Saw Wee Kee is a really nice location to hike that's not very far from civilization. More hills…read moreand terrain than you'll see anywhere locally with decently marked trails (once you are on them) and all kinds of nature. Check the website for a trail map, but most of them intersect (even though it is not always clearly marked). Sitting by the river and looking at the blind on the island we saw a bald eagle fly right overhead. So cool! I didn't believe my friend when he said they were here around the fox. There are 2 lots at each end of the park, the Northeastern one featuring a boat launch that is kayak & raft capable (though I'm not sure where you'd get off. Maybe Silver Springs state park? The way the high trail is set up it definitely looks like it could be a mosquito breeding ground next to it during the appropriate months. Bring DEET if you think it'll be an issue, but in early October it was mostly a non-issue. There is a tick warning as well, but we didn't find any. The only thing you need to watch out for is mountain bikers (and I guess the occasional horse / horse apple). They will be coming, and some of them can move pretty fast. You'll hear them on a hike, but be courteous and step to the side of the trail and everyone can enjoy this location.

Too many mosquitoes and not enough view of the water. Rather boring trail, at least on foot…read more Disappointing.

so much fun! they took care of everything with setting up the tubes, hooking us together and…read moreputting the tubes away and taking care of our coolers! i absolutly will be coming back and brining more people with me!

Just went with a group of 9. We had a blast! I've always wanted to go and a great friend…read morecoordinated the trip. The entire process from booking, checking in, bus ride to drop off and checking back in was super easy. Everyone was helpful and friendly. I can not wait to do it again

The water level and rapids was perfect today for my first time experiencing whitewater rafting…read more We arrived a little after 9am, we made reservations ahead of time and there was a couple of big groups checking in ahead of us. The process was quick, check in, sign waiver forms, get your paddle, life vest and helmet and you're ready to go. Before we got in the water we got some instructions how to go down the main rapids: Wildcat Falls, Lone Star Dam and the Narrows. The Wildcat falls, go towards the right of the river, aim center of the two giant boulders and go down left. Most people went way right down it and got stuck at the bottom boulder and some fell in the water. We manage to go down successfully after watching a few rafters. The Lone Star Dam, stay close to the right side to go down it. The rest of the dam has a under tow that can be really dangerous and can pin you down specially if you go down sideways. The Narrows, make sure to hit it straight on and just ride the rapids. That was my favorite section. Yes, this can be dangerous. Just follow the instructions, ask a lot of questions and know your ability. Their is no guide on the raft with you. Tips before going. -Make sure to watch the safety video first, link provided on their website. -Make sure to check the water level and speed at the US coastguard link provided on their website as well. -Lastly know your ability or skills/experience paddling/kayaking/rafting. -I also watched a few YouTube videos to have an idea of the areas mentioned above. -They only accept cash or check. Today, 6/8/19, the water level was 8 feet deep and flowrate of 1500. Classified as Class 3. There was a huge group of boys scouts out the same time we did it and everyone got through it safely and had fun.

I went white water rafting yesterday and it is seriously beautiful! So much wildlife, nature and…read morethe path is very nice you can even see a waterfall at the end, it is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or go alone but go in a group and research before you do this activity you will be fine. It is kind of sad that there is garbage every now and then left on land, people ruining the nature but still beautiful for the most part. As other reviews state, avoid the dam area , paddle to the right.

After a disappointing experience at a different tubing location, my friend group was told about…read morethis spot. My friend called about 2 weeks ahead of time to reserve our group's spot. At that time, she was told this season's pricing. It was about an hour drive from Dupage County and we passed the entrance at first. When we arrived, the bus was just taking the earlier group out. We arrived about 30 minutes early for our scheduled time, however that was unnecessary. The bus returned to take us at our exact scheduled time. Ensure proper count of your group's tube and cooler tube needs. From the time of loading, driving, and unloading we got in the water about 1.5 hours after our time slot. Ok all, if you are someone seeking prestine clear waters, tubing on an Illinois River is not for you. You may have bugs land on you or get muddy. Bring water shoes or croc type shoes to protect your feet. Bring a garbage bag for your cooler tube for your snacks and drinks. No glass or Styrofoam per their policies. They advertise bathrooms and showers. However, on day of visit they only had one working toilet. After the float, we quickly took turns changing and using restroom. It was only our group and 2 other groups out at that time. It was nice. Exiting the river was a little muddy. Fun activity that is reasonably priced.

I had a blast here!!! They were really nice and accommodating of our 30 people party. Bring a…read morecooler! You will need food and drinks. They offer a tube for the cooler. I am afraid of brown water, lol, so I got the tube with the bottom and just layed in it, the whole time. I also bought my own life vest off amazon. But they do offer the ugly orange ones lol Anyway we did the 3 miles but would love to come back and do the 6 mile one. Very cheap. Also the people who did go in the water, they said the very shallow areas are very rocky & scraped their knees. The deepest part is 10 feet but other than that, it's not deep. The bathrooms are nice and they offer a shower too. At the end you wait for the bus to pick you up and bring you back. Pretty cool.

We had a lovely family outing tubing, swimming, and boating with Starved Rock River Adventures. The…read morepontoon boat was in good shape and our route was easy to find with the map Tony gave us. The water was a little gross but we had a fun time and made good memories. Worth it!

It was bad. The boat was not in good condition and had the seams on the seats popping out. The…read moreowner charged us for damages that were cause because of false information and water depth. They did not correctly explain the water and its ranges and then got upset when we asked them about it. Would never rent from them. I would give it a 0 if I could. They also tried to charge $50 over if you were late by any minute.

It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down

Nice place to go for a picnic or a hike down the trails , can even camp out if you like, we usually…read morego during the week when less people have lunch and fish a little

A great place for the "outdoorsy" types! You can camp, fish, hike, picnic, and there is a free…read moreboat launch area. Good fishing along the river. You do compete with the river traffic, such as speed boats and barges, but we were able to catch fish. The grounds are pretty clean overall and you experience the a plethora of river foul. I also saw four water moccasins, so you should use some care along the waters edge.

Well organized. You meet at the arrival and they drive you to the starting point…read more Good for families, you'll go through downtown Naperville which is actually fun to see it from the river. Easy, I recommend with children.

Took our money- over $230 for 4- did not pick us up at site- went to River-no one there- no one…read moreanswers phone- have been calling for 2 days- texted- left messages-emailed Now I have to look forward to hours on the phone with credit card company to reverse charges- thanks a lot you jerks- you have ruined our whole day (and that of another couple) and cost me hours of time and aggravation!

We enjoyed our time. The rental comes with life jackets and the marsh is beautiful. I'm…read moreAn experienced kayaker but what concerns me is that on a busy Sunday only one high school kid was working, there was no instruction as to where to turn back, which way to go, what areas to stay out of, or what wildlife to keep a safe distance from. (And there were swans with babies there. I mean I know that they're one of the most aggressive shore birds that exist, but some city folk don't) The fine print on the confirmation tells you which way to go, but it's a compass direction, not a right or left. There are no signs stating which way to go. Ive lived here over 30 yrs, I don't think I could tell you which way was which. The kid working doesn't say anything, he just shoves you off. Also, there were storms rolling in about 4pm. Anyone working for an outfitter should always be aware of the weather and tell ppl, your reservation is for x mins long, but keep an eye on the sky, or maybe a white board posted with the forecast? I didn't know about having to pay for parking until I got there as it only shows this in fine print AFTER you get your confirmation. Also I arrived on time but they were backed up and being that there was only one person and there's no sign that says "kayakers must pay for parking" both myself and another group had to run back and do the parking stuff after we had waited 15 minutes for our turn. I was pretty frustrated thinking that surely they own their own parking spaces, but the city of new Buffalo as screwed me over once again. Again, I have kids, which means they can only handle paddling for an hour. This stupid parking Situation FORCES you to pay for 3 hrs regardless if you're there or not. I think that's ridiculous and they're doing it to rip off tourists. Well I'm not a tourist, I live 20 mins away. My family has been here since 1989. The only ppl This hurts is the hardworking locals. I think it's dumb that only the ppl living in the city of new buffalo are allowed to get a parking pass. Give me a break. I'm sure plenty of ppl would pay $100 per year for an annual parking pass. Because of this parking nonsense, I'll be investing in my own kayak and SUP and going elsewhere. This parking nonsense has to stop, it's freaking Michigan this is NOT the HAMPTONS. The city needs to get over itself. I'd give it 5 stars but parking plus lack of staff and lack of communication is why I only gave it 3.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, VISIT THIRD COAST PADDLING!!!! We visited on 6/3. It's a beautiful area to…read moreexplore while being active as well! The equipment was in excellent condition and the staff are WONDERFUL. The young gentleman working on Wednesday June 3 around 2pm was very kind! He offered us some points of interest to look out for along the way and encouraged us to come back over the summer, which we plan to! We had a hiccup with the parking situation but the staff went above and beyond to help us remedy that quickly and efficiently, so THANK YOU to the Oliver for reaching out to us. Please share our gratitude with your entire team-- customer service like this keeps people coming back!!!!! Excellent excellent excellent!