We wanted to show the kid Caddo lake so we drove from Dallas to do a tour with Captain Ron. Ron is a down home friendly guy who obviously loves people, his job, and Caddo lake. During the 90 minute boat tour, he was enthusiastic and passionate about the lake. He really seemed to enjoy sharing his immense knowledge the lake, both real and legend. I learned a lot and he made the tour very interesting. The day we went it was a bit chilly and overcast. It had just rained so the lake water was muddy, and therefore we did not see much wildlife, just a busy beaver and some blue herons. You can go during the summer when the water is clearer and see turtles and dragon flies. During the summer, the climate is much hotter and humid and there is little air flow on the lake, so be prepared to sweat. Cool and overcast actually was preferable IMO. The wife and I had toured the lake about a decade ago and we left from the northern part of the lake. Our opinion is that despite the fact that Captain Ron did a great job, the northern part of the lake is more interesting than the southern part where Captain Ron is now located. read more

Captain Ron's Swamp Tours - Launch point - Boat Tours Near Me

Had the best experience on the water today. Did a late afternoon tour w/ Captain Ron. Very sweet guy...full of fun lil facts, stops to admire birds, explain the scenery...just an all around great experience. So glad we booked this. Do yourself a favor...book the experience!! When back in town...will definitely shoot for a full moon tour!!! read more

See all

Guys!!! If you are in Karnack or any surrounding area, come out and see Ron! The tour was just long enough, he tells you all about the Cypress Trees, movies, and you learn a lot too! Ron was kind and welcoming. My family and I will definitely be back read more

See all

We had an absolutely wonderful time on this tour. Captain Ron is a very engaging tour guide, and made us all feel very welcome. He knew everything about the lake and he is one of the best boat drivers I've ever seen. He obviously loves this place - and rightly so because it is absolutely gorgeous. It was an absolutely great little adventure. Reasonably priced. 100% safe, comfortable and fun. read more

A lot of fun. Captain Ron. Is very knowledgeable about the swamp. Well worth the money.

Captain Ron is outstanding! I cannot recommend booking a tour with him highly enough. He is super knowledgeable about Caddo Lake's history, ecosystem and the surrounding area. He's also funny, great with kids and makes sure his tours are an absolute joy. My son and I booked the 7:00 pm tour and it was awesome! He took us into the heart of Caddo Lake and taught us more about the lake and its wildlife in two hours than I could have learned from reading any book. We are still talking about it and all the cool things we saw. There is too much to the experience to list here. He is really passionate about the lake and wants to share it with everyone. That type of enthusiasm is contagious and makes the experience even more meaningful. Thanks Captain Ron! read more

My husband and I can not recommend this tour enough! It was a great price and a wonderful experience. Captain Ron truly made the trip special. As he was so friendly, knowledgeable, and full of stories throughout the trip. His passion for his job is evident, and he shares his love of the bayou and lake in such a way that will have you yearning to come back. 10/10 would recommend! read more

See all

One of the best lake tours i have done. $25 per person for 90+ mins is a steal. Do go for this tour if you are there. Captain Ron is very knowledgeable and tells history in details. He is very nice and polite and deals with kids v well. A MUST do. You may or may not see alligators but i was okay with that. Ample of parking in restaurant parking lot and near Capt Rons swamp tour office. Boat was clean and blankets were available for those feeling cold... read more

See all

Enjoyed the tour and Captain Ron is charming and really knows his swamp! The only negative comment is that the boat needs a new sound system as hearing all the interesting commentary was challenging. read more

If you are in Texas, make sure you take the tour on Caddo Lake. The place is so surreal , amazing and straight out of a horror movie. Captain Ron is very fun and provides a lot of info about the lake and its history. The tour is around 1.5 hrs and $25/person. Free parking Big Pines Lodge restaurant next to it Friendly staff Caddo lake state park - 12 min read more

See all

This was one of the only tours open on Easter. We stumbled upon it because they launch from the Big Pines Lodge (See my review for that), which is where we were eating when we saw a prior tour take off. The office is across the street and parking lot from the dock. I went in and they had spots for the last tour of the day so we signed up. They were punctual and kids are required to wear life jackets. They had their dog join us on the boat as well and he was chill. The tour was very interesting and went deep into the lake. We got to see the cool cypresses effortlessly as we floated for most of the tour. You also see a lot of the homes on the lake tour. Ron spent extra time with us extending the tour to show us some extra things. His stories and jokes were like those of a crazy uncle, perfect for the vibe and location we were at. read more

If your interested in nature or the outdoors, this is for you! I thought tickets were cheap for the GREAT time we had. Fireman Ron was our captain, and he did a great job. This guy DOES like to talk! The 28 foot pontoon boat holds 16, and we had 10. Just right. Leaving from the Big Pines Lodge, we took off down the river, checking out all the great houses and docks. Yes, you need the lotto to afford one of these! Pretty soon, we entered a side channel, and within 10 minutes, we were in the "swamp". This is the largest bald cypress forest in the world, and it is awesome! Ron told us all about the trees, the birds, the fish, and yes, the alligators! The sights, sounds,and history of this place are amazing. Many years ago, this was actually a shipping channel. An hour and a half later, we were back at the dock. What an awesome adventure! I guarantee you and your family will enjoy this. I'll be back for sure! read more

See all

My family and I enjoyed our visit. We got to hold some animals and the guide was knowledgeable. It is worth a visit.

What a great experience! Captain Ron obviously loves his job and has a soft spot for Caddo Lake and its inhabitants. He shares his extensive knowledge of and love for the Lake with his guests while also making everyone on the boat laugh. Panda the dog is adorable! We really enjoyed her singing and how she sweetly chose us to lie next to on the tour. The Lake is surreal! It's definitely one of the most unique places you'll ever see. read more

See all

Captain Ron was very informative during his tour. We would definitely go again! The river he took us on was beautiful. read more

Highlight of our trip!!! Just the right amount of time...great guide who was friendly and informative without being "rehearsed" . The lake is stunning and this was the way to tour it! read more

The captain seemed like a genuinely good person which is refreshing. He not only was very knowledgeable on the local history but he scooped up litter in the lake and made sure the kayakers were staying hydrated. Government Ditch was so pretty. His boat was clean. read more

Amazing people, and beautiful scenery. Captain Ron is a great person and a wonderful represtative for the state of Texas. read more

Captain Ron's Swamp Tours - Boat Tours Near Me

Had a wonderful time with my kids and grandchildren. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The boat was easy to walk around and stand to get pictures. An easy leisurely ride in a beautiful area. You can bring a cooler of drinks and snacks and they are leaving plenty of distance between groups for social distancing. We had no trouble with bugs, we thought we would, but no. After our morning tour we had lunch at the restaurant. They were also very diligent about social distancing. The food was great and it,was very comfortable. We even tried the alligator and it was great! read more

You never know what nature has to offer until you venture into the unknown! My wife and I took the one-hour tour with Captain Ron's Swamp Tours today and had a blast! Our tour guide Ron (not THE Captain Ron!) was super friendly, informative, and a wonderful host. This is not one of those "quickly run down the river and back" tours. Ron took his time, was always willing to stop the boat and talk with us if we saw something interesting, and was a wealth of knowledge. The time flew by and soon we were back at the dock. I'd do this trip again in a heartbeat. read more

See all

I would definitely recommend! My teenage kids and I loved the experience. Not only was the scenery amazing, but we learned a whole lot about the area. Much better than trying to initially explore on our own. Book this tour, you won't regret it! read more

What an amazing experience! Firefighter Ron (not to be confused with Capt. Ron) was an awesome and fantastic guide! He knew the history and shared many stories of the lore. Very educational, fun and super friendly. He felt like a meme we oof the family by the time we left! We will definitely be back to visit both Ron's and of course the amazing Panda! (The dog) read more

Had a blast! Informative, beautiful and history. Captain Ron was a great host. Will definitely go back again.

We loved our swamp tour! Ron was very charming and full of interesting local information. Perfect amount of time out on the bayou, especially since we were out in the afternoon in August. The Cyprus trees were beautiful and it was great being out there in the unspoiled part of the lake. Oh and Panda the Dog was so sweet! read more

See all

We had a great time on the tour with Fireman Ron as our guide. He was very knowledgeable about Caddo Lake, its history, animals, plants and trees. We learned new things about cypress tree growth process and the lore of the area. Highly recommend taking the tour. read more

See all

10/10 best swamp tour around. Ron was very educated on the area and gave a lot of cool information. Trip was fun I would definitely go again! read more

Captain Ron was brilliant at storytelling and had an obvious love of the area and the river. We learned so much. The kids were engaged the whole time and he interacted with them. Saw so many beautiful birds and the covered boat was a welcome relief from the sun. Do not miss this opportunity! Must see for families and history buffs. read more

Captain Ron's Swamp Tours - Boat Tours Near Me

You'll go deep into the piney woods with swampy Ron. Cheesy jokes come easy. Thanks, Ron for a great tour and for wrestling that alligator off the ship. Day was saved. Feel good about this tour! read more

Captain Ron's Swamp Tours - Boat Tours Near Me

Words can't describe the amazing scenery! And Panda, the dog, made it even better! HIGHLY recommend this Tour. read more

Captain Ron's Swamp Tours - Captain and his 1st Mate, Panda - Boat Tours Near Me

See all

Captain Ron was fun and provided an excellent tour! Panda was so fun and sweet, too! The swamp is AMAAAAAAAZING! I went alone and there was one other couple. The boat was very clean and comfortable. Very highly recommend to anyone visiting east Texas. read more

Our family of 6 thoroughly enjoyed this tour. The tour started promptly at designated time. He was equipped with all safety equipment. He knew the forecast for weather that day. He was friendly, humorous, knowledgeable of lake ecosystem and history, and even had his trusty sidekick Panda helping him out. We would, definitely, recommend and take this tour again. We have already started making plans to go back another time of year to experience the lake with Captain Ron. read more

This was such a fun and memorable experience for my kids and I. My daughter who is 7 fell asleep about half way into the trip, but she has been eagerly telling everyone what she learned about moss and cypress trees. My twelve year-old probably got the most out of it. Later during our visit to the nature preserve, when I was trying to figure out what part of the lake we were at he reminded me of what Captain Ron had said and explained the lake's navigation lettering system. Aside from being educational, the guide made the tour exciting and interesting. I was so busy taking pictures of all the awe-inspiring natural wonders on the lake that I'm sure I missed some things, but I really appreciated how he engaged us in the tour. The boat was very nice too, both clean and comfortable. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and highly recommend it. read more

Boring!! Unevntful!! Misleading!!! Number of wildlife species seen - ZERO Number of birds seen - Zero Number of alligators or other marine life seen - Zero There are much better Caddo Lake Tours than this one in the area in our opinion. Please take our advice and stay as far away from this operation as possible. We feel we were grossly misled and their main objective is to first fill the boat with tourists and try to use as little gas as possible. This is sad as we are well traveled and have been on numerous tours throughout the world, none of which were as poorly conducted and misleading as this one was in our view. They actually, if you can believe this, resorted to name calling when all we were trying to do is tell them of how we felt about the tour. What was supposed to be the highlight of the day sadly turned into a nightmare. Yes, it was that bad in our opinion. Again, please take our advice and use another tour operation that will actually let you see more of Caddo Lake and not tie the boat up to a tree for thirty minutes of an 80 minute tour while the guide ramples on and on and on. Just a horrible and incredibly waste of time and money. Also need to mention that they do not keep to their scheduled time as we were 25 minutes late getting back and missed our dinner reservations because we were sitting in the water having to listen to this guide yammer on and on and on. So sad in this day and time that this particular tour operation chooses to operate their business, if you can call it, that in this manner. Again, so sad! read more

We went to Texas for a job hunt and didn't find what we were looking for. We turned it into a vacation and came across Captain Rons tour. This was by far the best part of our trip. Captain Ron is so friendly and his first mate is great. The tour was absolutely one of the coolest things I've done. We are from CA and don't have lakes like that. We bought shirts and even considered buying his business as he had it for sale! I highly recommend this trip!! read more

Captain Ron's swamp tour was worth the money! We enjoyed Cap'n Ron's vast knowledge and love of Caddo Lake. He was very personable and enjoys giving the tours and it shows. I enjoyed meeting Panda and having her sit next to me during the trip. Make sure to make a reservation before you want to go, their tours fill up fast. a good sign of a good business. Make sure to talk to the lady that works in the office, she is delightful! read more

This was a great experience! The pontoon boat ride was very relaxing and Captain Ron was a delight. We went with three teenagers who all loved the tour. Highly recommend this trip for any age. read more

Our tour was with Captain Howard. The tour is on an extremely comfortable pontoon boat. Captain Howard has been around these parts a long time and explains the details of the history of the area during the tour. The tour wanders through a swap of exceptionally large cypress trees on Big Cypress Bayou, it's simply breathtaking. The destination was Pine Island Pond with a very old metal duck blind from years ago. This was a very pleasant experience, very economical and worth taking your time to experience. read more

Got lost with my car GPS, but finally found the place with the phone GPS. Very nice friendly , interesting, tour. Quite, beautiful, worth the trip, highly recommend. Good for adults, families, children. read more

We wanted to take a trip somewhere that wasn't too far from home (Dallas) and where we could social distance. We've always wanted to see the swamps, so we booked a tour on Captain Ron's boat. Big Pines Lodge wasn't open yet as we had booked the earliest time slot, but the lady in the office let us know there was a porta potty outside we could use. The boat says it holds 16 people, but there were 12 of us onboard and I'm not sure how comfortable it would have been with 4 more. There were two kids, both wearing life jackets. Fireman Ron was a wonderful guide, super friendly, and knowledgeable about the area. He did say the morning shift wasn't the best to see the swamp wildlife, but we actually did end up seeing a small gator and a heron! We had no issues with bugs at all. We had purchased day passes to Caddo Lake state park, so we didn't try the restaurant after our tour ended, though it had a nice dining area on the porch overlooking the river. I would recommend going on this tour, and then going back and kayaking or canoeing through the swamps, it is magical! read more

We took a Swamp Tour with Capt Ron for our daughter's 40th birthday, with a surprise birthday party at the Big Pines Lodge immediately after. There were 8 people in our group, ranging in age from 14-67. Everyone soooooo enjoyed the swamp tour! Capt Ron is very knowledgeable about Big Cypress Creek and Caddo Lake. He told stories, educated us about plants and wildlife, and made us laugh! It was absolutely beautiful and such a mysterious and peaceful setting. We are already making plans to return and encourage others to give it a go! It was money well spent. Thank you, Capt Ron!! read more