The pricing for the motorized equipment is reasonable. However, for the quality of the bikes, they overcharge way too much. $20 per hour for each bike? $40 for half a day. I hope they consider offering a multi-day discount, group discount, or something of the sort because $20 per hour is absolutely ridiculous. read more

We just spent the week in Cambridge, Maryland and the reservation at Blackwater was the only prepaid activity we had booked. On Wednesday, when we were supposed to go in kayaks, we went to their warehouse and expressed my trepidation of going out in the high winds. Casey was very accommodating and allowed us to reschedule to Friday. When we showed up on Friday, it was a beautiful day with light breezes and we found out Susan would be our guide. We had a fantastic time! She taught us all about her family's history, the area's history and all about the animals that lived along our kayaking route. She shared anecdotes about things she has seen over her many years of guiding these tours and was warm, personable and knowledgeable. This was a great experience for us and we look forward to doing it again in another season and on another river. A great family business and we highly recommend it! read more

Blackwater Adventures - Out on a beautiful autumn day! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Cambridge, Maryland

I've been kayaking the Chesapeake and her tributaries for years but never made it out to Blackwater despite having it on my bucket list for ages. This summer I managed to get some time off and got the whole family out, but with one snag - we were short one kayak. I'm so thankful we found Blackwater Adventures. This is a family ran business and everyone we met was delightful particularly the lady who runs it. She shares a love of the land, sea and the creatures who roam it as much as we do, and gave us some great insight into the local waters, flora and fauna. She rents from a very well maintained fleet of Wilderness rec kayaks, directly on the water with a private put-in. Although most of my family isn't the most athletic and relatively new to kayaking, she and her team were a great help and we had a fantastic time at very reasonable rates. Blackwater is a local ecological treasure and her company and spirit really helped us enjoy it in the way it should be. read more

When My Brother mentioned Kayaking whole on vacation, I did not really think I was into it. But after we talked and noticed so many tributaries,Bays and the Atlantic- it was on and all 4 of Us Brothers(and Nephew) had a really great time. read more

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This is my second time here and I want to share what a wonderful experience this is. Not just because of the beautiful location on the Blackwater, but because of the wonderful experience we had with Kaycie, our guide, on the bicycle trip. We kayaked in the afternoon. Both Kaycie and Susan are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history and ecology of the area and share in a way that is engaging and just makes you want to keep coming back. And we will. We took a guided tour in the morning and went on our own in the afternoon. Recommend the guided trips as it really adds to the experience. read more

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The tour guide was very knowledgeable and very understanding and helpful with the people in the group that did not find kayaking to be as intuitive as most moderately capable people would. I was stuck in traffic on the bridge and when I called to say I might not make it, they said I could always take a kayak out alone for a self guided tour. I ended up making right at the end of the initial lesson on how to kayak and was able to join the group for a lovely experience. The water is quite flat even with the high winds, but you will need to be strong enough to keep paddling without stopping to get back up river, so have some caution if you are going on a windy day. read more

Our group had a fantastic time on the Layton's Chance paddle. We enjoyed the history and nature our guide shared with us, and the gorgeous scenery. The knowledge and passion the family about the area really shone through. Communication, equipment, and concise instruction were all top-notch. We will be back! read more

Excellent Staff and equipment was what we found at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay location. Wife and I and our two teenagers had a great time jetskiing on the bay. read more

Highly recommend this outfitter! Rented kayak at the nature preserve and she offered tips plus a small map. Saw lots of birds. Rented SUP at the Hyatt - nice spot and easy/flat by the marina. Thank you! read more

A few friends and I went kayaking while staying at the Hyatt for a wedding. You can essentially do pretty much any type of water sport you want here, and we saw paddleboards and jet skis being rented at the same time we were there. Three of us got singles, while a pair got a two-person kayak. The people running the place kindly allowed us to store our purses and personal items in the shack, which was super helpful since basically anywhere in the kayak was prone to get wet. The equipment was well taken care of and in great condition. They were very quick and efficient in getting all of us out, and we had plenty of places to kayak around the Chesapeake Bay. The water does get pretty deep, so as a person who is pretty afraid of open water (I know, I know..I gotta learn how to get past this at some point), you should be warned. There are some boaters around who can send ripples, but for the most part, a lot of them were respectful and slowed down when they got nearer so they didn't make too many waves for us. We made it back and the staff were also efficient with payment and getting us on our way. Overall, great service and experience. read more

Great soft launch for kayaking, great location on the little Blackwater river. Casey helped us out with route reccomendations and showed us a number of trails. She was great and was very generous with us. Saw a half dozen eagles, herons, and ospreys, plus tons of smaller birds. It was a great trail teaming with life to admire and the water was lovely, not too choppy or brackish. read more

Rules not explained well by the kids working there. Lack of professionalism - bad experience. Happy to rip you off.

Great guide, learned a lot of the area and the wildlife. Good pace to keep it interesting but easy for families to skip up. Highly recommend. Saw eagles, osprey, herons, cormorants and red wing blackbird. read more

We made plans to vacation for a week in Cambridge, with extended family spanning 3 generations. We were excited about all the water activities that were going to be part of our trip and Matt, at Blackwater Adventures, helped me with the boat, paddle boards and bike rental, and easily accommodated any modifications along the way. He also told me about the tours, many of which sounded perfect for our family. He was responsive, returning calls and answering my many questions, and easy to work with. It turned out that, because of medical issues, we had to cancel our trip. When I called Matt to explain, he immediately said that a refund was on the way. There was no "I'll have to look into this". There was no charge. Period. The best way to describe Matt is to say that he's a total mensch. I look forward to rebooking our trip in the future and there is no one else I'd go to for rentals or tours. Thank you! read more

If you want to have an amazing adventure that you leave feeling completely relaxed... THIS IS IT! The staff is amazing!!! They will completely walk you through everything you need to know!!! LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!!! The sceneryis breath taking!!! If you are a photographer than just do yourself a favor and GO NOW!!!! There is no better way to enjoy Blackwater!!! read more

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Checked out Blackwater Adventures for a quick bike ride before a wedding. Staff (family run) was super friendly, informative, and pointed us in the direction of the wildlife reserve down the road for some eagle spottings! Can't wait to come back- highly recommend. read more

I had such a wonderful time at the Blackwater Paddle and Peddle Adventures. This is as good as it gets! Susan, who led our tour, knows EVERYTHING there is to know about the region. She's lived there her whole life. As far as I'm concerned, she's a pivotal part of the town. The Blackwater is scenic and calm and full of bustling animals in their natural habitats. It's easy to get to and the staff is SUPER flexible. The biggest downside is initially getting in touch with them. It took me a few tries on the phone before I actually got ahold of somebody. But once I finally was able to get in touch, everything went smoothly from there. Susan was great at communicating with us and keeping us in the loop. Her customer service is above and beyond. read more

My fiancee and I found the shop that hosts Blackwater Paddle and Peddle and found ourselves in for multiple unexpected treats. First, we walked into the small building and it was like stepping back in time 200 years or so. Jay took the time to indulge our interest in the old store which was carefully restored to include artifacts of the Harriet Tubman era. He also recounted the story associated with the pivotal event in Harriet Tubman's life that happened there. Turns out that property has been his family for 5 generations. Our next treat was getting Susan as our driver to the kayak drop off and pick up sites. She has all the sweetness and kindness you could ever want in a tour guide and made us feel right at home. Her twinkly blue eyes and energy masked her age well and she gave us a great history of the area. Our paddle on the Transquaking River was glassy and the paddling leisurely. The kayaks themselves were extremely comfortable compared to other kayaks we have rented. There were several adjustments on the seat to make sure your legs weren't falling asleep and your back wasn't unsupported or getting prematurely tired. About 2 1/4 hours or relaxation and rejuvenation. We saw 10 Bald Eagles, at least 20 Great Blue Heron, an Osprey with a fresh fish kill, several jumping fish and an otter. Susan picked us up right on time. She told us that she tries to time and space her paddlers to go where no one has been that day - or at least the last few hours - so that the wildlife was not scared away already. That's the kind of detail and service that wins fans like us. read more

We recently rented jet skis from them for the third time. We have had a great time each time. When we got back to the dock/rental place from jet skiing this past time, they informed us that we had jet skied in areas where they couldn't see us and where we weren't supposed to go, so they we had to pay $250 extra as a fine. They said that we had initialed a form agreeing to that. Legally, they are right - we did initial the form. However, we were shown the form while already in the water on the jet skis waiting to go. I even told the guy that I couldn't see without my glasses so just point to where to sign. No one told us about a $250 fine - we definitely would have remembered that! It turns out there was a map of where we could go on the back of the form that we signed - while floating in the bay without our glasses. Too bad no one showed us that either. After having a great time jet skiing, we were left feeling like we had been scammed. We have loved the jet skiing every time we have been, but it looks like we will have to find someone else to rent from. Make sure you read everything. read more

My Family and I vacationed in Cambridge Maryland. We rented a 17' boat and two kayak's. I called and made the reservation with Susan. Everything was explained and very straight forward. They delivered the boat and kayak's to our rental home. Jay and Susan delivered and explained everything. It was a great experience and were very happy with the boats and service we received. Jay took the time to explain and issue temporary licenses for those who needed. I would recommend them and use them again. Thank You Susan And Jay. Ernie A read more

While staying at the Hyatt Regency (which is very very nice) in Cambridge, we were looking for something different and fun to do as a family of four with a 13 year old and 7 year old. This turned out to be the highlight of our trip. It's a family run business and the owner was extremely helpful and answered all my questions. Our tour guide, Kasey, was wonderful and while our 7 year old tired after the first hour of paddling on her own. (My 7 year old is small, so if your child is tall for their age, they would have an easier time handling their own kayak.) I would definitely recommend trying this out. You'll have an opportunity to see Bald eagles, ospreys, herons and more. read more