Beautiful drive east from Springfield led to a WONDERFUL late morning/early afternoon on the water!!! We got VERY lucky and threatening storms didn't hit 'til after we were done!! Easy in, easy out, friendly staff, and the kayaks, canoes, paddles, life jackets, etc. were all in great condition!! No stinky, musty, OLD stuff, I appreciated Trapper John's well-taken care of supplies!! Smooooth "sailing" along Darby Creek, except for a few VERY low sections, where you might have to get out and PUSH... Fine for beginners, though you might want to have a BIT of experience before you got solo. I've kayaked before, though I'm no expert, and this was relaxing, scenic, and lots of fun. Only wish we had gone farther than just the simpler route... Reasonable rates, group discounts, hope to return again SOON!! read more

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I own 2 kayaks. To use their shuttle, meaning you load your own kayaks on their shuttle and are dropped off and picked up like everyone else (not having to figure out the car drop off pick up situation). They charged $40 bucks!!!! Same price to rent their kayaks! This is pretty shitty. A couple years ago they charged me $8 bucks to load up my kayak. Not a smart business move. They were also rude about delivering this info. read more

Good most of the time I guess but I called two days ago asking what time I should be there and I was told 3:10. So I get there today 3:05 and I'm told the last people went out 3:00! Extremely disappointed this has ruined my entire week read more

Absolutely recommend this place for kayaking, Their service is excellent and their prices are reasonable. Went on a 6 mile river kayaking which was absolutely splendid. Do recommend taking sandwiches and refreshments on a small cooler. The 6 miles was equivalent to plus 4 hours as we were drifting most of the time. read more

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I had the time of my life here! This is a great bonding experience. The staff was great. Being on the water was fun. I will definitely be back. read more

I've been to Trapper John's a few times in the past, and I know it's a great spot. I'd consider Big Darby Creek one of the most exciting trips to kayak or canoe after it rains that we have within an hour of Columbus that I'm aware of. Place is pretty nice with a good sized parking lot (there's even food trucks here occasionally) staff is informative & friendly, and the directions are clear (if you catch yourself asking "where to now?", stick to the left). Distance is measured by the bridges; I think on the Sampler Trip you pass 2 bridges, and on the Lower Trip you pass 6. MAKE RESERVATIONS, unless you do the Sampler or the Lower Trip, those are First Come First Serve. As I mentioned above, I believe this is one of the most exciting & fun trips because when the water is high, there's a lot of areas that are Mario Kart speed boosts that will send you flying. However, when the water is low, you will have to paddle yourself majority of the time, and you will get stuck in shallow areas which is really frustrating. You will need to get out & push yourself out, which sucks but gotta do what you gotta do to keep moving. Keep an eye out on weather & water levels on their website, best time to go is a few days after it has rained and there's a good amount of water on the creek. Water levels are out of Trapper John's control obviously, so it's up to you to research or ask the staff. read more

The experience was GREAT!!!!!! I am definitely going back just wish we knew to make reservations. From the site we were under the impression it was first come first serve. But the staff was very nice And accommodating. read more

Trapper John's Canoe Livery - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Grove City, Ohio

The employees are super nice and very helpful. We love to go here. Me and my dad go here every year. We bring our own kayaks and we get a season pass. We've never had a bad experience here. We especially love the dog days. read more

Trapper John's Canoe Livery - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Grove City, Ohio

Always had a great time. When ever we went never had a problem even when busy never an issue.

Very fun and great time! Nice staff and gets you in the water quick. Not very crowded most of the time so you don't have to worry about being rushed or other things. read more

Incredibly rude staff. I watched two of their employees (one of them I believe was the owner) yell insults at a pair of older gentlemen for bringing a dog, until the guys drove off. The customers weren't rude, and didn't make a scene, but the employees instantaneously became hostile and openly disrespectful. I don't think I've seen a worse example customer service at any business, in my entire life. Go to Mohican or Hocking, but avoid this place like the plague. read more

Looking for a fun summer activity? Trapper John's is the place to go! Choose between kayaking or canoeing, and then pick your adventure. I ended up choosing a canoe and the 4 hour trip down river. We couldn't have picked a more perfect day. Even though it was the end of summer there had been many days with hard rains leading up to the trip. The water was high enough that you didn't have to get out of the boat and walk downstream but calm enough there weren't too many rapids. The creek is well marked with the stopping points to get picked up. When you reach the stopping point a van will come and get you. It was a bit nerve wracking at first because you are trying to pick which adventure to go on. Then you walk to a smaller "cabin/shed" and they take your photo id and get you a life jacket and oars. Then they give you about a minutes worth of instructions and you are on your way. I was like, "That's it? We are approved to get on the water?" Yup, that is all it took. Once you are on the creek the speed is up to you. You can paddle hard and get through it, or you can relax and enjoy the scenery. We got done with the 4 hour ride in about 2.75 hours. We were a bit ambitious in our paddling. We started off early in the afternoon, by the time we got back Trapper John's was bustling with people getting ready to go down the creek. They had a live musician and the place was a hive of activity. This was definitely a fun summer staycation activity! read more

There's one power hungry guy involved in the operation that is arbitrarily deciding the backpack rules. We went there in a large group and he gave some of us trouble about bringing coolers. Unfortunately, he decided he had a vendetta against my friend and he got singled out and told he had to leave the property, separating him from our whole group, for bringing a cooler. The rest of us carried on the exact same sized coolers with zero problems. We met plenty of people on the river who had carried on coolers/backpacks as well with no problem. The guy has no rhyme or reason, just hope he doesn't dislike the way you look/act. We had no problems with any other staff members. The lady checking in names wasn't the most COVID aware but one could easily keep their distance. There are other places, I highly recommend you choose somewhere else. read more

I don't know about everyone else but I had a great time. I went towards the end of summer/Fall timeframe. Rolled in, got a kayak, picked up some snacks and off we went. There was hardly anyone on the river, but it was also a Tuesday.. Maybe they were slow / maybe not, but they went above and beyond. My only complaint was that the river was LOW. They did warn me of the patches. Had to get out more than once to pull my kayak. I will say I really enjoyed the river all together. The path was good and super interesting. I was by myself and didn't feel unsafe or anything. I did run into a few packs of people but nothing like the party at Mohican river. I will definitely go again this summer when the river is full! read more

Went with a group of 4 teenagers, none of whom had ever kayaked or canoed. I called ahead of time & the person who answered was very polite and professional. When we arrived, every staff member we encountered was helpful and patient, despite the craziness of the kids. The guy running the shed where we picked up the paddles and jackets was so nice! When we arrived at the end, the van was there waiting and the guy picking us up was nice as well. Definitely recommend! read more

Trapper John's Canoe Livery - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Grove City, Ohio

Due to COVID19, season started extremely Late this year --last weekend of May when they usually start at end of March. This is a family owned livery. The owner John is so incredibly nice and his staff are so friendly and helpful. Definitely call ahead and make reservations. They seem to be booked a few weekends in advance but are open during the week. They have single person kayaks, canoes and extra large canoe (I fit 3 kids plus myself in a extra large canoe ) A few different options available. Really just depends if you want a quick trip (1-2) hours or a longer trip which is about 6 miles and takes 3-4 hours --of course if you like to stop and swim a bunch it will take longer. All rentals must be off the water by 6pm. They do offer season passes as well as ability to launch if you're bringing your own (with a small fee ) There are some good fast currents. Deep and shallow water. read more

I would highly recommend! Took our grandkids for the short trip and and a great time. Pleased with staff and facilities!

Not too bad of a place. I didn't have any issues with the staff. The water was pretty low so we had to get out a couple times and push. This is out of their control, obviously. There are NO mile markers on the river. read more

Trapper John's Canoe Livery - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Grove City, Ohio

The staff is so helpful and friendly. We've been 3 times and had the same level of service. I had my little one with me, my hands where full with her paddle, life jacket and lunch. The driver carried my kayak to the water's edge. The was so thoughtful and made such a difference. Thank you read more

Trapper John's Canoe Livery - Mommy daughter day - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Grove City, Ohio

The staff members are all so very friendly! It was a pleasure to send our morning on the Big Darby. I would highly recommend Trapper John's

Today was such a fun experience with Kayaking. This is our normal place we want to venture to when we want to try something different. The location is in Grove City, and they have their own parking. We did the sampler trip which can range from 1 to 2 hours. The cost was 21.50 so it was very cheap. They have multiple trip options, but they will warn you if there is low water pressure. Very relaxing environment, and they will drive you back to the beginning point once you are done. read more

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I was visiting friends from out of town and they brought me here. The guy at the counter was very nice and informative. They held on to our keys and anything we wanted to keep safe while on our trip. We got on a bus and went to the put-in. The nice gentleman took our kayaks down to the water for us and pushed us out, making sure we were taken care of. The river ride was amazing and soooo relaxing!!! So much nature...birds, turtles, snakes (small harmless ones, don't worry). We really enjoyed about 4 hours on the water and would have gone longer but we were getting some sunburn. I highly recommend for couples, friends, groups! Super fun!!! And very nice staff. Thank you! read more

Management is rude and unreasonable. Manager demanded to search our bags and coolers in order for us to get on the river. When I refused the unnecessary search he told to just leave and cancelled my reservation. I told him he was being absurd, and,i kid you not, the manager (the hardo with a leg tattoo) threatened to punch me in the face. Completely unreal. But it doesn't end there... I leave trapper joes and go to the public shore which right across the street and this lunatic follows me in his car over there and starts threatening to call the cops if I don't leave, even though I'm no longer on trapper joes property and I hadn't drank any alcohol. The guy stands behind me for over thirty minutes while I sit on the river's edge. Not sure if he's lashing out because he has early onset ED or maybe he's just a prick, but in either case he needs professional help as soon as possible. Save yourself time, money, and frustration and do not go to this place read more

I've taken a group to Trapper John's for twilight private charters 3 years in a row, and Jason and the staff have been great every time! We look forward to going every summer! read more

Went to Kayak with a few friends, got harassed by an employee the second we got in the water. If you're looking for a drama free experience do not go here. I will definitely not be returning. read more

Very nice and helpful but we nearly died and witnessed two other deaths at a hefty tree. They took a while to help us so we ended up pulling the canoe out ourselves. It was a nice trail but kind of dangerous. So be cautious. Workers are pretty fine tho read more

Terrible terrible terrible customer service. They act like they own the water... news flash: they don't. End of story. Check it out, all you have to do is put in right across the water from them and you don't pay anything. Just bring 2 cars or just have a friend pick you up and take you back to your car... much less of a hassle. Trapper johns is constantly busy and disorganized. Last week I came down and they treated me like crap, I left immediately and was going to give them another chance soon. However, today, I decided I didn't want to pay again so of course they were angry at me for doing so. Of course Jason, the owner hires a bunch of kids who only choose to act immature and taunt people yelling words of discrimination and hate.... just because. No reason at all. Grow up. I'll never be back. It's so much easier to kayak at other places, so just save yourself the headache :) read more

Not the best place to go... the manager was a jerk- told us he was refunding everyone, then couldn't find one of our refunds because the dumb girl behind the counter didn't give him a receipt and told him it was already on his phone because she had him mobile pay. Didn't give him a voucher to come back since they couldn't find the refund just sent them away, definitely go elsewhere!!! Although there were a couple younger workers who were nice enough to recommend a better place, only good thing about our experience. read more

Literally the worst. Said our cooler was too big so no big deal we put our drinks in our backpacks. Didn't believe me when I said my daughter was old enough (6) so the employee proceeded to ask my child how old she was... she's 6. Go on inside and after paying the employee said that we couldn't take our backpacks. Like are you serious? A whole day on the water and we cannot have a backpack to hold our warm water. Asked for a refund and drove about 40 mins to another Canoe livery and had a great time no problems. The guy in charge is a total jerk may he ingest a satchel of Richards. read more

A group of myself and about 20 friends rented out for a birthday and it was the absolute worst experience I've ever had. The owner/patrol harassed, yelled, berated, and tried to kick us off of the river. A couple of us were using our own kayaks and were not using entry point of trapper Johns which was not their property and would not allow us to use the river. Our friend group that rented through trapper johns were forced to leave and only a couple could stay after begging to please not kick them out. The owner/ patrol is unprofessional and is an embarrassment to Trapper Johns. read more

Full moon canoe! Sweeet. Hey day time late off the water slackers, pay your late fee and shut it! You're holding up 20 other people and our good $ with your embarassing behavior. Low cost, simple vessels, just far enough out of town to feel like you got away but without the long drive or overnight accomodations cost. Nice management. read more

Great experience. We had tried to reserve for the July 4th holiday, but we knew it was going to be difficult. Luckily I had called every day up until that Sunday, luckily they had a couple of canoes left/ last minute cancellation, so we were able to come that day and spent hours on the water. Really enjoyed it. As far as others' reviews about masks, etc., seriously, you are making a decision for yourself to do a non-essential activity. You knew the risks going out; focus on what you can do for yourself and not force others. If that's a problem, then stay home. I personally don't want to be doing physical activities with the constraint of a mask. You are more than welcomed to wear your mask if that makes you feel more comfortable. read more

Anyone looking for something to do this long holiday weekend I highly recommend Trapper John's Upper Big Darby run. The water has a great flow to it right now from the moderate rains we had earlier in the week. It was a relaxing, easy coast down the creek. The upper run takes you through a nature preserve that is beautiful. I saw turtles, deer and eagles. The guys working there were super polite. I brought my own yak and they even helped me get it off the top of my car which I wasn't expecting since I wasn't renting any of their equipment. Then at the end of my trip the owner put my boat back on top of my car. Fantastic customer service and a great kayak/canoe livery. read more

I couldn't agree more with the majority of reviews left for this business. We drove all the way up from Cincinnati for the day. We packed water, pop, snacks, sandwiches and some beer. Mind you we are driving back to Cincinnati and just wanted to discreetly enjoy a few cold ones on the water..isn't that part of a relaxing day in the sun? Upon arrival we provided our names to "the girl with the clipboard" and waited approximately 30 minutes to be called..no biggie, they were very busy on this Saturday. Once our name was called we were instructed to go inside to pay. Arriving in line to pay we were interrogated by a worker about whether our names had actually been called or if we were making it up. I kid you not, she asked us 4 times if we were cutting the line. After passing the cross examination, we were then allowed to go inside to pay. We had 7 members in our group so 2 waited outside since the inside was so small. We were then hassled about the 2 people outside and nearly not allowed to check out because they weren't present. Finally we are all set to go, and approached the launch point. I echo the reviews about the life jackets, absolutely disgusting with mold. We didn't wear them due to their filth. (Side note, you are required to leave your ID with them as collateral for the vests.) As we approach the boats there is a police officer and a few workers. A worker specifically asked us to open our bags. We watched many others go right to the boat without a check. So we open everything up, and he looks through TSA style. We had to then go back to the car and empty our beer out. Then we started the whole process over again. Upon return they searched us an second time..dear lord...so embarrassing and demeaning. We had never been there before and were unfamiliar with the rules. Certainly our mistake, but the extent to which we were searched was excessive. The presence of the officer only adds to the criminal feel they give you. Not the relaxing day the group of us just spent north of $200 to have. In conclusion, fine place if you're looking for a shake down, but if you're looking to relax and enjoy yourself, there are many other options. read more

I can't believe all the bad reviews this place got! We decided to give this one a shot since the only other Kayaking place had even worse reviews. As soon as we got out of the car a young man welcomed us with a smile. When we got inside it was fairly busy but the women behind the counter was friendly and polite. We told her we've never been he before and she explained all the trips. Bonus, everything is so inexpensive! We did the 1-2 hour kayak which was only $16 each. We then went outside to the shack and another friendly women took our Ids and pulled the kayaks to the water for us. There was a field trip going on during our paddle but the whole experience was very quite and peaceful. AND CLEAN! I know a lot of reviews complained because they don't allow alcohol, 1 reviewer even said no alcohol= no fun. But I have been on trails where alcohol was allowed and it was cluttered with litter, broken glass, and a few adults who had definitely exceeded their limit. I believe loud people fighting and/or screaming = no fun. I'm not saying everyone would act a fool, but there would definitely be a few. If you need alcohol that much or it will ruin your trip, should work on your personality and/or the company you keep. Once we finish the trail (which did only take about an hour)there were employees at the end to pull our kayaks to land, load them up and shuttle us back to the parking lot. Tomorrow we are trying the "all day trail" and packing or lunches, which they recommend. Maybe they are completely different when you bring a cooler, we'll find out tomorrow! read more

Trapper John's Canoe Livery - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Grove City, Ohio

Always a great experience when we go kayaking. We bring our own kayaks and they pick us up. We have even brought our dog on the pet days. I also appreciate the fact that they make sure the water is safe and don't open when the water is too high. We just call ahead and make sure they are open. Our favorite place to kayak. read more

An employee of trapper johns, presumably an owner or something, met our 20 person group just as we departed in the water. Our 20 person group was meeting with a group of 3 down the river with their own private equipment, but the employee tried to dictate our entire group and say we couldn't travel together. Then the man started berating said 3 for the contents of their own private coolers saying they intended on providing drinks to the other 20. Which is insane. After a back and forth between a member of our party and him, he deemed none of us could go out. Obviously, both parties got hostile afterwards and a few of our folks were told not to return, which is understandable. What wasn't understandable was the strange tirade, berating, and assumptions the man made to the entirety of our group during the whole 30 minutes of arguing. It was incredibly demeaning. Seems fella had a power trip and based on previous reviews this isn't the first time read more

Attention to those who are beginners and those with children! While the customer service, check in and check out process went smoothly and there are a number of positive reviews about Trapper John's - our trip on the Sampler was definitely not for beginners and those with children, especially considering what happened to us at the fork near the end of our trip. It was dangerous and a Near death experience for us! We enjoyed our trip for the first 75% of the way, but the strong currents at the fork towards the end of our trip took us for a strong spin and capsized our canoe and the kayak that we were on. This happened all so fast and uncontrollably! My daughter went missing and it was the scariest moment!!! Yes, We were reminded prior to our departure to remain on the right, but the currents were so strong that it sucked us in To the left. This was a nightmare to remember. We witnessed Many canoes and kayaks that either struggled or capsized at this very spot. Moms and children were in tears. My daughter is so traumatized, she does not want to return. No employees were available on site to help, but rather onlookers and fellow kayakers came to our rescue. Surprisingly, We were greeted by first responders at the end of the trip...we did not make this call. But obviously there were too many accidents at that very spot on this very day. They should've closed for the day! We Later learned that there were many accidents on that same day in that very spot! On top of that a woman was near death back in 2015....!!! Look it up!!! To the owner of Trapper John's: Please block this area OR Please have two or more EMPLOYEES guard this area!!! This is a must. Safety should come first if you want to call this a "sampler trip" - after our experience, that was very misleading. Secondly - post a Warning Sign 5 min or so prior to the fork so people can prepare to steer to the right. Warnings to anyone considering this a family outing: 1. do not bring a small child. Our child was 6 years old and it was still a struggle. 2. Keep your life jacket on read more

We went yesterday with a party of five. We did not bring alcohol or food. We did not realize the creek was only 2 1/2 feet deep----way too shallow to avoid being constantly grounded on rocks especially if there is more than one in a boat. Overall the staff especially the young men were quite helpful and polite---- mostly doing a lot of driving and lifting. I complained to one of the two managers (Nick and Jay) about the poor water conditions but he just shrugged his shoulders. I plan on contacting the owner as well. I would not rely on them to fully inform me if water conditions were poor or dangerous. Ask the customers who were out on the water. read more

I can't believe how horrible their customer service is. Once we paid for our canoes, one of the workers came up and asked to look into a lunch box sized cooler that belonged to my friend (they didn't ask to look in the other similar coolers that the rest of us had). They said no alcohol and we said we understood and we're taking the beer back to our cars. Out of nowhere, some guy, wearing a bandana, grabs the cooler and literally runs up the hill and said, "we gave you 5 chances, it's ours now". We got into an argument with the employees, over our own property. The employees didn't want to give the cooler back because they said we would just sneak the beer into the canoe, even though our car keys were also in the cooler. We told them we weren't leaving our keys with them while we went on the creek and they tried arguing that we would lose our keys and they should stay with them. All the while, the guy in the bandana kept pacing in a circle and breathing heavily. It was both comical and kind of pathetic. We told them we understood that they did not want alcohol to be taken on their canoes and we would willingly put our beer in our cars, but they continually told us we would try to be sneaky and they don't allow that at their establishment and we should go to "the other livery down the river." We finally got out onto the water, only to be followed by one pair of employees in a canoe and another male in a kayak. If that wasn't annoying enough, DOZENS of groups from Trapper John's that we passed, had not only alcohol, but hard top coolers (another no no according to them). When we returned to the equipment counter, the employees could not fathom that out of our group of 6, we had three different waivers because we all paid separately. When we were asked if we enjoyed ourselves, we expressed that the canoe ride was fun, but the customer service was a little lacking. That response only caused the employees to be dismissive and told us we didn't ever need to come back. I don't understand how in the world they are still in business. I've heard stories from other people before, but I thought those had to be isolated incidents. I found out today, they most definitely are not. Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere. read more