I can't begin to tell you how gorgeous this lake is. What a hidden gem! I'm a native of AZ and only…read morejust recently learned about Blue Ridge Reservoir (also known as C.C. Cragin). I almost didn't want to review it because I want to keep it all to myself. Because it is so narrow, it almost looks like a river. Blue Ridge is 8 miles end-to-end and is stocked with rainbow and brown trout. It is a popular destination for canoers and kayakers because of restrictions to motor boats more than 10 horsepower. I could have floated on this water for hours. The scenery at Blue Ridge reservoir is beautiful. It's located off Highway 87 about 30 miles north of Strawberry on the Mogollon Rim. There is only one convenience store with gas pumps nearby and no cell service. Rock Crossing Campground is the only organized campsite nearby if you want to stay overnight. The great thing is there are no permits needed or fees to enter Blue Ridge Reservoir. But it does get crowded at times and Forest Service workers will only allow one car at a time to enter when the lot is full. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle as the gravel road to the reservoir can get pretty bumpy. There is a bathroom on site at the overflow parking lot. Blue Ridge Reservoir is very peaceful and relaxing. I went over Memorial Weekend and it wasn't too crowed at all. It's definitely worth camping nearby so you can spend a full day here.

Great day here! Much larger than anticipated. Beautiful location within Coconino National Forest…read more Apparently this road is not open year round, nor are some of the local camprounds. Gravel forest road that any car can drive but beware of some deep ruts in areas. Vault toilets in upper parking lot. Nice concrete boat ramp. Jealous of those that were camping via kayaks.

We rented a couple of Kayaks over memorial day weekend. They delivered them to our place in Happy…read moreJack for a very good price. Explained all the equipment and how to load and tie them into our truck. Very nice equipment. Came with nice life jackets, paddles and pool noodles to get into the water if we wanted. The kayaks had a drink holder and a place for gear. Very light to lift and carry. Easy to work with. Thanks Happy Yak rentals. If you are in the Happy Jack area and want something fun to do as a family, this is the way to go. They have many kayaks and if you rent ~6-8, then they have a trailer or I image that they can meet you at the water also. Great fun the the family. FB messenger is the best way to get a hold of them https://www.facebook.com/HappyYakRentals

Everything went well! Jeff is an incredible person to work with and accommodated us very last…read moreminute on a holiday weekend. He has a great supply of non motorized watercraft to rent. I definitely will rent from them again!

Best experience in renting a boat I've ever had. Boat was very well maintained and Jeff was…read moreflexible and accommodating. I will rent again when in the area. Great experience.

Beautiful Lake Mary, Flagstaff Arizona!! Decided to come…read moreand have a look at Lake Mary unfortunately Lower Lake Mary is a dry land with weeds growing in it but Upper Lake Mary has some remnants of a water or like that used to be full at one time water is dirty but a nice view to see. People here are very active so you see a lot of people walking their dogs on the trail of Lake Mary.

Everyone note: this rental shop is not near the lake. Therefore they have to tie the rented kayak…read more(etc) to you own vehicle. The distance is about five miles on the highway and there is a $9 park charge to launch into the lake. Just a heads up as I don't believe this is clear going into it.

I met Dylan over a year ago at a networking event, and ever since, I've been excited to share his…read moreincredible services. He owns Buzzed Up Adventures, where he and his team offer exhilarating guided kayak tours through Arizona's stunning waterways, like the Salt River, along with kayak and SUP paddleboard rentals. Dylan provides an unforgettable experience for visitors and locals alike who want to explore water sports outdoors. His top-quality equipment and thorough preparation ensure a fun, safe, and memorable adventure, all at competitive rates. Having lived in AZ since 2014, I was amazed to discover his services and am so grateful we connected. I highly recommend Dylan to anyone seeking a fantastic Kayak or SUP experience. AAA+++.

Dylan is incredible! He is insanely knowledgeable about the Salt River and provides such a safe and…read morefun environment out on the water. My wife and I had a few out-of-town friends in town and decided to hit up Buzzed Up Adventures for a summer friendly activity in the Valley. Dylan was very communicative and professional when coordinating with him. He was on-time the morning of our float and even had some coolers available for us to use that he stocked with ice and water. Dylan got the 6 of us all loaded into our kayaks and onto the water after a few quick admin things. Dylan gave us options on the river of different paths we could take, took some group photos for us, and taught us about some of the wildlife in the area. We ended up seeing close to 40 wild horses that were gorgeous! Having a guide like Dylan took a lot of stress and planning out of our hands, which we are forever grateful. I will definitely be booking more floats in the future with Buzzed Up Adventures!

My husband and I took their 7 day trip through the Grand Canyon several years ago (2006). We had…read morethe best time! Still thinking about it 20 years later.

Just got off the Colorado River after a full Grand Canyon motorized trip. Everything, and I mean…read moreEVERYTHING was over the top excellent. This company truly cares about their customers' experience which is evident in the attention given to all details. The meals were efficiently and tastily prepared, using many organic ingredients. Nice firm cots were greatly appreciated. The crew were readily available for all needs and made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. Crew leader JayJay was an exceptional guide and took no frivolous chances, making sure to scout big water rapids for possible changes due to water level fluctuations. I have to mention that the canyon knowledge these crew members shared was fascinating and the story telling was riveting! Lisa, the Botanist was an added bonus that taught us much about the canyon flora. She was so passionate and enthusiastic about the subject that even my "non-interested" husband got caught up in identifying plants. The Grand Canyon of course speaks for itself and will take your breath away over and over again.

Had a fun time on the river in tubes. This is a slow relaxing float with some areas where you will…read moreneed to use the ping pong paddles to make it to the next section. Expect 3.5-4 hours on the water.

We booked a kayak rental for eight and enjoyed our time. We followed the white van with the kayaks…read moreand agreed to leave the kayaks by the lounge bear the parking. The trip down the river was spectacular, easy float and so much fun. Be aware: when we arrived back, getting out of the kayak was close to impossible but we did it. We left the kayaks by the water, as requested. Up hill we met with a female driver asking us to bring all the kayaks up hill and load them on her truck, she even insisted that we will not drag the kayaks but lift them from the ground, a two people effort. This was very difficult as we were a group of elderly with hip and kneee issues. We were not informed upon booking that we will have to deal with hard work after 3 hours on the river. Some of us needed some time to get used to walking on the ground, had a little imbalance. Not acceptable. And I cannot recommend this company due to this difficult end of trip experience.

My partner and I had a great experience renting kayaks from Michelle! The kayak rental was…read morestraightforward, smooth, and lots of fun :) The assistance in attaching the kayaks to the car was also very appreciated. What a great way to enjoy the beauty of Payson and Willow Lake Pros: Responsiveness: Michelle was incredibly responsive and helpful over text! She was clear and prompt and great to communicate with. Help with securing kayaks: Michelle and her friend helped my partner and I secure kayaks to the car, and were patient with us as we figured out the best way to get them stacked and loaded. Flexibility: Michelle was flexible to our needs and allowed us to keep the kayaks as long as we wanted, and was there to give us the kayaks and coordinate the drop off as well. Straightforward pricing: Pricing was clear and straightforward and just as stated on the website and in all communication with Michelle. The Kayaks were $45 for a full day of use! Convenient location to Payson and Willow Lake: We were staying in Payson, and the kayak pick-up and drop off point was incredibly convenient. Dog friendly: Our pups enjoyed getting in the kayak, as seen in the pictures! They had a great day as well! Michelle's dogs were also at the kayak pick-up site, and we had so much fun petting them and playing with them. Cons: No cons to speak of! I will happily rent a Kayak from Michelle in the future!

What a great way to explore the lake. We rented two kayaks from Rim Country and they made it super…read moreeasy. I drive a convertible so no picking up kayaks for me! They drop them right off at the top of the hill where you can dump them in the water and they come and pick them up as well. Make sure you make a reservation.

Jack and the staff were amazing. Extremely informative on the inflatable kayak trip and what to…read moreexpect on the river. We had an awesome time and highly recommend booking with this company. We ll return as well.

Located in cottonwood about 1 hour south of Sedona. Fun fun fun! I want to go again 10 times!…read more This is usually a self guided kayak excursion. Ben came with us today, a special treat and he is amazing, had knowledge of the river, plants, birds. He made sure everyone was safe and had a good experience. The time on the website and email are slightly off. It says 10:00a to 1:00p. This is more than enough. Meeting time is 8:45a and you need to be at meeting area by 9:00a. Then you get on a shuttle for a 10 minute drive to go up river where you will launch. So you car is at the end point of kayaking. We got a tandem inflatable kayak which cost about $150 for 2 people. There are taxes and don't forget gratuities, in cash. Don't know if they take venmo or Zelle. The adventure...so most of it is easy slow floating. There are a few spots where it flows faster and you may have to steer trees and rocks. We came in last week of August, so low water season. The river is only 3-4 feet deep in the majority of places. The weather was perfect today at around 70sF near 9:00a and around 82F at 10:00a. High is 88F at 2-3p. It rained in the last few days so we got very fast flow and completed our trip from 9:00 to 11:15am ish. We were down changing and in the car by 11:30a. In the 2.5 duration, you may get out on land halfway and take a snack / water break and stretch legs for circulation. We were told that high water season is spring. Something about May being the month where they let water out so water is lower then as well. The Verde river provides water to Phoenix. You can be all levels and come. The guide will give you general instructions in the beginning and provide life vests. All ages kids and toddlers can come. If your kid is smaller than perhaps age 12, you may need to bring your own baby or kid sized life vest for them. Your butt and arms, and bag will be wet. They suggest a zip lock bag to hold your phone and wallet, but bring any backpack. It will get a little muddy from your feet (just clean it at home). Definitely need hat, sunglasses. Suggest to bring 1-2 liters of water and snacks. You have time to eat 1 hour in on the land. Suggest you to wear swim suit or quick dry T shirt, and board shorts (for surfing, boogie boarding) or quick dry hiking shorts and water shoes like Teva. There is a lot of trees on the route but you'll get sun. They do not take more than 11-12 people at a time. I hope this helps. I look forward to coming again.

I recommend Adventuring Arizona for kayaking. They are just $39 per kayak and they provide PFD'S as…read morewell as dry boxes if you wish to bring along your camera or phones, or anything you'd want protected from the water! For an extra $10 they'll deliver up to the first three, to your desired location. That's awesome!! Support your local businesses.