My wife and I are semi-experienced kayakers and are always looking for a fun paddle. This past August (2020), we took a trip with four other family members and chose Pinelands Adventures to get us to and from the Batsto River. For full disclosure, we took our own kayaks, so I don't know about their boats. I am sure they are fine, but I can't comment on their equipment. Covid-19 has forced Pinelands Adventures to run at about half-capacity, which means that the river feels like a private tour. At the time of this review, the company is sending out 10 or fewer boats per trip. The experience was excellent from start to finish. I called several times, and each time the staff was courteous and professional. When we got there, the service was quick and poignant. There was little waiting as they wanted to get you on the water and keep on schedule. The day of our trip, EVERYONE WORE MASKS ABOVE THEIR NOSE. This was huge! The staff got our kayaks on and off the trucks quickly and got us on the river with ease. The driver gave us an ecology/nature tour on the way to the river. That was a nice touch. The Batsto is narrow, winding, and perfect for single-file boating. Paddling was easy to moderate; however, there was more rowing than expected. There are stretches where you can float and let the current push you along, but they are spaced out. The river plays cat-and-mouse with low hanging limbs, submerged logs, and fallen trees. There is plenty of action, which requires some attention. The currents are swift and may require some anticipation, especially when dealing with in-water obstacles. Even with the small numbers, I would suggest staying in the back to distance yourself and let the other boaters spread out, so you don't run into other paddlers. Overall, Pinelands Adventures is well-run, efficient, professional, and easy to do business with. They are quick and timely. From getting on the river to getting off, there is little time wasted waiting on them. If you take the Quaker Bridge to the Batsto trip, remember that the last mile is in open water and is against the current. Be prepared to work harder from the edge of the forest to the pickup point. Oh, don't forget to call in at mile marker 11. Otherwise, you WILL be waiting for a ride. We had so much fun on this trip. Pinelands Adventures is THE place to go to for kayaking fun in the Pinelands. I am writing this review less than 24-hours after our trip, and we already booked another float in September. Things to consider: ~ Bring a good dry bag to put valuables in. ~ Wear old shoes, pants, a shirt, and a hat. ~ If you wear glasses, get a strap. ~ Bring a self-closing clip to attach your gear to the boat. ~ Bug spray / Sun Block ~ Pack a lunch and bring plenty of water. ~ You will get wet. read more

My boyfriend and I planned a day trip yesterday for a tandem kayak trip and we are so glad that we chose pineland adventures! We were taken to the launch site via van driven by the coolest driver John. I myself appreciate history and was very impressed and entertained the entire ride by Johns knowledge about the area and the history dating back to the 1760s! My boyfriend and I took off down this relaxed water way surrounded by beautiful scenery. We went without a guide as beginners and it was so relaxing and even more fun then what we expected. There are multiple stops throughout the trip to rest, do some exploring and eat lunch. Definitely bring lunch, a towel and bug spray! The experience was just challenging enough for beginners to be thrilling but still calm enough to sometimes just float and enjoy being outside. Total distance was 6 miles and it took us about four hours. The last mile was my favorite as you've reached batsto lake and see nothing but wide open water and pine trees. We were picked up promptly at the finish and again enjoyed another history lesson on the way back to our vehicle. All in all we are trying to book another trip next week and would recommend locals and out of staters to try out Pineland Adventures! Thank you to all the staff that made our trip so epic! read more

I've used outfitters all over the east coast for everything from multi-day trips with boat rentals to simple day paddles for a few hours or eve just to shuttle while backpacking. These guys did everything right. They were on-time with leaving and most importantly on-time with the pick-up at the end of our trip. They were actually waiting at the end point with the shuttle when we paddled up a half hour early! Most shuttle trips are awkward silence but I was surprised when I got an oral history of the region during the 30 minute trip to the shuttle starting point and again on the return trip by a different driver/guide. There are all kinds of outfitters out there and while some do the job right many are flying by the seat of their pants trying to run a business. Pineland Adventures did an awesome job and I'd gladly use them again. read more

we had a super great time canoeing on the mullical river on sunday. the pinelands adventure people told us interesting historical facts on our way to the drop off, which no other canoe people ever did for me before. the equipment was great too and everyone of the staff was very friendly. they even ordered beautiful weather for us too! being from camden it was a great treat to be out on the river, which we had mostly to ourselves. i would reccomend this trip to others who want to spend some time in paradise. one thing...we had the wrong instruction sheet and thought we had another 1.75 miles to go so i was wondering how i was going to do all that...? then we came to a bridge and there was the truck to take us back...just in the nick of time. yahoo! read more

I booked the BYO trip last minute (day before) for my 14 y/o son and I and we had a great time. The trip was very well organized and simple, which in my book is priceless. The workers took great care in loading our kayaks for the drive to mile 6 of the Batsto, the driver was a terrific tour guide with a lot of interesting information about the Pine Barrens and what to expect. The river was moving pretty well (9/03) which made paddling simple, my son and I are active but don't paddle often and it was was not difficult. The last mile is still water, so a bit more effort but there is no rush. We saw some great scenery and gave us an appreciation of the Pinelands...would definitely recommend. read more

I kayaked with Pinelands Adventures on the Batsto River this past weekend. My friends and I have formed a group called "New Jersey Emerging Conservation Professionals" and we decided to take a trip down to the Pine Barrens and get out on the water. The Pinelands Adventures staff could not have been more friendly or knowledgeable. We all learned so much and we are in the environmental field! PA was more than accommodating for us on so many levels and we really appreciated it. We will all definitely be back again soon. The run was gorgeous and serene, plus we had a blast! Thanks so much for all you do, Pinelands Adventures! We'll definitely be telling all of our friends to pay you a visit. read more

What an awesome time! We kayaked down the Batsto with Jason as our guide. The gorgeous Pine Barrens habitat made us quickly forget about the rain. We even had a female Wood Duck swimming alongside us for a bit (I don't think she was too keen on it). One of our group fell in the water (which was COLD), and Jason handled the situation quickly and effectively - he had extra clothes in his 16-foot canoe (which he navigates expertly). Overall, an incredible way to spend the afternoon. I will definitely be going back to Pinelands Adventures in the near future! read more

Pineland Adventures made it easy to book our trip of 12 family members. And once we got to the establishment, we were well taken care of: they even loaded our canoe (the one we brought ourselves, the others were rented) off our car in the beginning and onto our car at the end. The staff is like living history books and, did I mention, the trip was absolutely gorgeous. This is a very well run operation and they are also somehow connected to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. Really great organization. read more

It was such a great trip! I went with 2 girl friends, all of us over 70 years old. We really should have done the 2 hour trip instead of 4, because we were all tired after 2 hours, but the trip was so beautiful and we saw turtles, blue heron, lots of dragonflies and damselflies, deer. We heard frogs and lots of birds. The river required a lot of maneuvering around downed trees and we gradually got better at doing what was required. The scenery was breathtaking! Love the Pine Barrens! read more

The 4 of us enjoyed getting away from home and work - related stress as we kayaked on the Batsto River today - Labor Day. We find Pineland Adventures to be incredibly professional, easy to work with, and knowledgeable about our environment. This is the second time our friends went with us; we have gone several times before. Each time we see something new, enjoy the day more, and get to appreciate the beauty of the Pines in Southern NJ. We are planning to go again soon. read more

What a perfect day we enjoyed on our sweet, beautiful kayak trip down the Batsto River, thanks to the guidance of this group! Peaceful, rich natural beauty on reflective waters, teeming with timeless life. Ok, so a very few raindrops joined the splashes of paddle drippings on our legs, no problem. Great drop-off and pick-up service combined with friendly, informative regional and historical info completed the enjoyable experience with this group. Will come back again. read more

Both of the Pinelands Adventures guided hikes that I took - Journey Between Two Rivers and the Pine Barrens Discovery Tour - were amazing. The landscape is incredibly beautiful. The guide not only knew the history and ecology backwards and forwards, but also knew how to engage people of different ages and with different interests. I grew up in the area, but learned more about the Pinelands in two days than I had throughout my K - 12 education there! read more

I've never spent time exploring the Pinelands, but Pinelands Adventures provided a great opportunity to explore and learn about the region. Our guide Jason was SUPER experienced, knowledgable and fun! The trip down the Batsto River was unlike any kayaking I've ever done -- every bend offered an unexpected surprise: turkeys, pine warblers, muskrat, and wood ducks! It was a beautiful trip and I recommend it to anyone looking for a unique experience. read more

Our 4 hour kayaking trip from Quaker bridge to Batso Lake was great! Service was fun and friendly and they got us to our launch off point easily. I appreciated that we could text them when we were close to the end to ensure a bus would be there to pick us up! The trip is a little windier than I was expecting, not a bad thing, just a warning for other kayakers/canoers; it isn't a straight shot. However, absolutely love this place, recommend to all! read more

Outstanding! John Volpa is an excellent guide and has the knowledge needed to keep us all interested and informed. The bus was somewhat cramped - it is an old school school bus after all - but John made up for it by keeping us interested and informed. Also, Jake who was the bus driver contributed his knowledge. And, we were really lucky. The Apple Hill Fire Tower was in use and we were able to climb up and get some great pictures of the pinelands. read more

A great place to kayak and get outside! The staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. Even gave us a little history lesson on the ride back. We had two adults and 6 kids (mostly teenagers) on the self guided tour and all had a great time. Did the 3 mile kayak on the Mullica River, the first mile was a little more challenging but fun. Atsion lake was our starting point. Highly recommend and will be back! read more

Did the 4 hour tour. Absolutely incredible. Very easy kayaking with a few small navigational challenges. You will learn to steer very quickly. The staff was very efficient and very helpful. Check in was simple and the kayaks were ready for us. There are many places to stop and rest. Easy access. I would definitely do this again and again. Thanks Pinelands Adventure for a wonderful day. The best! read more

My friend and I had the most amazing day paddling down the Batsto River yesterday! We're so glad we went in late October because the foliage from Quaker Bridge to Batsto Lake was stunning and the route felt wonderfully secluded. The Pinelands Adventures staff was super knowledgable, pleasant, and accommodating. I can't want to return with this outfitter - two enthusiastic thumbs up! read more

I want on a New Jersey Pineland's Habitat tour led by Jeff Larson. It was a most wonderful experience to be introduced to parts of the Pine Barrens I was not familiar with. Jeff was so personable, knowledgeable and willing to share his joy and love of the NJ Pine Barrens with us. If you want to learn more about this most special habitat....do join the next tour with Jeff ! read more