Friendly staff, great location. I've gone during the week and on the weekends and there are sometimes a wait on the weekends. We had a great experience and it was a beautiful day! It's definitely worth the ride! read more

Cash only!! (Only reason it's not a 5!) Plan ahead.... Solid service by Bri, and the young men who launch you and help you back in. Thanks for such an affordable, reliable kayaking opportunity. Part of my summer rituals now.... Know that the website is not current, either.... But what they do, they do well! read more

South Bridge Boat House - On the River - Boating Near Me - Concord, Massachusetts

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Reasonable prices but cash only. Equipments are fine and easy renting. The old man and the young guy both were helpful. 1.5-2 hrs kayak/ canoe is totally worth it. Social distancing and masks are requiredat the dock at these convos times but later can be removed in the boats. read more

South Bridge Boat House - Boating Near Me - Concord, Massachusetts

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Perfect spot for some weekend activity! Friendly staff and great location! Cameron did an excellent job in getting my party ready for some enjoyable kayaking experience. read more

Good prices, equipment is ok, but the best is the excursion to the minute man historic monument and house. Make sure you pick a good, clear, and warm day for your excursion. The rental was quick and efficient. Not much training or "friendliness", just to business and off you go on the water. read more

South Bridge Boat House - Fun expeditions to minute man historical monument - Boating Near Me - Concord, Massachusetts

I really enjoyed Canoeing here, the concord river is huge so we canoed for 3+ hours but only covered a fraction of the river. The boat house has double kayaks, canoes, and single kayaks. Be aware that this place is CASH ONLY. They had someone help us get in and out of the boat which was nice. The price I believe is changed by hour then after 3 hours, the price no longer goes up. The facilities are on the older side but did not impact our experience. I would make five stars if they accepted credit card and/or could book from their website. read more

South Bridge Boat House - Boating Near Me - Concord, Massachusetts

I had a fun day out of doors today, beginning with a leisurely cruise along the Concord River in a Southbridge Boat House canoe. I considered it leisurely because I was the 3rd one in the boat, and, as the center person, I wasn't expected to paddle. =) Thus, I went a bit hog wild with the camera, snapping photos of our lovely surroundings and, whenever I could attempt to, my hardworking canoe-mates. The lay of the land was marshlike to the right of the Southbridge Boat House. After a while, we turned around, passed the boathouse and headed down river. There the view was nice too, with a scattering of large houses with personal private access to the river, and trees with their trunks dipped into the water. The water was pretty calm, minus the one motor boat which caused us to bounce up and down for a short while after it had passed. There are also a few bridges which test your paddling abilities as you attempt to pass under its arches. Some parking was available along the dirt sides of the road on either side of Route 62 (Main Street). Bathrooms were available out back, outside. One per gender. Service was offered in helping you in and out of your choice of floating vehicles, but no one gave me any assist with my life jacket. So, I just pulled one out from the orange colored bunch, snapped the buckle together after I had it on, and pulled the belt tight. Fortunately I've worn one in the past. Suggestion - if you can, grab an extra life jacket as a cushion, because your bottom might get a little sore sitting against the hard canoe. read more

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David was great. He provided us with maps of the river, advised us on some hidden gems and shallow areas to watch out for, and was generally speaking just a really kind person. I was glad we ended up here - David's warm welcome was a great way to begin a lovely afternoon paddling trip. Will definitely be back. read more

South Bridge Boat House - How can you not be excited about getting on the water in this spot? - Boating Near Me - Concord, Massachusetts

This goes back some time, but had the same experience as other reviewers here with the "older man" and felt compelled to write this review. Brought extended family (with young kids) to rent some canoes. Found the front desk empty during regular hours. Stepped onto the deck in front of the river to see if anyone was around. Eventually we noticed the "older man" by himself with some canoes. He ignored us. We asked if he worked here and he went ballistic. Started yelling at us and punching canoes. Getting violent and unpredictable. We retreated quickly to our car. Absolutely confused by the incident. We reached out to the owner by phone to report the incident and she basically told us "what do you want me to do about it?" As I understand it, he is related to the owner and she is well aware of this ongoing problem. Read the other reviews, this is not an isolated incident. read more

This is a lovely little spot to come to and have an 1 1/2 canoe or kayak down river through Concord. It's very pretty and we had the opportunity to take some wonderful pictures. The boat house has a working bathroom and lots of boats, the staff are young but helpful. There is an easiness to renting (cash only). They offer a lunch and dinner cruise that could be nice but the menu wasn't of interest. We would recommend this and do it again! read more

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What a great place this is. The prices could be a little less, but it's still worth it. The Sudbury River water isn't the cleanest but it's all good...the boathouse has nothing to do with that. They don't take debit or credit cards like the website says. They should update the site. I know that the boathouse may have survived some massive water damage throughout the years with floods...but it still upholds its charm. My experiences have been pretty fair when it comes to the staff. There's a lot of wild life which is a plus! read more

River was beautiful, equipment was fine. However, the older man who assisted us was not covid compliant and refused to wear his mask over his nose. He got into an argument with the customer ahead of us when she made a comment and then proceeded to complain to us about her. It looks like other reviewers have made comments about him in the past and I think if they had better owners / management it would be an incredibly successful business. I suggest checking out Charles River canoe and kayak for better service and a great time. read more

It was a lovely, sunny, not too hot June day and my best friend and I wanted to do something in Concord besides our usual hike around the Concord River. We chanced upon this place and were game and had a wonderful time. It is $16.50 per hour and they will prorate; very basic but very friendly. My only complaint, and the reason for the -1 star, was that we were charged for an 1 1/2 hour but we were behind a bus-load from a local high school and did not get on a canoe for 15 minutes from when we were clocked - mentioned it but no real response so did not feel the urge to fight since they were very nice. Not a ton of parking (not from what I could see) but it was shaded. Highly recommend - even thinking of bringing a picnic lunch next time and enjoying whole day on the river. read more

Love this beautiful spot! The new 3rd generation owner is amazing! She is so kind, professional, and hardworking. The customer service is top notch and the views on the river are stunning. Can't recommend this place enough! read more

Stopped by to get the rates and see if I needed reservations. Two young kids were very helpful but some disheveled old man (i assume the owner - though not sure) and started yelling that the river was to high to go to the North Bridge. I said not a problem as I did not want to go today I was inquiring for a future date. The old man started throwing punches at the garage door. I left totally confused. Sat in my car reflecting what just happened and saw a couple of patrons that had arrived after me quickly crossing the street and in the back ground I could here more fists hitting the garage door. I asked them what was going on but they were just as confused as I was and told me the old man said they were now closed for the day. It's too bad as I grew up in Concord and now live about an hour away. Was hoping this would be a nice day trip for my wife and I. Not sure I have the desire to go back now however it would be nice to kayak to the Old North Bridge. JUST WEIRD read more

I have to pig pile on to the complaints of the "old crone" who really made an otherwise pleasant trip a frustrating, albeit entertaining, experience. My friend and I brought my personal kayaks out to the Concord river for a day ride. We came across the Southbridge Boat House by chance and asked if we could use their dock to launch. I've done this at other boat houses in the past without a problem. I asked the crone if we could use his dock and he said yes. We brought our boats down and when we were ready to launch he says "who's going to pay for this?" I honestly would have paid if he mentioned it up front but it was obvious to me he was looking for a fight so we picked up our kayaks and walked away. The guy starts yelling at us while we're leaving, hurling insults as we carry our boats away. I said "we're leaving, we're doing what you want" and he continued to badger us. He followed us to the street, yelling at us and calling us "losers" repeatedly. Then he started taking pictures of my car for whatever purpose, like we were doing something illegal. This guy clearly has problems bigger than us. But hey, they're the only boat rental company on the river so I doubt anything will change. I'll be sure to use the public dock, or a patch of dirt on the side of the road, in the future and leave the old crone to guard his land like a troll under a bridge. Fortunately my friend and I had a great time on the river and only laugh at our experience being called losers by possibly the most miserable person I've ever met. Gotta pay the troll toll. read more

This place is fantastic. The staff are helpful and respectful, especially the older gentleman, who is one of the friendliest guys I have ever met. The rental process is simple and quick, and prices are very reasonable. A great place to rent a kayak or canoe - the river is beautiful and peaceful. *just remember it's cash only! read more

Cute little place off the side of the road. A nice calm ride with great views of quaint homes, historic sites, and easy paddling. The old man is nice, and the rental is fast and quick. It was my first time and it was all straightforward and simple. The prices are pretty good too. Will definitely come back! read more

These folks rent, sell and repair kayaks and canoes. A great escape near the city, you can rent a canoe and kayak with paddles, cushions, maps, and life preservers and head out on the Concord or Sudbury River. It's a great idea for a quiet date, you can take a picnic lunch and pull over to the shore along the way. There are some great spots! One route takes you through Minute Man park and right under the famous battle bridge. Others take you to more secluded areas. Spring and Fall are particularly beautiful from the river. You can often see cranes in the marshes and other local wild life. Rates are 10 -15 dollars an hour depending on the day. About 50 will get you a whole day's canoe rental. read more

Turns out I had no idea what a canoe was. Thought it was a rowboat. For the obscenely ignorant like myself, a canoe is actually a very very long metal boat, where you and your canoe-mate will be separated by yard of metal, rowing in different directions and ending up in the branches of trees on the sides of the river. Both sides, alternating. Go for the kayak, so you can feel like you're in the same town as your canoe-mate. Give up while you still have energy to go all the way back, because against the current is a bitch. read more

Fantastic time. Enjoy a cruise along the Concord river while having a glass of wine and a light meal. I have tried this and it was great both times. If you are looking for something different to try for a warm afternoon check out the Southbridge Boat house. Check out their site for details. http://www.canoeconcord.com/dinner.htm read more

While the scenery along the Sudbury and Concord rivers is great, I was a little disappointed with the rental operation. I arrived a few minutes after 9 AM which, according to their website, is the opening time on weekends. Just after 9:15, someone finally opened the door/rental counter window without any recognition that he was 15 minutes late. I then had to run back to my car to get cash for a $20 deposit (it is unclear that they take credit cards); they don't mention that cash is required as a deposit on their web site either. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the professionalism at Charles River Canoe and Kayak, but I was disappointed by the rental company. That being said, it was a great day to be out on the water! read more

Rented canoes here with my husband and 2 other friends. We all fit in one canoe, but I didn't have a real seat. I sat in the canoe on some cushions. We signed in and were off pretty quickly. We headed toward the Old North Bridge, which is part of the Minute Man historic park. The ride was pleasant and relaxing, and you float by many beautiful houses and back yards. When we got to the Old North Bridge, we pulled up on the bank and checked out the Minute Man statue, the monument to the British soldiers, and listened to some of the rangers who were giving a talk. We then got back in our canoe and rowed back to the Boat House. The whole thing took about 2 hours and our total was $38. I am planning on going back, maybe even bringing my dog next time. *Tip* Get the plastic paddles, not the metallic ones because those leave dark, purple/ black stains on your hands. It comes off easily with soap and water, but would have rather avoided it, haha. read more

Their website isn't working and no one answers the phone, nor do they have a voice message stating that they're closed and their hours of operation. In the past, when they were open, I enjoyed the canoe rides and thought the price they charge was okay. read more

The wife and I wanted to get some canoeing in and enjoy the outdoors and this was a great place to do it! It wasn't too far from Boston and tucked into a nice location. We made our way upstream first and did some fishing. There wasn't much that way so we went downstream and it dawned on us that we weren't going to catch anything as the river started to get busier but it was still pretty fun! The youths working the place were pretty outgoing and helpful. Overall a great experience. Remember to wear your sunblock! read more

I love this place! I come here a few times a month and it's always the best experience. From the guys who work there *August is a fav* they are always polite and helpful... Me and my family love coming here and always look forward to when they open for the season. Everyone is always friendly on the river too - :) You won't be disappointed !! read more

Wow! What a great little spot. It's right on Rt 62 on the main road, (Main Street, in fact) and has kayaks and canoes for rent. The husbands took either end of the canoe and the wives sat inside on cushions with a little widget thing that acted as a back rest. As much as I love the Charles, the Concord was just much quieter and more idyllic, making for a very peaceful journey. We saw herons and turtles all over the place! Also, we only encountered one speedboat. We saw one of the river cruises pulling in just as we were going out, and it looked charming. There were little tables set up on a pontoon boat; at an hour and 15 minutes I imagine that would be a charming way to have a meal. The details are spelled out on their website; I'm just here to attest to this being a friendly and professional shop located at a beautiful spot. read more

Yes its finally open and its springtime! The snow has finally melted and one of my favorite things to do with my family is go to canoeing or Kayaking. I had done this all over, on the charles river , down south and concord canoe is one of my favorites. Its beautiful, quite and you feel like your a million miles away yet just 45 minutes of the city. The owners are very nice, this is not a high tech place, but they are friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this place if your looking for a great family day or even to go with friends. Enjoy the weather & get on the water! read more

Canoed during Labor Day - $17/hour for 2 person canoe. Low frills operation, with local kids helping you in and out of the canoes. An older woman checked us in. Canoeing to and from the old north bridge took about an hour for us. Nice scenery along the way with beautiful houses to look at, along with birds and cranes. Saw part of Minuteman Park when we got to the bridge. Would do this again. read more

Now that Spring is here, I'd heartily suggest coming out here, and spending the day paddling up or down the River. Really beautiful. If you head towards the Minuteman National Park, you'll see some beautiful houses, gardens, and trees in bloom. We used to take the Commuter Rail out here, when I was in high school, and make a day of it, with a picnic. I read somewhere, that they've started a river barge luncheon, too. I'm going to find out more about that. Sounds really cool. read more

Staff are great! River is beautiful. Highly recommend for any group looking for a peaceful and calm outing.

This was my first time kayaking here and only my second time kayaking ever! I went with my Mom and we thoroughly enjoyed our time! I found Jack to be very kind and helpful and the owner was terrific as well. The price was beyond fair and the kayak was in fine condition... So grateful for the entire experience! read more

South Bridge Boat House - Boating Near Me - Concord, Massachusetts

The canoes are beat to hell but it's a great experience, especially for kids. I'd highly recommend, just plan on a laid back experience.

It's a beautiful setting and the young men who work there are wonderful. However, the owner made our experience quite uncomfortable. I brought a group of teens like I always have, with plenty of chaperones. I spoke with someone two days before over the phone about our plans - renting 7 canoes, going to the North Bridge, picnicking and then returning. The person said that was great snd they'd give us a group rate.This time, when we arrived , the owner appeared as if he was sleeping in a makeshift bed in the office area. He jumped up when I mentioned paying the group rate to the young man at the counter- he began yelling that there will be no discounts!!! Ok! We began getting in our canoes. When we started to paddle he began screaming from the deck that we couldn't go to the North bridge direction, then screaming that I needed an adult in every canoe. The young men working there looked embarrassed and were not saying anything. I felt like the owner has having a mental health crisis. He was screaming and throwing things around. My teens were totally weirded out and he made our fun excursion tense. Then after we began canoeing more- he literally pulled up to us with a helper in a motor boat, made 2 of my teens get into his boat and towed it back to the dock . I said- "you can't just do this!" he made me and my paddler pull over and get out - put us all in a bigger canoe . I understand that people struggle with mental illness. This entire scene felt unsafe to me and I won't return as long as he's still present there. For $20 per hour per canoe it was a joke that day. We did not get to go to the north bridge, we had to "picnic" in our canoes because there was no area to pull over in the other direction ‍If you can't tell , it was not a good experience. read more

Went today for the first time, 5/5! Friendly service, management was great (Dave). Kayak that I rented was clean and in good shape. Very, very good rates (~$15/hr). Absolutely all positive feelings about this place, I would recommend to anyone. The trip we took was heading left down the river to the Old North Bridge. It took us maybe 45 minutes or so (2 person kayak). Definitely worth it! read more

There is insufficient parking and the entrance is littered with junk, but the boats are sturdy and the water calm, so I did fine canoeing although it was my first time and my companion had only been once before. They rounded down the time to the nearest quarter hour, a pleasant surprise since I was expecting to be charged by full hours. We had trouble approaching the dock and the old man let us pull up elsewhere and rowed the boat around to the proper place for us. read more

Sam, the recent high school grad who willingly took the role of bellhop and babysitter as I tried to load my two 10-year-olds, toddler, and fishing gear into the canoe, is a doll and indispensable to this operation. The crone who tried to take too much of my money and then threw a tantrum when I questioned the charge, added stress and frustration to what was supposed to be a pleasurable jaunt on the Concord River. Give Sam a raise and a glowing letter of reference. Put the crone out to pasture. read more

Ok. I will start with the fact that there aren't other conveniently located canoe/kayak rental places in Concord, so if you want to explore this beautiful and charming area of easy flowing river you will have to bring your own boat or use these guys. The scenery gets five stars, but the company is not responsible for that. Most of the reviews I read on yelp mention that their website doesn't work. I found it in working order, but with incorrect information. The site says that they accept credit cards, which they very much do not! They also don't warn you of this before you go out. Bring cash. Also, the hours are variable and weather dependent. They open when they want, not when they say they will. They also may not be open if there is rain forecast (even if the sun is shining). The place is run down and the hours and attitudes are quite variable. I actually have found on several occasions that the teenagers have more customer service sense than the older manager(?)/owner(?). With them you treat them with respect and they do the same for you, no problem. The equipment is what you would expect for rentals, except the life jackets have seen better days. We bring our own. Most of the time they get you into a boat and onto the water quickly. There is minimal instruction so if you are renting a canoe and have never done it before, YouTube steering instructions first. Kayaks are more intuitive. You can figure that out as you go. In summary: View/setting - fantastic Level of difficulty - easy (if you go upstream first) Quality of equipment - average/adequate Cost - variable (as far as I can tell I have been charged different rates every time I have gone) Payment - CASH ONLY It is somewhat frustrating, but worth renting equipment from these guys in order to get out on the river and enjoy the scenery and wildlife (fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, geese, herons) from a different perspective. Bring drinks and a snack, wear sunscreen, and put everything in a waterproof container. read more

This place is a mess. I have not tried it this year yet but went in October 2013. It seems to run by teens who don't seem to know what is going on. It is such a terrible shame as it would be wonderful if it was kept up and customers could feel like the employees knew what they were doing. It has the opportunity to be truly amazing. read more

very good way to spend a little bit of outdoors time - rates are very reasonable - we kayaked, about an hour and a half w/ 2 rentals for 40 bucks. The concord river is slow and you can go in either direction pretty easily. Next time we're going to go downcurrent first to see the old North bridge. service was mostly hs kids, but our guy gave me a 2 minute instruction on how to kayak (which I've never done before) - neither of us fell out, so it was succesful. definitely will go back there read more