashboard. Once your reservation time is ready, you will be provided a quick orientation of the equipment, navigation of the river and where the staff will pick you up at the end of your float. The staff is always super helpful. Be sure to bring plenty of water and a carabiner to hook on your dry bag or backpack to the kayak. Even though the majority of the river is an easy float, there are some small rapids. You may accidentally flip the kayak if you get caught in a tough spot on the River. This will prevent you from losing your bag! I'm experienced and have flipped once or twice. Depending on the time of year and water flow, the float can take 2 or 3 hours. Beautiful views of the landscape, wildlife including various birds and the gorgeous wild horses! At the end of the float, the staff will load your kayaks and take you back to the Guest Ranch. In the main building, be sure to stop by the gift shop prior or after the float for souvenirs or in case you forgot supplies you may need. They have several items including sunscreen, water shoes, hats, shirts snd much more. I found prices to be reasonable. This is the perfect place to bring out of town visitors. They will love it.

Such a fantastic time! I cannot recommend this enough…read more My bf and I are not outdoorsy people so I was nervous about how to take on the salt river. This was PERFECT, so happy we did this over the tubing. There's a reason tubing has mixed reviews and these are all positive! It took us exactly 2 hours and it was very leisure. We wanted to sit and enjoy the beauty, it was fun to race in our kayaks, and one time we pulled over to jump in the water to refresh. We did the 7:15am Sat July 5 hoping we would get a nice serene time and compared to how it usually sounds, it was very peaceful. Few party people down the river but nothing too crazy. I recommend not going later than 7:30 if you want a more peaceful time to yourself and low crowds. Plus the sun wasn't as brutal. Saw a woman go on her own, and you're definitely fine to do it by yourself. Charge up your phone so you have plenty of juice for photos and videos and in case you need to make a "help call" "Rapids" are not bad at all so fun and simple. The quality of what they provide is very nice. They send detailed instructions of what to expect, including parking (refer to email). Do not forget your water shoes. We didn't need a snack during but it was nice to have after, obviously water is a must plus sunscreen. We wore rash guards and hats and I recc that. Pre buy a waterproof phone lanyard. I got wonderful photos and videos from something cheap on Amazon The most wild life we saw was one horse and like 5 fish lol I wish there was an easier way to keep my water in front with me because every time I went to grab it behind me I was worried I would tip myself. I also wish they had little signs to point which way to go, it's simple, but after the excitement heat etc, it's like "wait they did say left middle right left, right?" lol Can't think of any other tips, besides just do this, can't imagine you would regret. We are new to the area and wanted to do something that felt very Arizona, super happy with the decision

We rented a couple of Kayaks over memorial day weekend. They delivered them to our place in Happy…read moreJack for a very good price. Explained all the equipment and how to load and tie them into our truck. Very nice equipment. Came with nice life jackets, paddles and pool noodles to get into the water if we wanted. The kayaks had a drink holder and a place for gear. Very light to lift and carry. Easy to work with. Thanks Happy Yak rentals. If you are in the Happy Jack area and want something fun to do as a family, this is the way to go. They have many kayaks and if you rent ~6-8, then they have a trailer or I image that they can meet you at the water also. Great fun the the family. FB messenger is the best way to get a hold of them https://www.facebook.com/HappyYakRentals

Our group of 10 had a wonderful afternoon of tubing down the river! Kenny was a great guide and…read morehost, driving us to the top of the river and explaining all the FAQs, later meeting us at the end. He was very entertaining and informative! We felt like we were the only ones going down the river and it was such a nice leisurely pace, just be on the lookout for the faster parts and make sure you go "butts up" to prevent any bruising! Note: You will have to drive on an unpaved road to get to the Bignotti picnic site so pick a car with higher clearance.

Had a fun time on the river in tubes. This is a slow relaxing float with some areas where you will…read moreneed to use the ping pong paddles to make it to the next section. Expect 3.5-4 hours on the water.

Everything from start to finish went well & exceeded expectations ! Jeff was very responsive from…read morethe beginning! Very easy to connect with via phone or text , answered any questions I threw his way . I was looking for a boat plus kayak rental business for our Memorial Day weekend escape with two teens . This company very reasonable! Jeff met us at the dock with gassed up boat & 2 kayaks . We used the lil Bentley & what a treat for the day on Rainbow Lake . The boat is well cared for , clean , canopy was a plus , easy to operate & bring drink / snacks along . Great day on the water with the ability for everyone to do what they wanted! Jeff is very accommodating with end of day closure, quick call & he's there to trailer it all away ! We definitely will use him again in the future. Super find in Pinetop area!

Jeff is a great guy renting was so easy. Will rent from him again next time we are in Pinetop/…read moreRainbow lake

We booked a 2-seater UTV for our group trip but another UTV in our group had a dead battery so Paul…read moreat Stay and Play quickly switched us into a 4-seater and we had a great day. He provided a map and suggestions on where to go, and he even helped diagnose what was wrong with our dead-battery atv and offered to let us use a power pack. The rental UTV was reliable and it all added up to a fun day. Highly recommended.

A++ service. I've rented wave runners before and the service hasn't always been "good". But from…read morethe moment I arrived at AZ Stay and Play I knew I'd be back! Paul was kind and patient while he thoroughly walked me through everything I needed to know. I booked a last minute rental and called the night before. He was able to give me clear instructions on how to book the rental and the website was so easy to use. Direct and to the point! I will absolutely be renting from here again!