The facilities are run down and there is no customer service qualities (although the kids handing out and collecting life jackets were polite). Buses are driving everywhere without regard to families or small children. Patrons are expected to haul canoes out of the water by themselves. We traded canoes at the 3 mile mark because it had a leak, only to find the 2nd one had a leak too. The busses hauling customers to and from the drop off point were crowded with several people standing. Does not seem safe at all. IDK. We had a nice time on the river with family, but for the amount of money this company makes in one bus load, I'd expect some of that to be put back into the business and enhance safety and customer service features. read more

I'll start out by saying that the float itself was very fun. Sugar Creek was pretty and it was a beautiful day. But I am rating the competency of the rental company, and I wasn't particularly impressed. 1. The website needs to be vastly improved. They could provide a lot of information and photos here and they just don't. 2. There was no rhyme or reason to parking. This was a BEAUTIFUL day, so it was really busy. It would be simple to direct people to certain parking areas and then basically fill up each one systematically so people weren't driving around in the mud and turning around when they can't get through. 3. Check in was VERY unclear. The lines were long and after waiting in one for quite awhile, we were told to move to a different line because we had reservations. Simple ropes and signage would correct this issue. 4. The website indicated that you would lock valuables in your car and leave your keys at the desk. THEY DO NOT TAKE YOUR KEYS, SO PLAN TO TAKE THEM WITH YOU ON THE CREEK. It also indicated that they would provide a trash bag, but they didn't so make sure you have your own. Fortunately, we did. 5. Get there MORE than 30 minutes early on a nice weekend if you have a reservation. We were there close to 50 minutes early and still almost missed the bus we were supposed to be on. 6. The bus rides were scary. These guys are driving too fast through crowds of people and around tight curves with other buses coming at them. They pack the buses--people standing in the aisle from front to back. I hate to image what might happen in an accident--wouldn't be pretty. 7. The equipment is kinda nasty. Good luck finding a tube that is fully inflated and a life vest that might actually fasten. I can't comment on canoes or kayaks. The tubes are in a giant pile and you basically dive in and grab one you think might work while wrestling with everybody else trying to do the same. 8. Getting in the creek wasn't terrible--there was a wooden walkway with stairs down to the launch. Make sure you bring your own rope if you want to tie your tubes together. A leatherman tool or knife would be helpful, too. 9. Getting out of the creek was a terrible experience. You exit the creek after the 3rd bridge. You'll know you are there because of the huge pileup. People are trying to carry their coolers, their life vest, their tubes/kayaks/canoes up a STEEP muddy slope. Staff is there....once you get to the top. Don't count on any help from them. I'm thankful for the other people in my party and for a very kind stranger who helped my special needs kiddo and me get up this slope. There was a VERY drunk 20 something who fell/slid down it FOUR times. She was covered in mud from head to toe and crashed into the people waiting their turn to climb up. I have no clue how people got the canoes/kayaks up. The staff never checked on any of the equipment to make sure we had the right number of tubes--they just sat on the fence and signed our form when we took it back after we threw the tubes in a big pile. Then we got back on the bus again. It was a fun trip because of the company and because we got to enjoy nature. This rental company could totally up their game and make it a better experience for all involved. Get more organized, provide better information on the site and at the point of checkin, and for goodness sake make it safer to exit the creek. read more

The reservation system online is easy to use and I got a confirmation email as they stated I would. You have to pay a 20 dollar deposit to make the reservation, at least I did for the six of us. They called a few days before to let me know the latest they will do the six mile kayak trip is actually 1:30 at this time of year, not 2pm so we had to be there at 1pm. We showed up and checked in. They asked if we would be drinking and we were not. Otherwise, you have to pay a 50 dollar deposit in order to do that. We were not given very clear directions when asked where we finished, there was just a map in front of us. They gave me a receipt we were told to get signed before we came back in order to get my credit card back that they were holding. They announced the loading of the bus and we hopped on. Luckily, the driver gave us a good idea of what we would see and where we would end up. We unloaded to chaos. It is every person for him/herself once you are off the bus. The kayaks and canoes are tossed off the van and you just have to grab one and drag it down a steep hill and hope you don't tumble down. Also, two in our group were stuck with canoe paddles instead of kayak paddles because they somehow didn't have the right amount. These are all sit on top kayaks and they were pretty beat up. Basically, the bare minimum and when you are paying 16 dollars, I guess you shouldn't expect much more than that. Off we went once our whole group had secured kayaks. We had to wait for the second delivery of them in order to leave. It was very crowded, which I guess is to be expected for a Saturday afternoon as the weather was nice too. There were a lot of drunk people as well. One woman was just laying in the water and her friend was trying to help her out, another guy was passed out and his friends had tied his kayak to theirs. Others seemed to be drinking and maintaining. I must be getting old. There was a lady trying to rescue her dog, who was perfectly safe and seemed to be calm as well, on another lady's kayak. The river was low and we got stuck a few times and had to get out and move our kayaks, but it made it part of the adventure. We made our way to the bridge and pulled our kayaks to shore. Alas, we were supposed to carry our kayaks up a flight of stairs. Um, ok? My kayak was heavy and had no cord attached to it to pull it up. Luckily, another random lady helped me carry mine up and we helped each other on the rest of them. I think this is a bit absurd for the every day person to do. We got our paper signed and kept our life jackets as we had to turn them in. Picked up my card and we were on our way back to camp. I did enjoy the kayaking part, not so much the lack of communication and the general "Not my job" attitude the employees gave off. read more

I've used sugar valley canoe trips for many years and on countless occasions. This trip on memorial day weekend 2018 was by far the worst. I can deal with a low creek, too many people, and heat. What i cant deal with are argumentative employees, i made a reservation for the 12 mile 11:00 am trip a week prior online and confirmed with a person on the phone finally. You're supposed to be there at 10:30 for this trip, due to 1000's of people being there, parking was at a premium and the line was a mile long we didn't get to the window to check in until 10:45. When we got to the window we were told we missed our time frame and the bus had already left, trip was supposed to start at 11. What happened was they had overbooked and we got bumped to a 6 mile trip. I told them that was ridiculous, whats the point of a reservation and all they could do was blame me. They were to the point where they were going to ask us to leave if we didn't comply with their orders. Unfortunately we had to comply otherwise we would have been sent home. I would recommend going anywhere else, even though this place is cheap. read more

They gave me a kayak that leaked and took in water my whole trip. Ended up pulling it behind a canoe and went 3 deep in a canoe. Pulled up to where we get off and the guys saw it and emptied it out agreeing they needed to trash it. Since I didn't use it and paid $16 I figured they would refund me or some at least. But they got an attitude instantly. Also another customer was up there for the same reason and they also essentially told us too bad so sad. I used to come to here often. This was my 3rd trip there this summer and I'll be looking elsewhere for rentals and runs from now on. So I gave them money for no services. read more

A-HOLE slashed my shuttle bike tires! DO NOT RENT HERE. This loser is all about money. I planned to kayak from the Narrows and take out at Jackson bridge. Apparently, the developed landing there is private land, however, there was not a single sign to support that...not on the road, the property, or anything visible from the creek. So, I locked my shuttle bike and went on to kayak (my own boat). When I got off, I was informed I am on private land- I apologized and went to take out on the other side of the bridge (undeveloped side). I informed the owner I was unaware and asked if it was permissible to retrieve my bike I locked up there earlier (as I had the area for part of DNR/State park). With a smirk on his face, he allowed it... only for me to learn of the slashed tires. Beyond the fact that is illegal... I feel that is a total pr*ck redneck move. I believe he was after few more bucks for livery... well... rather than giving a penny (while in distress - end of Oct... it was getting cold real fast from 60s to upper 40s with rain in Fx) and night coming soon... I chose to hike the 7 miles back in my wet water shoes instead...no way I would give this pr*ck a single penny. If you care about people... DON'T GIVE THIS A hole YOUR BUSINESS, he has no respect for you... just your wallet. There is many more outfitters who will gladly help you in the area. read more

Spoke with a friendly gal on the phone who said they didn't accept same-day reservations, but she encouraged us to show up and they would do all they could to find a spot for us that afternoon. The folks at the counter were super nice. Wait time was shorter than expected, they got us on the water twenty minutes ahead of schedule. Paid for what they said was a 2.5 to 3.5 hour trip, and we were out for a total of one hour and 25 minutes. I know the water was up a touch, but the whole thing felt disappointingly quick. Checkout was speedy and efficient once we got back. Sadly and surprisingly, nothing seemed to have been done regarding the pandemic situation. Masks were required but not enforced during transport to and from the creek, no social distancing - they packed the bus full. When we got to our drop-off point, they handed boats off to us that people had *just* gotten out of - no disinfecting of canoes or paddles and I don't know what would've happened if we had challenged them on that. Fortunately, we brought our own Clorox wipes. I know you take on a certain amount of risk when making the choice to do things outside the house these days, but I expected more support from the business to keep patrons healthy when they try to do a socially-distant recreational activity. read more

Having tried both companies in this region for kayak trips on Sugar Creek, Sugar Valley wins hands down. They're the most organized and efficient, getting you in and out quickly and with little fuss. Their vests are a bit tired, and sometimes you get a kayak with a little leak in it, but compared to getting down to the creek and not having enough of what you paid for (like the other place) those are minor inconveniences. The price is great, and makes for a really nice family-friendly day. read more

On the plus side, the canoe/kayak float itself was great. But they don't have any control over the water in the creek. Then there is the down side, rude employees, zero customer service skills, muddy nasty old dilapidated school bus to ride in, muddy area where you are supposed to wash the mud off your feet, at the end made us carry our own heavy fiberglass canoes up the slippery hill, the canoes were cracked and a bit busted up, the first kayak I tried to pick out was missing the drain plug, the bus driver was actually driving away after I was on and told him that "those 2 are with us", ... Then all the drunk, rude, idiots that you have to deal with; in the parking lot, on the bus, on the river. If the cops wanted to make a LOT of money they should put up a DUI check around the bend from the parking lot. We had fun, the kids had a great time, but the people (employees) suck, and if they actually gave even half a damn the experience would be a lot bletter. read more

I went to tube the other day, and I had a great time tubing and the owner is a sweetheart. But, I had the absolute worst experience with the employees working. We got off the tubes and you are suppose to get your paper signed for damages etc. the boys working down there just sit and don't say one word to you. They also insulted my friend who is literally 4'11 and a girl and she was by her self. We were so mistreated and we tried to explain our side to the ladies at the desk. They treated us in a very disrespectful way and said we were in the wrong. Then continued to tell us our complaints were not correct and kept attacking us with words. Also continued to tell us that the costumers weren't right and we should have "listened." I've worked in costumer service for 5 years and you absolutely with out a doubt don't tell them they are wrong. I hope for the best with this company but they need new employees. read more

We did the 3 mile and it was perfect. We had 3 hours to complete and it was enough time. Very crowded. Make reservations before you go.

I can appreciate efficiency and buses leaving on the dot, but if you're going to be strict about that you better be efficient everywhere else. The check-in process was disorganized, the lifejacket area was a complete cluster, and when we tried to get on the bus, the man (who apparently was in charge) quite literally moved my son away from the bus and used his forearm to push me away from it, yelling something about it being full and needing to go, while my 3 yr old was on the steps of the bus! I firmly told him to not physically push us away from the bus and the driver was trying to tell him that was my child on it. When my husband got back over to us I was crying (which was awful and a first in front of my kids) and the guy came back over to yell some more about us not checking in until 11:27 (we got there at 11), how inconsiderate we were, and threatening to not even let us go. He at one point apologized for putting his hands on us and then said, "oh you'd know if I pushed you." My husband finally had to yell at him to stop talking to us (if you knew my husband you would not believe for a second that he yelled because no one has ever heard him yell). I told my kids to grab my hands because we were crossing the path where the buses drive and the guy turns back around to say, "there we go. There's some responsible parenting." WHAT. ON. EARTH. I have never, ever had a problem with someone in a customer service capacity. I'm the person who flipping apologizes when someone else runs into me for crying out loud. It was just ludicrous the way he treated us and I wish there was more I could do about it than just an online review. read more

Terrible experience. Bad service , rude owner, old equipment dirty restrooms. Old facilities . I would not recommend

We (a group of 6) were actually referred here by Clements Canoes because they said "all their tubing shuttles were full." We jumped in line (though relatively long) and when our turn came, explained we had a group of six people with all our own gear to go tubing and just needed a shuttle to get to the launch point. They said that's fine and put us on the next shuttle available shuttle at 1:30 (45 minutes away). We had out group sign our waiver and head to the life jacket station about 15 minutes prior to our shuttle arriving. We grabbed our life jackets and all the stuff. We wanted to bring. When our shuttle arrived, we loaded our gear onto the bus with no problem. In total (including our group) there were only about 12 people on our bus. The bus ride was quick, and when we got there, the bus driver explained everything to us and some simple minor rules and preventative measures for river safety. We waited to get to the launch point to blow up our tubes and tie our tubes together. We walked down to the launch point and pushed off. While on the river, we met some really awesome fellow river folk. It was a little crowded but we enjoyed our trip thoroughly. Everyone had a blast. When it came time to get out, we were sad to leave but unloaded our stuff, deflated our tubes rolled them back up and got a loft back up the road to where we parked. We got our $50 deposit back (which is mandatory if you bring alcohol) rather quickly and painlessly and were on our way. Best first tubing experience ever. Will return. read more

My husband, sister and I were here over 4th of July weekend. We came on the 4th and were there just before 3. We got signed in no problem. The bus ride to the creek was a little scary, but the area is very hilly and you are on an old school bus. We were given directions in what to do and got going no problems. We chose the 3 mile. It was lovely scenery. I will admit the gear had seen better days, but nice overall. At then end of the trek you dock and have to drag yourself and your gear up a very steep muddy hill. The young men at the end loading the gear and "helping" are NO HELP. The next day we took our son (who is 4) on a canoe trip. We chose the 6 mile for this trip. We were dropped off at the same pickup the day before. The scenery was not as good and it was more dangerous. Trees have fallen into the river blocking some areas. We were not told this at check in, but before we unloaded the bus on site. The exit this time had a roller for the gear and nice stairs. The bus ride back however was packed and had people standing in the aisle. The bus was also hauling canoes. As a former bus driver, not sure this would be an ideal situation. read more

I think the secret to having a good trip here is to go on a Sunday instead of Saturday! Much more peaceful, no long waits. We didn't need a reservation this time and did the 12 mile (mistake, my arms were falling off for 3 days afterwards). It's really a lovely trip and they are dog-friendly too if you're into that. read more

Not a bad place. Came here for a company picnic so we didn't have to pay. We went on the 3 mile canoe trip with a 16yr, 6, & 5 year old & they did fine. They have lifejackets for all. The only thing is you got to bring your canoe up a small hill at the end. read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!! AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! I am giving this place 0 stars. We had an awful experience! Staff was very rude to us. I have never experienced a rude staff like this. When we finished our 10 mile float, the staff of several young men stood at the top of a stair case and watched while my wife and I along with several young children dragged our canoes to the top of the stairs. They said it "wasn't their job" to help us. I have canoed several places and I can tell you I was shocked. When we confronted them about it they made snarky remarks and the bus driver said that she would leave us there if we said anything else. When we returned back to the main building, I was denied my $50.00 deposit because we were late getting back for pick up "even though the guide told us that we would have plenty of time to swim and relax". Worst experience ever. We will definitely be taking our business elsewhere when we return and I suggest you do the same. read more

I WILL NEVER BE BACK TO THIS PLACE. Was with a group taking the shortest canoe trip, 3 miles. The bus driver told us our trip would take about 3 hours with the current and we should get off at a point past a bridge. After about 45 minutes, we reached a point past a bridge where people were dropping more boats INTO the water, but no one was getting out. We determined this could not be our point because he said it would take about 3 hours (which seemed reasonable considering the price we paid and the time we took to drive out here - no one wants to do a 45 minute canoe trip). SO, we kept going. As it turns out there are no other stops until the TEN MILE stop. In addition to this, we had an accident while on the water where a canoe flipped and got stuck in a tree that was in a very deep area of water with rapid current surrounding it. One member of our group became trapped and could not get her footing right to get out; the other person in her boat ended up pulling her up out of the water She was very shaken up by the incident and chose to not continue. A few of the rest of us went into the tree to get the boat, oars, life jackets, etc. in order to still get our $50 deposit back for the use of their supplies. (**side note: our group of 12 had 12 life jackets - only ONE of the jackets had a strap on it to make it actually able to be used.) After waiting for emergency assistance for the girl in our group, and then digging out the canoe and other things that had gotten left, we got back to the main hub much later than planned, but we were with the last group back that day. We explained the situation expecting a sense of understanding and sympathy. We were told that we were NOT getting the deposit back and that we "obviously can't follow simple directions" , even after retrieving all of their equipment from the tree and rapids. The people who work here are totally careless. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Two stars are only for the scenery. I can't believe the rudeness of the staff, especially the blond haired stocky bus driver lady who is the most unprofessional person there I think. She's a Nazi. I get that no glass bottles are allowed, and that you feel you must check coolers. But put on some rubber gloves for crying out loud. I watched her unhook the canoe trailers before digging DEEP through people's coolers with her grubby dirty hands. She loves to yell at people. It's one thing to yell to get people's attention and honk your bus horn, but to be rude about it is useless. We're paying customers who pay your salary to go kayaking on a creek that you don't own. And, charge the same fee for brining a personal kayak as they do for their kayaks (mine was missing a drain plug, great fun). The window staff were rude too. The only reason this place does so well is they have no serious competition. Clements Canoes is nearby. Will likely give them my business next time. read more

I've been going here every summer for about 8 years. GREAT place. It's cheap, family operated, and the owner is always relaxed and friendly. They load and unload the kayaks and canoes for you and pick you up in a timely manner. Yeah, the van might be grimy with sand, but Sugar Creek is beautiful and they make it so easy to get out on the water. read more

This business favors quantity over quality. Terrible customer service. If you want to feel like a cow in an assembly line, by all means proceed. You'll be yelled at, herded, get fingers in your face, and told not to complain and to just sit and wait on the bus with the rest of the cows. Please, somebody, this is a lovely creek and deserves a decent outfitter. Sugar Valley ain't the one though. read more

0 STARS! To be fair, I'll start by saying that our group of 8 did not use this business for floating. We had reservations to float with them, but after encountering the employees on a day prior to our scheduled float, and having one of them call my husband a "dumbass", we cancelled. We were floating independently and ended at the same location on Cox Ford Road covered bridge where employees from sugar valley were picking up. There is a parking lot here that has 30 minute and permit parking. The men from our party walked to our campsite to get our vehicle to return to the parking lot and pick up the women and our tubes and coolers. When they returned, one 20-something was bossing our guys around as to where to park. We were trying to park at the 30 minute parking, as we did not have a permit. This is when a tall, thin, 20-something shouted "you need a permit, dumbass". I do not know if Sugar Valley has a permit (they are obtained through the state park office and are good for 48 hours). They are also there for more than 30 minutes and block many other parking spaces with their buses and equipment. Words were exchanged and we left. The following day we called to cancel our reservation, no one answered, so we left a message. No one returned our call. The men went to the office and talked to another young guy and told him what happened and he said he'd talk to the other guy. We were not convinced, as we later saw the employees all hanging out together at another local business. In conclusion, maybe the owners should do a better job of hiring employees with enough common sense to not call potential customers names, and supervising those employees! read more

When we first arrived there are no signs telling you where to check in. We missed almost missed loading on the bus because the driver calls out just once, and if your standing in the wrong spot you can't hear him. We waited for the bus to arrive to take us to the creek. Once we got to the creek it was unorganized and difficult to try and get a canoe into the water. You launch yourself and your expected to drag your canoe/Kayak to the river down a hill from the parking lot by yourself. We were given vague directions as to where to stop and there was one water hazard that was casually mentioned. We personally witnessed one instance where a family got tangled up in a turn that the "driver" mentioned. yet no other warnings before of this. This was a tragedy in the making. Once you got out of the creek they made you carry the canoes up a set of stairs. These stairs are covered in mud and often wet. read more

We did the 3 hour trip through Turkey Run State Park. The canoes and kayaks were filthy and the staff at the put in were completely indifferent. The buses we're also disgustingly filthy. It was cheap, but gross. I'm sure the creek was more pee than water, too, given all the drinking and drunken tubers and boaters. Avoid this experience if at all possible. read more

This place is not for kids... we loaded up on the bus to the drop off got our canoes which was a very muddy on a steep hill the workers did help us we had 3 kids they were very nice...we did the 6 mile and had a ball the kids loved it at the end our pick up point there were huge rocks in the water and you can't see them and the mud was insane so trying to get over the rocks and not letting your feet sink from the mud was a challenge you would think they would make it easy getting in and out...We get in line and wait in line for the bus people are falling over drunk I actually offered a couple of people water.The language was horrible and the workers didn't say one word about it and just let it continue on we get on the bus which was paced people standing... driver let the drunk people have the intercom on the bus and the language was out of control our 5 year old and 7 year old twins had to listen to a lot of vulgar language the driver was accepting beer from the passengers ( he wasn't drinking it to my knowledge). but he was driving very fast and turning the corners at high speeds then he he hit a street sign because he didn't close the doors and the doors glass shattered it didn't break away thank God... this place the only thing they have to do is rent the equipment and drop off and pick up everything was great except for there service parents be aware not something you want your kids to see.... read more

This place was a joke terrible customer service and wanted nothing more than to get us on the river so they could go sit back down and do nothing. They have no knowledge of the river conditions. I was told that the trip that took us 9 hours could be done in five. Also charged me for being 2 hours late and charged me 50$ for them to pick some one else's trash up when we clearly had our trash in bags. I would not recommend anyone to go here drive an extra hour and go to Missouri terrible terrible place to have fun read more

We made reservations and understand that it was a busy weekend for canoeing. We waited in line and had each person pay and asked the person filling out our paper work if we were all set and he said yup you are all paid and signed in just wait to side and we will call you when ready. So we did and then another person came over and said we didn't pay enough. So we started talkin and it turns out the person who did our paper work didn't mark all of us down and as this is happening the owner comes over and starts yelling at us saying we were irresponsible and calling out my wife personally because reservation was in her name. He said we were taking advantage of the kid signing us in cause he was 15 and was first day he then yelled at another person in our party who was explaining what happened and made a pregnant women in our group cry cause he yelled at her too. We ended up over paying in the end cause he said he wasn't even going to take us to the drop off unless we paid because they screwed up. We had used this place for 6 years and now NEVER again and hope others read and don't either until the owners son takes over. Look out for the old man owner. read more

I would give this place ZERO stars. We drove two hours to get here for my dad's birthday and he pulled up to drop us off. An older man with long white hair came out and started yelling and cussing at us because we were "in the way" even though we were not and multiple cars went before us and did the same thing. We told him we would just leave because we couldn't believe how we were being treated. He then proceeded to call us f*ckers and got in my dad's face and pretended to shoot him over and over. When we tried to drive away he stood in front of our car dancing and taunting us saying "bye bye" over and over and laughing at us. I can't even make this up. I have never been treated so poorly by a business and can't believe the level of immaturity this "owner" had. When I wrote on their Facebook page to let them know what happened they blocked me and deleted the comment. The WORST customer service I have ever dealt with. DO NOT GO HERE! read more

Seriously DO NOT EVER go here if you don't want to be treated terribly. We got there and had to leave within three minutes, LITERALLY THREE MINUTES is all it took, just because my dad dropped us off at the door. This old long haired man wearing a Hawaiin shirt, who claims he is the owner (we called and he is not) cussed all of us out, kicked us all out, called us f*ckers and danced around like a complete idiot saying "bye bye!!!" over and over. Got in my dads face and taunted him, asking to get his ass beat. That guy was looking for trouble. So WATCH OUT for him if you do decide to waste your money there because he'll ruin your day and kick you out for no reason. Go to the place across the street. The best thing they could do for this place is to fire that piece of crap. I've never been treated so terribly by a "business owner." Oh and we wrote reviews on their Facebook page and they deleted them and blocked us. Very unprofessional and can't take any kind of criticism clearly. This place is a joke. read more

I wish i could give this zero stars but since I have to give one I will. My husband and I and about 12 of our friends and 2 kids decided to use sugar valley canoes to spend the day floating down the river. What was supposed to take less than 3 hours turned into an 8 hour nightmare. After about a mile and a half our group split up. The river was so low a mile and a half in that you had to walk your tubes down the river. Which meant stepping on very sharp rocks. It was so low that my friends 4 year old couldn't even float down the river. My husband and I aren't small people so the rocks hurt very badly. We had our sandals with us thank God, but then the worst thing happened. My husbands sandal broke. He could barely walk. We had friends trying to drag him but like I said, a 4 year old couldn't float let alone him. ( they did not warn us either that we'd have to walk half of our trip) For an hour we didn't see anyone we were all alone on this river. The sun was setting we had some friends w us and their 4 year old, our other friends had the snacks so we had no food either for my friends son. There was no way an emergency vehicle could even get to us if we needed it. We even attempted to call 911, to see if they could pin point us and tell us how far we had to go but no cell service. We found some rope and tied my husbands shoes somewhat back together. Two of his buddies even hiked up a hill to see if they could see any civilization nothing.... we kept trucking along scared and exhausted. Finally we spotted one of our buddies who lost us earlier on he came back down and found us. The sugar valley canoe people came with only to get their tubes back. They did not say one word to us or ask us how we were. They didn't even give us a ride back we had to pile into our friends truck. If our friends didn't separate from us sugar valley canoe would of just left us down there. There are no signs to tell you how much further you have or where to get off at. If someone had of gotten hurt, and didn't have friends to let other people know, they would probably be stuck down there all night until the next group went out the next day. None of us will ever ever ever be back and will tell anyone and everyone how awful this place is. read more

Cannot express enough what a bad experience myself, my wife and my daughter had. Wish we had been getting cellphone reception at the time to help us figure out which local canoe/kayak company was the best, because based on all the other negative reviews, a lot of people had a similar, day ruining experience. If you go on a good day, where conditions on the creek are decent you might find yourself having a good time? That's if you have the most minimum of contact with the staff and hopefully don't interact with the burnout old racist that's been running the place for "47 years". After complaining about the water levels (which were around six inches deep nearly everywhere) I was insulted by him, called a couch potato and clueless. I'm an experienced kayaker and have worked for grand Teton National Park as a river guide. I've traveled all over the country and done loads of white water trips. My point is that they shouldn't rent out canoes for three people and a dog if the experience was going to not be enjoyable at all due to low water levels. Don't ever use this service unless you want to be talked down to by completely "clueless" 19 year olds and a name calling little old man. There certainly be be no refund no matter how bad your time is. READ THE OTHER REVIEWS. Any positive review is clearly fake and created by the staff. They'd rent you a canoe if the creek was bone dry. read more

I have been canoeing Sugar Creek regularly for over 40 years using a few different canoe rentals. I had my worst experience ever with Sugar Valley Canoe Trips. I found them to be extremely unprofessional, thoroughly disorganized, and rude to boot. I recommend they be used only as a last resort, or better yet, make different plans! read more

Rented canoe's from them a few times now with no complaints. Stayed the weekend in one of there cabins and had a great time for the buck, we'll be coming back there again. read more

A group of us have camped and canoed here for the last 5 years and this year will be our last. This is the 2nd year in a row that our camp reservations were not correct which made us choose a nearby campground. I was over charged for 2 canoes this year because the young kids working will allow anyone to add a canoe to your reservation without contacting you to make sure it is ok, making it a group. This means that even if you did not request extra canoes and they get put under your name, you will be paying $5.00 per canoe to cancel even if you only reserved 2 canoes yourself. I tried to explain to the girl that I had only reserved 2 canoes and she didn't care, but gladly took the $10.00 for cancel fees on the other 2 canoes that I didn't book. The hippie bus driver (the owner), then accused one of our group members of trying to sneak on the bus without paying. After our member tried to explain that it was a misunderstanding, the owner got rude and hateful. He demanded that a girl in our group apologize for asking if she could ride another bus and refused to transport any passengers until she said "I'm sorry!" With his finger in her face. She told him that she had not done anything and was not going to apologize. He accused our group members of being drunks when no one in our group had been drinking at 9:00am. One of the girls with us told him she had not been drinking, that she was pregnant and the owner proceeded to tell her that she needed to get off of his bus because pregnant girls couldn't canoe WHICH IS A LIE! There were multiple pregnant women canoeing while we were there but 3 of our group members were kicked off the bus, didn't get all of their money returned to them, and were treated VERY disrespectfully. Horrible customer service, over charged, unorganized, rude, and so very disrespectful!!! Don't waste your time! read more

Had an awful experience after being faithful customers for several years. Paid our deposit to bring some beers with us and were rudely informed that our inflatable coolers couldn't be brought on the bus. So we appointed two people to drive them down to the launch site. As the other 15 of us sat on our tubes for a maximum of 10 minutes, a man told us that our friends weren't coming. Which was a lie. After five minutes of trying to nicely get an explanation from this man we were still confused as to what was going on. Five minute later he comes back and tells us we all are kicked out and must leave. We had done nothing wrong, as we were simply sitting on our tubes waiting for the rest of our group. We still are unsure what the issue was since no one was competent enough to explain it to us. If we broke a rule, that's fine, I get it. But point is, we did nothing wrong and took all precautions to follow the rules. Be cautious when coming here, they seem to have hidden rules that they only enforce when they choose to. For the record, we were all sober, all of age, and had 3 designated drivers for each vehicle we brought. Overall I am extremely disappointed with the manner in which we were treated, and will unfortunately have to find a new facility to visit. read more

We made reservations for a 15 mile canoe trip, the 3 mile tube float trip, and 4 nights in their cabins. Overall we had a great experience. We had no problems with rudeness as others have mentioned. We followed rules and instructions and everything was fine. Actually, we decided to take out at the 12 mile point while on our 15 mile canoe trip (kids were getting very tired). When we returned, not only did they give us our deposit back, but refunded us the difference from the 15 mile fee to the 12 mile fee. I really did not expect that. The food at the grill is great, we ate there twice during our stay. You cannot beat the price of the cabins at Sugar Valley; the cabin we were in is older and a bit run down, but I didn't expect it to be new either. The only down side was that the shower house was run down and too dirty for my liking, but we made it work and like I said had a great time. Thanks to Sugar Valley Canoe for a great 4 day adventure! read more

This is the first review I have ever written... normally even if I have horrible service I don't go out of my way to write a review because I'm so busy. However, I was so upset about the way I was treated with Sugar Valley Canoes that I had to write this so that no human will ever be treated in such a horrific manner again. First off, I was planning a large canoe trip so I decided to go with Sugar Valley because it was the more cost effective option. Everything was fine and dandy until our bus guide told us the wrong bridge to get off on at the end of our trip. Most of us got off at the right one just because we were tired but some of our party was lost because they were in search of a non-existent third red bridge. The majority of us who got off at the correct bridge were treated very poorly by the employees sent to pick us up. Two 20 something year old guys sat on a fence and watched as our group tried to pull canoes up a insanely steep hill. I asked the young men if they could help as most of us were girls and they said it wasn't part of their job. I thought it was odd, but kept pulling canoes up the hill. (Now, I know that these young men actually just wanted to watch young girls carry canoes up a hill in swimsuits because a few in our group heard the boys talking about it). Then, two boys from Clements canoes helped us carry up the last few canoes even though we didn't use there company they helped out of the kindness of their hearts, so I tipped them. Once we arrived back to our cars I wanted to clear up the confusion with the manager/owner. I approached him and asked if they normally help people carry the canoes or if that was a personal responsibility (I really didn't mind carrying them but after we heard the swimsuit comments I was kind of curious about the policy). He said that we just had to ask for help. I told him that when we asked the boys for help they told us that wasn't part of there job. While this conversation was going on, one of the boys over heard me and yelled, "She's a f$%king liar." Then the manager told me that I was stupid for tipping the other boys and maybe next time I should take Clements Canoes. Then to top it off they didn't care to help us find the lost parts of our group, but told us there was a cliff drop off eventually so we better figure something out. I ended up calling DNR because I didn't know what else to do. They not only helped find our friends, but also confirmed that Sugar Valley has a really bad reputation for customer service and adding hidden charges to your credit card after you leave. So, next time I decide to take a 22 people canoeing and spend money I will spend the extra $3 per person and take Turkey Run or Clements Canoes. As for now I guess I will wait to see if they try to charge me even more money. I am just in shock and kind of ranting, but it was one of the rudest customer service experiences of my life. read more