My niece and I have been tubing on the river for years and we look forward to this annual…read moreexperience. We went out on Sunday and we were told that the river was "running faster than normal" and the route would take two hours instead of the usual three. We thought that might be nice because the weather was kind of chilly and we didn't know if we wanted to be there for three hours. That said, we did not know that the river running faster would mean that it would also feel dangerous in certain parts and the rapids were a lot rougher than normal. We were pushed into various parts of the river where there were sharp rocks and fallen trees jutting out. I understand that root river outfitters doesn't have anything to do with nature, but I do think that there should be a warning about how the river running fast also means that the river is running more rough at certain points. My tube was pushed into a large tree branch from behind and I cracked my neck and I have been in pain ever since. I am not blaming root river outfitters for the situation, but I do think that they should at least let people know what they are getting into when they are going to be having a two hour experience on a river where they really don't have an opportunity to get off if they feel in danger or uncomfortable. This is just something I think that they should inform people before they go.

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

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.

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!

The owner was extremely friendly and even let us go out on the river, despite being 2 weeks from…read moreofficially opening.

Great place to go for relaxing and enjoying good vibes with friends. Staff is had the best customer…read moreservice Ive ever witness. Will be visiting again!!

Awesome!! Great equipment at good pricing. Bikes are top notch, it's like it's your own.read more

From the owner: Outdoor gear rental for adventures BIG and small. Canoes, Kayaks, SUP, Mtn. Bikes, Fat Bikes,…read moreTents, Hammocks, Sleeping Bags, Sleeping Pads, Cross Country Skis, Snowshoes and more

Amazing experience white water rafting down the river with multiple points of interest,…read moreopportunities to swim, and beautiful untouched scenery. This tour is a 11/10 for me! You really get your money's worth and my family and I had a great time on the water! Thank you!

I had such an incredible experience Ice climbing. Tony, our guide and shop owner, was incredibly…read moreinformative, easy going, and truly made the experience enjoyable. He even worked with my limited availability. You can tell he is passionate about what he does. He provided me with quality gear to use! I would come back ! Highly recommend.

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.

Blackhawk River Runs canoe rental was awesome from start to finish! They provided great guidance of…read morehow to navigate the river and provided phenomenal customer service with detail to cleanliness. I highly recommend using them if you are looking for a fun day on the Wisconsin River with 2 pickup times to provide plenty of flexibility.

We had a perfect rental and canoeing experience! The Blackhawk River Run team was extremely…read moreprofessional. They were very helpful with upfront reservation communications, provided great instructions on how to navigate the river, had our gear ready, had a very clean restroom and clean bus. They were timely on our return run pick up. Our group had a blast and Blackhawk River runs made everything seamless. Can't wait to go again!! Gorgeous river experience! Amazing!

A group of friends and I came tubing for the afternoon & we had a blast! For $20 per person, you…read moreget a tube rental, twine to tie together, & a shuttle bus to the top of the river (where you then float back to the rental place/your car). We got an extra tube for our cooler, which did cost an extra $20. It's also only cash, so know that going in! The river is gorgeous, I wish I'd had a way to take pictures. It's super clean, a good pace (some faster areas & plenty of slower spots), & took us about 2.5-3 hours. Definitely wear sunscreen, that was a mistake we made I will absolutely be back & can't wait to bring my husband & other friends!

I wanted to share my experience because there were some serious safety concerns that I think would…read morebe helpful for the business to address. I called ahead before coming because rain was in the forecast and I wanted to make sure they were still open. I was told that they were. Their website also says to check their social media for updates, which I did, but there weren't any recent updates indicating that the water level was unusually low. Unfortunately, the water was extremely low, and throughout the entire trip we were constantly hitting hard rocks. At one point, a large rock hit my tube hard enough to knock me completely out of it. I landed on a bunch of rocks, and the current kept pushing me back down onto them, making it difficult for me to get back up. I ended up bleeding and was extremely lucky that a canoer happened to stop and help me. I honestly don't know what I would have done if they hadn't been there. My group had tried to help me, but the rocks are so slippery that they also got hurt. (See my bruises and scratches in photos attached) The experience at the end of the trip also wasn't great. A worker yelled at us and was quite rude about putting our tubes back, even though there wasn't any visible signage in the front beach area explaining where or how we were supposed to return them. There was towards the back area, but we hadn't gotten there yet before he had already started yelling. I strongly advise future goers to specifically call and ask about water levels, and think this business should be more adamant about posting about them giving that not only can it ruin an experience, but it can be a safety hazard as well.