When you set out to kayak the historic Haw River it's hard to suppress speculative thoughts about…read moreyour adventure and wonder how it will all turn out. This was on our minds as my wife and I drove past an "entering Alamance County" road sign on our way to the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company at Saxapahaw, North Carolina. A leisurely drive along Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road parallels the Haw and suggests a hint of our forthcoming adventure. A tough bridge built for hard times stands over massive, craggy, dark gray rocks, chiseled into the river bottom by the waters bonding the town of Saxapahaw to the earth and the history of this area. On arrival, we could see paddlers struggling to sandwich their watercraft among the rocks around the Saxapahaw bridge. But we never foresaw when we left here, our memories would bear an indelible imprint of this place as "Aramanche" -- a place where Native Americans saw water flow through blue clay. One reason to rent a Kayak here is to unplug yourself from the present and reconnect with the past. In fact, the owner and his staff will tell you his fondest wish is for customers is to "unplug and reconnect." When you cast your eyes out over the Haw as you paddle a kayak, you'll see tranquil and rapid running waters, deep cuts into riverbanks and tree lines, and evidence of the dominating torrential waters that have run for millennia along this 110-mile river down to the Cape Fear basin near the Atlantic coast. The geological history of this place is violent. But there's more. There's tons of history and culture to absorb. Generations of native Americans and later, European colonists, are bound up in the history of this river. Native Americans ran The Great Trading Path that ran from Chester County, PA, along the Shenandoah Mountains roughly to where I-81 and route 220 meet near Danville, Virginia, today. From there, settlers found their way into North Carolina along the Haw. Why Go? If you're interested in American history, you'll visit to have fun and to bask vicariously in the river that was once part of the Underground Railroad. Along this river, Quakers would shepherd slaves from house-to-house, across the Ohio River, and into the free territories in the west. If you're a history buffwith an archaeological bent, you'll visit the Haw to find that blue-gray clay the Siouan Indians used as body paint. It was found in Saxapahaw, and the Indians called this clay "Aramanche", meaning, a place where "water flows through blue clay" in Eastern Siouan. If you're interested in seismology, you'll be curious about the natural fault line running from this area down to Charleston, S.C., that triggered the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. You can see this line on the surface under a little bridge in the nearby village of Glencoe, N.C., along Highway 62. If you enjoy riding the rapids as a Kayaker, you'll need to sign up for a class-III white-water adventure. The fault line that runs from Glencoe down toward the Cape Fear river basin features sharp drop-offs triggering the rapid waters adrenaline junkies crave. A guided tour along the Haw lasts about 3-hours. Go, unplug, reconnect with American history and, enjoy!

This place is great! Recently came here with some friends for the day and had a blast…read more So it's a little confusing on their website, but you can indeed just rent kayaks, paddle boards or canoes. It made it seem like the only way to go on the river was through signing up for a class, but that's not the case. For $30 you can rent a boat for half the day and they'll drive you upstream a bit to the dock. From there you can go upstream on your own and enjoy some paddling + swimming. We had a great time! There ARE a bunch of fun day trips (and a moonlight night trip!), plus some other routes so I'm definitely going to sign up for one of those. But if you just want to rent for a few hours, that's cool too! Pro tip: Come before 11 a.m. It's a little cooler, and they won't be as crowded.

So fun!!! Missing all the MN public lakes, we were looking for a place to rent a pontoon and spend…read morethe day on the water. Crosswinds was very easy to book. Sign all the papers online, book the boat you want and pay. You will pay additional gas once you get back but it couldn't have gone smoother. The 2 teens that helped us were very helpful and nice. And the boat was very nice and drove well. We all had a nice day on the water. We definitely plan to rent again!

We had the best day renting a pontoon from you! The staff (while socially distanced) was very…read morehelpful and informative while getting us loaded up and on the water. The condition of the pontoon was very nice! Super clean and definitely a newer boat. (The reviews had me nervous). We literally spent the day socially distanced and technology free and we all needed that! It was easy to get back to the dock and the staff even offered to fill up the tank and just text us the receipt which was great because a wicked storm was rolling in pretty quickly. Can't wait to do this again! We truly had a blast! Thanks so much!

We bought an Advanced open water diver certification course (for 2) through this shop and then had…read moreto pull out due to work schedules not jiving with the plan. Water world (tRIANGLE dive shop) could not have been kinder about our situation. They gave us a full refund and great advice about next steps to get the training and trip we need. Top-notch customer service and knowledgeable staff are so important in the world of diving. We feel super lucky to have these folks within a 10minute drive of our home and will 100% be shopping and learning and booking trips with them again!

From the first phone call with Gregg Scofield I knew I was in good hands. 1989 Ranger 363v with a…read moreJohnson GT150 motor. Gregg went thru my motor repairing everything that needed to be repaired. He also did great work on a few items on the boat. After all of the repairs, he was able to take the boat out for a test run at Falls Lake. This is a Great feature. When I came in to pick up my boat Gregg went thru all of the repairs showing me each. This is the best place for boat and motor repairs. Ask for Gregg Scofield. Mike Johnson Raleigh, NC

We have rented boats from this company with friends 4 times already and they are the best. The…read moreboats are well taken care of and they are easy to do business with. We have had them put the boats in for us at Falls Lake as well as picked the boat up and towed it ourself. I highly recommend letting them do it all. So easy and they take care of all the hard stuff and leave us to have all the fun.

This was great. I book a 14 person boat about a month out. I also rented a tube. So, I was looking…read morefor something different to do. We are stuck at home during COVID. So I decided to take the crew out. They really enjoyed it. No worries if you think driving a boat is hard. It's not. You have to be careful and look out for your surroundings. But it's pretty easy. Remember a boat does not have brakes. Lol. Maybe few years from now, but no brakes. Let me tell you how easy it is. Once your date for the boat date comes up, you just park and unload at the dock area. Park as close to the water as possible. The team will be down there, and will have the boat in the water for you already. You will have time to load your stuff. No big rush. They will hop on the boat with you to give you instructions. And you just take off. It's that easy. You can rent for half a day or full day. The lake is big so you may want a full day out. Half of a day is plenty. Remember when your out on the water and have any issues, you can always call them.

We rented a canoe from Frog Hollow for a couple of hours on the weekend. It was SUPER affordable,…read morecheaper than anywhere I've ever been and much cheaper than renting a boat by far. They provided everything we needed (paddles, life jackets) and gave us a quick 60 second refresher on how to use the canoe before we headed off. We were at one of the channels off of Falls lake, and they gave us advice on which direction was the best to go off towards. It was pretty hot out, but being so close to the water made it cooler and the shade lowered the temperature a lot too. Along the way, we saw turtles, fish, and a couple of herons. The whole experience was very peaceful, relaxing, and low-stress. It was a great day to spend a warm morning outside, although I would recommend booking an earlier or later time in the summer since around noon there isn't really much shade on the water. Will definitely come back for another paddle!

Frog Hollow is a gem for paddling enthusiasts!…read more As someone in my mid-40s learning a young person's sport, I've had two incredible 1-on-1 sessions with Jer on flat water, with another scheduled this week and I can't recommend them enough. Jer's technical expertise, constructive criticism, and what i consider endurance training have been invaluable to build confidence for white water. It's easy to think you understand the sport by reading, watching, and listening, but reality hits when you're underwater and upside down. Jer has been fantastic in sharing both the positive and realistic sides of whitewater paddling, making the experience both challenging and rewarding. I still remind myself "nothing worthwhile comes easy at first". Lastly, if you're looking to improve your skills, fix bad habits, and gain a deeper understanding of the sport, Frog Hollow is the place to be! Thanks, Josh

I highly recommend these guys for scuba certifications. They are mobile and detailed. If you are…read morelooking to scuba dive and need to get certified, call them.

We took 4 of our grandchildren here to zipline. We didnt really know what to expect but we had a…read moregreat time. Daniel and Taylor were our guides and they were wonderful and patient with the gazillion questions our grandkids had. They were very professional even when my husband tried to do more than he should have and they had to reprimand him (he had been zipling on the "Green Bull" in Puerto Rico so he thought he could push the limits). The grandkids loved it and said it was their favorite part of the trip we were on. Anyways we will definitely be back to try the many other adventures they have. If you decide to go, make sure to ask for Daniel and Taylor!

I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for when I entered xtreme park adventures. Sure I had a…read morereservation for paintball and I'd spent the day fantasizing about all the cool things I'd do with that futuristic pneumatic gun in my hand. But what REALLY was I looking for? My answer came with Ethan. Nominally he was our referee and babysitter. But in reality... in reality he was our gunnery sergeant; our centurion from days of yore! He filled our air, fixed our masks, and marched us off to chow! He taught us the ways of paintball and we taught him a little about life. A member of my communal living space encouraged him to incorporate a slogan of his own design into his everyday work script: "have an extreme day". How novel! Yes Ethan. Yes.

Beautiful area. Lots of space, quiet and peaceful. Family friendly! Fun to fish with children and…read morefriends. Pre Covid they had star gazing events so hopefully that will return soon. Restrooms available.

Lake Michie is a scenic lake located only roughly 20 minutes from Durham in nearby Bahama, NC…read more(which is not nearly as tropical as the name suggests). The lake is reportedly home to some of the best largemouth bass fishing in the area, and the recreation area offers ample boating (rent a boat or bring your own), fishing, and picnicking opportunities. There are tons of grills and picnic tables, as well as a small picnic shelter that you can rent should you desire. All in all, this is a decent spot to get out on the water, do some fishing, or just have a lazy Sunday afternoon picnic. Also of note, the Wilkins Road Recreation Area just across the street also offers a spot for fishing, boating, and picnicking should you want to see what the other side of the street looks like!