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

This place is great for your tubing the root river needs! Next time I want to do a longer day on…read morekayaks! We did float root river June 20....it was very cold! As in your ass will be unpleasantly cold until you come to the section where the north and south root rivers merge (it's easily 10° warmer!). Friendly quick and easy! Don't forget the sunscreen!

Very friendly group of people! There were 4 of us who…read morerented kayaks and paddled the Nelson Trevino Route 4th of July weekend. My husband and I had been kayaking a half dozen times but our friends had not been kayaking before. Peaceful and slow moving route until you get to the river. Carefully cross the Mississippi river and head to the back waters for the last leg of your trip. We counted 15 bald eagles and saw a couple of eagle nests. I am sure there were more that we did not see. Our trip was about 3 1/2 hours with a couple stops for snacks and picture. There was one other group of kayakers and paddle boarders that caught up with us and we passed one guy in a fishing boat who was catching bass and walleyes.

Sometimes the Carnivore likes to putter around in nature and try new things. Mrs. Carnivore found…read moreBroken Paddle, and convinced your favorite Carnivore to try sitting in a piece of plastic that genuinely looks like it is more likely to be at home upside-down than above water. Fortunately, she was right, and they are a lot less tippy than The Carnivore believed them to be. We were met by several of the staff, including our guides for the day and the "best shuttle driver ever." Everyone was super friendly and optimistic, assuring the newer folks to this mode of transportation of its fun and safety. I will at this point apologize to both the entire staff at Broken Paddle, and to you the reader for not doing a better job remembering names. My unfortunately foggy memory for names in no way takes away from the highly positive experience we had. We learned a bit about the area we would be kayaking in on the drive to the launch point, and once at said point, were given enough instruction to allow us to really get into serious trouble if we chose, but how to avoid most minor things that can get in the way of an enjoyable outing. We stopped for a swim a few times, and enjoyed a mostly peaceful and sunny journey, with plenty of wildlife and signs of even more wildlife. In this part of MN/WI, the main attraction would be bald eagles, several of which presented themselves, though The Carnivore is a little bummed that not one of them elected to land on his shoulder. Carnivore X believes that if he is to be on the water--pirate-style--he should have a proper bird perched on his shoulder, and what bird is more proper than a Bald Eagle? Mrs. Carnivore believes this to be a bad idea. At the end of the several-hour journey, we found the main channel of the mighty Missississississississississippi river. We waited until the river traffic was clear, than paddled like hell to get across. Unfortunately, a pontoon boat, two fishing boats, a cabin cruiser, and a string of barges with their tugboat were capsized in our mighty wake. Though the rescue and recovery efforts took a bit of time, everything was salvaged and thankfully no one was hurt. We then had a hands-on lesson on the evils of zebra mussles. It turns out that zebra mussels are no match for Carnivore muscles, as your favorite Carnivore peeled a bunch of them off of native mussels with his bare hands, and then executed them on the beach after finding them guilty of seditious aquatic activities. All in all, this was a very enjoyable time on the water, and The Carnivore strongly recommends it to anyone interested in finding out what a kayak is and how it works. Or to experienced kayak drivers looking for an enjoyable few hours. Or to wildlife enthusiasts willing to work a bit to get to an area they would otherwise not likely be able to partake of. Seriously, just take a day off and go!

Very fun float kayak paddling trip! We rented kayaks and they helped us put in and take out along…read morewith a quick bus ride back. It was about 8 miles on the river with a few small rapids. The water was fairly shallow and easy to navigate. It took us maybe 2.5 hours for our kayak trip with beautiful scenery. We saw deer, 2 fawns with spots and a doe. We saw two bald eagles and 1 golden eagle, blue herons, turtles, kingfisher, turkey vulture etc. The parking is free; there is a bathroom where you put in. You need to sign waivers before going. They offer PFDs to everyone; under 18 must wear PFD.

We love the town of Cannon Falls. We decided to plan a Kayak trip with some family and give this…read moreplace a try. This area is beautiful and we saw many Bald Eagles as we strolled down the Cannon River. I don't think this was too expensive and it was a lot of fun. We had not been kayaking before and my wife was clueless. I had used canoes when I was a kid and had been up to the Boundary Waters, I felt okay. We told the people that it was our first time and without much of any instruction, they put her in the kayak and away she went. I felt like they could have done anything to make her more comfortable. The rental area is a shack, basically. They put you in kayaks and then pick you up in an hour from departure at the pick up point. Look for the large pink rock, that is where you exit the river to be picked up. We had the last time slot with several people overturning and having to empty their kayak, not me, I stayed dry. The people that had to drain their kayak wasted a lot of time and we were late to our pick-up at the end of the day when you know they wanted to go home and start their weekend. I felt bad but it wasn't my fault. This was a fun time. I would recommend that you have some experienced people to help you if you are new at this. The people running this place are not interested in spending time teaching you how to stay dry. That is up to you.

In summer they rent kayaks and do a shuttle for a 7 mile run on the Cannon River from above the…read moreCannon River Wilderness Area to Dundas (or Northfield). The trip takes about 2 hours if the river is flowing fast but in Aug 2021, the river was super low and they said that it was taking folks 3-5 hours. You leave your car at the take-out and they shuttle you up. I only had 2 hours. I called and they left a kayak out for me at the Dundas take-out. In the morning, I paddled up river to the Cannon River Wilderness Area (I'd guess 2 miles) and then paddled back to the take-out. It was really pretty. It is all trees along this section of river. I saw lots of birds. I think the part in the wilderness area is even nicer so do the 7-mi trip if you have time. If you do the trip when the river is low, make sure to take shoes for walking in the river. You'll need to get out and drag the boat sometimes. So like tennis shoes not flip flops. The owner was super nice and helpful on the phone.

A few weeks ago, I went with my significant other and her friends on a snowshoe trip with this…read moregroup. There was a Living Social deal so we did it and booked the wine tasting experience. The snowshoe hike was moved near Northfield, MN and alot more hills and climbing than expected. However, we did get a great view of the ice caves. Also, the sandwiches and soup was delicious. At the end, we had a nice winetasting before heading back home. Our guides were the best and made everyone felt at ease without pushing too hard.

This is my second time floating this river with Zumbro Valley Canoe Rental and I cannot say enough…read moregood things about the experience. The staff and owner were great and made sure we had a safe and enjoyable trip on the river. We saw bald eagles, giant blue herons and other wildlife.

The float from Zumbro Falls to Hammond is a beautiful, peaceful 3 hour trip in kayak or canoe. That…read moregave my rating the fourth star. The establishment itself is a 3 star because the overall condition of the kayaks. The kayaks are Old Town which when new were high quality. However, most of the kayaks here are in pretty rough shape. My wife and I had two that were ok, but several had missing peddles and/or major damage to the fiberglass. So beware, before you pay make sure your kayak meets your approval. After all you're going to be in it for 3 hours. The canoes looked in better shape. The price of $35 per kayak was reasonable and Sully gave us excellent advice on how to navigate the river.

Duane, the owner, was super responsive and made our day so easy! We called at 10AM and we were on…read morethe water by 1:00. He met us at a boat ramp that worked well for us and the rental rate was really affordable. Great service at an affordable price, highly recommend.

From the owner: We deliver kayaks paddle boards and canoes to your location of choice. We provide shuttle back to…read moreyour vehicle for river trips and when needed. We provide lessons and multiple levels of experience.

Very friendly and helpful place. Easy process to rent bike - sign a waiver and pay when you…read morereturn. We rented their regular 24-speed Fuji bikes. The rate was $18 an hour plus an additional $5 dollars for every additional hour and $5 for helmets. They sell water if you need it and have a holder on each bike for a water bottle. We rode first to Whalen and checked out the pie shop and then returned and went back the other way for a while for a total of two hours. A pretty bike trail that is mostly flat. The visitor center is right next-door and has clean restrooms. A very nice experience.

Great bike rental place right on the Root River Trail. Mom…read moreand I rented two Biria bikes because they looked comfortable and cool. ;) The staff was super friendly and we had the best time on an hour long toodle down the path and back. Would definitely do it again! Seeing all the tubes and kayaks out front of the store made me think it would be super fun to hit the water next summer!

My son was coming up from Texas for his 30th birthday. He loves to fish so I looked for a guided…read morefishing trip all over Wisconsin and from Saint Paul to Michigan. Everything was way expensive and booked way in advance. I Stumbled onto www.smallcraftoutfitters.com . Guided Kayak Fishing. Incredibly inexpensive and addictively fun! Tyler (the owner/guide) is based on a small ~150 acre home lake, Eau Galle Reservoir but he guides on other lakes as well. Beautiful Lake Eau Galle (Spring Valley, Wi) is east of St Paul roughly 40 minutes A four hour fully furnished excursion aboard a personal custom fishing kayak waiting for you already in the water. Poles already fitted with lures ready to cast. Ice chest with water in the guide's boat and bring your own snacks. The rates for us that day was $75 for the 1st person and $25 for each additional person with their own Kayak. WOW! If we weren't to catch a fish at all it would still be worth it for just the guided tour around beautiful Lake Eau Galle. I have to add up front, I broke my foot a few weeks before and wearing a boot. Tyler was super accommodating making sure there was no trouble getting me into the Kayak. Also, handicap parking just 20 feet from the dock. I had never been in a kayak before but these were very stable and a very comfy seat. You are also fitted with life jackets. We got there around 630a, Tyler wasted no time getting underway. We headed straight for the dam and worked our way around the lake. I don't want to spoil anything for you but he will give you all kinds of interesting information about your surroundings and always quick to point out the eagles flying about. You can bring your own rods and tackle but his selection for you is all you need. I wasn't quite used to the open face spin reel and only a couple of times had to fix a minor tangle. That was mostly me and my lack of talent. Just to make it easy next time I'll bring a closed face spin/cast combo like a Zebco 33 or 808. The artificial lure he will likely select for you is a weedless top water frog. It's a light lure but his rod/line setup delivers casting distance. You can pretty much cast it anywhere.... Over logs, on top of water growth or up on land and jig is back towards you like a little frog swimming from the bank. I'm sure part of the reason for using the weedless lures was to promote more fishing and less toil of trying to get unsnagged from a bad cast. The trick with the frog lure is when the bass takes it under you have to wait a full 3 seconds before you set the hook or you will jerk it out of his mouth and not catch him. I had trouble forcing myself to wait but after I caught on I could make the catch. My son was a natural catching more than a half dozen decent sized ones from the morning and into the heat of noon. Opportunity was always there, I'd say we had 30 strikes between us. My son hooked a pike but it threw the lure before it could be landed. That's the way it goes sometimes. All in all a very pleasant outing, I'll do again. Bugs weren't bad at all but don't forget sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Tyler is very humble and loves to talk. A few occasions I pulled my Kayak up to his and talked about everything under the sun while we watched my son catch fish. Bonus: Tyler will take lots of pictures for you and send up to a share drive so can view and download. Oh and did I mention how beautiful Lake Eau Galle is? One more thing to think about. So you could go and buy yourself a Kayak with every thing you need to do this and it would cost a good bit as well as having to store it, load it, haul it. Rather you might consider www.smallcraftoutfitters.com guided trip once a month for the short summers we have up here and it would cost you a lot less than owning your own fishing Kayak. Not to mention the space you'll save in your garage.

From the owner: A family owned business passionate about kayak fishing!read more