Amazing cabin! We love the outdoors and this is the perfect getaway. We appreciate the hospitality…read moreand attentions.

Had a wonderful weekend here relaxing and tubing down the crane creek. Tom and Sue are wonderful…read morehost and made us feel very welcomed. If your looking for a primitive getaway you've found it!

Honestly a great little place to enjoy some winter sports in Central Iowa!…read more Obviously there is no mountains here so the slopes are as to be expected. The lodge area isn't anything fancy but it was actually larger than I expected. They also offer rentals for an additional fee to your lift ticket - skis, boards, boots, helmets, poles, etc. I am extremely impressed with the staff. I had only been snowboarding once about ten years ago and my husband never had. We were extremely nervous if we were going to pick it up and debated on paying for a private lesson. I would not advise paying for a lesson...Seven Oaks has many instructors perched on the learning/bunny hill. They offer group lessons on the hour but if you can find a free instructor and ask, they will give you their own sort of private lesson. That is what we did. An awesome board instructor spent about 15-20 minutes with us one-on-one, explained the basics and did some hands on instructing. After that, we both picked it up very quickly and could make it over to the more legit, but beginner hill. As I mentioned the lodge was more than I was anticipating. They have a concession stand, bar with pizza by the slice, and coffee shop. Lots of ample seating and even a large TV in the coffee shop area, we caught some of the Iowa State game while we were eating lunch. We would go back. It is a great option for the flat plains of Iowa.k

The good: Kayaking/canoeing was about $40 per person, which is a great price for entertainment…read morethese days. The river itself was stunning, we had gorgeous weather, and they had a small concession stand with necessities like bug spray available for purchase. Unfortunately, I still wouldn't recommend this experience when there are other options around Iowa for a similar price. We were told when reserving that if the river was too low, we would have the option to reschedule, which I think is a great policy. However, our reservation was on the last day of the season, so realistically rescheduling wasn't an option for us. My biggest issue wasn't even the low river level as the kayaks were doing great in the water- it was that the representative checking us in allowed us to take out a single canoe for our group knowing we would be dealing with less than a foot of water in some areas. This was our first time canoeing and kayaking, so we were relying on the staff's expertise. I really would have appreciated someone recommending that we switch from the canoe to a more maneuverable kayak given the conditions that day. Instead, we ended up having to get out and push the canoe for a large portion of the trip. It was exhausting, and for some customers, it may not even be physically possible. As a first-time floater who brought out-of-state friends specifically for this activity, I wasn't expecting the river conditions to be perfect. We were prepared to make the best of it. What I did expect was some guidance from the company about how to have the best experience possible given the conditions that day. I'd recommend choosing Seven Oaks to be more proactive about advising inexperienced customers, matching the right equipment to the river conditions, and allowing some flexibility to switch boats once you arrive.

my family and I had a blast. The only problem was the water was so low we did a lot of walking and…read morestopping to pull or push which made us have a lot of accidents with under water rocks and logs. I would definitely go again though!

Nice people. Reasonable price. Good pickup and transport to river. Easy day trip from Chicago…read more Very tame river. The only down side was all of the people in tubes with their music cranked as they floated down the river. Get there early to avoid this.

My wife and I attended a paddling class with Pilgrim Paddles to learn techniques needed to paddle a…read moresolo canoe and be better at paddling together in a tandem canoe. We had basic experience paddling a tandem canoe but after taking this class and receiving great instruction on so many paddle strokes and techniques, we understood the nuances necessary to control a canoe in ways I never thought were possible. The instructor, Jeff, is incredibly knowledgeable and accomplished and has amazing patience working with new students. He also has a very strong safety ethic and ensures his students not only learn how to be a better paddler but also confident with safety protocols essential to manage conditions that increase risks when paddling a canoe. I highly recommend taking paddling instruction from Jeff and Pilgrim Paddles.

A couple of years ago I wanted(thought I wanted)to learn to paddle board. I knew Jeff from a group…read morekayak class some years previous. He attempted to teach me paddle board skills. He was successful teaching me the rules and safety protocol. He was patient and had a sense of humor with me because it simply was not going to be something I would accomplish. I have said to a friend that if I had to be lost in the wilderness, I would want to be with Jeff because he is experienced and level headed. Jeff is a thoughtful and masterful expert in his field.

Apparently there is a local legend about an "actual" bigfoot roaming the dense forests that fill in…read morethe space between the corn, soybean and alfalfa fields that line the local hills and valleys. The folks at BigFoot Canoe (and kayak) Rentals have never seen one, but you never know. Season 11, episode 9 of Finding Bigfoot on the Discovery Channel filmed an episode nearby - spoiler alert - they didn't find one. But it's worth the trip even without a legitimate chance of a sighting. We rented a canoe for trip from Bridge 16 to a landing a mile or so past Ion. Their website says this is the most challenging part of the river. I've canoed, tubed and kayaked in the Upper Iowa river above Decorah dozens of times, and this was our first experience on the Yellow River. For comparison's sake, I would estimate this stretch at about 15% more "dangerous" (relatively speaking) and exciting than a typical stretch between Bluffton and Decorah on the Upper Iowa. The staff told us that we had to know what we were doing to paddle the stretch, so they seem to agree with my assessment. A little faster, narrower, turnier, and more and slightly steeper rapids in places. It also seemed to have much less river traffic; we didn't see anyone else all afternoon. The staff at BigFoot were friendly and helpful. They returned my telephone inquiry call promptly, and were prepared for my arrival as scheduled. They seem to have plenty of kayaks and canoes, so pick your poison.

We came up from Illinois for a 2-day paddle and loved the Upper IA River. Hruska's took care of…read morethe canoe and camping. The livery service was always on time, good equipment, very helpful. The Bluffton Campground was very clean, green, quiet. All of the sites were within sight of the river. Good prices for the rentals, camping, firewood. Beautiful area by day and by milky way (incredible stars).

Stayed just outside of Chimney Rock Park, rented 3 kayaks for 2 days with shuttle. Service is…read moreoutstanding. Ridiculously friendly and accommodating. No need to rent anywhere else. Stock up on ice and snacks before you float at the takeout in Bluffton. Will patron them again and can't wait to come back!

Found Eric's ship via Facebook marketplace. You won't find the $200 kayaks you can get at Walmart…read morebut if you want enthusiastic service and a great selection of quality products this is your place. It's worth the drive and Eric has a wealth of experience and suggestions to help you make a purchase to make happy and satisfied. Shop local!

Very helpful and hooked my husband and me up with kayaks and gear. His knowledge and enthusiasm was…read morevery addictive. He's a great asset to Mainstreet Central City

Avis Kayak Rentals was very responsive, attentive, knowledgeable, empathetic, and extremely…read morehelpful! The price is also great as well! We will definitely be coming back again and again, and telling everyone else to as well! Thank you and See you next time!

I was calling from out of state to make arrangements for my buddy's bachelor party. Tom was great…read morein helping us make arrangements. He was fast to call back, gave helpful info, and was willing to work things our for us! I called around to a lot of other kayak rental companies, he was the most helpful by far.