Friendly staff. Calm and relaxing float trip, with some rapids, but nothing to crazy. Fun family…read moretrip.

So I must have been to this place a couple of dozen times over the years and for good reason…read more Actually, for a variety of good reasons. Sometimes in life you say to yourself, "I should be paddling down a river in a kayak", and then you realize the logistical issues of actually doing that. You can't predict the Cahaba which runs through Birmingham. Is it moving too fast today? Is the water so low that my boat will just scrape the rocks at the bottom? Unless you're a seasoned kayaker it's best not to risk being out in unpredictable waters and so you need a place to go where you can know what to expect. Coosa River Adventures is that place. Good, clean family run business. Wide variety of sit-on-top kayaks that won't sink. Rent everything you need for 29 bucks, take a bus ride down to Jordan dam and paddle your way back to your car. The section of river that you're on starts at the bottom of Jordan dam, and so since they know on a daily basis what the flow rate of the dam is, they know the conditions of the river as well. Predictable water is critical for someone who wants to enjoy the day without having anxiety about whether they might encounter dangerous conditions. You can give them a call and they'll have information about the flow rate which can help you plan your trip. 2000cfm is slow, low and easy. 4000cfm is still nothing to worry about. 6000cfm is a little more adventurous. 8000 is about the higgest flow rate you'll see and it can get a little choppy in places. Once a year or so they run 10000cfm for a whitewater festival which can be a blast, but expect to fall out of your boat at least once. Over the 7 to 8 mile stretch there are a variety of small islands, rock formations etc where you can stop for a break, have a picnic, take a nap in the blistering sun or open up your dry box and take a few pics. The main rapid, known as "moccasin gap" can be categorized as class 3 depending on the flow of the river. The other small rapids are generally just little bits of choppy water that liven up the trip. An important thing to note is that the river is very wide, and so if you have no interest in paddling through any rapids, you can easily bypass them and just float peacefully along. Fun for everyone. A few tips....don't litter, don't take off your life jacket and then fall out of your boat. Don't lose your boat or paddle. Don't get so intoxicated that you fall down on a slippery rock and crack your skull. Do bring a dry box, pelican case or whatever to keep your stuff dry. Do tie that to your boat. Do pack some bottles of water and some snacks for the trip. Do call ahead and make a reservation to help them plan for how many boats they're going to need to ferry down to the starting point. The shuttles run at 9am, 11am and 1pm and it takes between 3 to 6 hours to finish the trip depending on the flow rate of the river and how fast you decide to paddle. Get there early. There's a brief sign in/safety meeting and then you're on the bus and on your way. So all in all this place is pretty amazing. Really friendly and down to Earth people, a safe, predictable section of river which has rapids for those who want them and byways for those who don't. They'll rent you everything you need and they have a small shop for picking up extras that you might want. The facilities are a bit rustic, but more than adequate and the prices are good especially if you consider that they may be the only people around really offering what they're offering. Definitely worth the trip if you decide that paddling down a river is something you want to do.

I couldn't have asked for a better first white water rafting experience than with whitewater…read moreexpress! My boyfriend booked us a trip on Saturday, it was both our first time and Jackson was an absolute champ. He was so knowledgeable about the river, its history (very rich history here), and we had such a fun experience doing the classic trip. He made sure we were suited up right, checked on us, we felt safe the entire time. We've definitely unlocked a new hobby! The day was super nice, we even got to surf and float down part of the lazy river. Jackson also literally carried our group- he was very mindful of us and made sure we were safe and not over-exert as well. Will 100% be back for the challenger trip next time when I come to visit :) also zip-lining! Whitewater Express also has a lot of equipment at their store- so check it out before and after your excursion! Definitely very useful and practical (like water shoes, chacos, sunglasses, fishing gear, and a lot of outdoor gear), in addition to great merch.

They are very friendly and lots of choices in their store if you need outdoorsy outfit and gears…read more The tour guide was friendly and the tour was very educational historical about the city. Make sure to arrive early to get enough parking spot specially during the weekend due to Farmers Market. All in all it was a great experience. If you want an adventure do their extreme option.

Really enjoyed our experience. We rented 3 kayaks for half the day. They drove us up to the dam and…read morewe then kayaked down. We basically had the whole river to ourselves. The amount of time it takes to get down does vary so we took less time than expected but still had fun. When I voiced a little bit of confusion on timing, they did a great job reaching out to clear things up and make them right. Definitely will be renting from them again!

We drove from Atlanta to find a fishing spot. After trying downtown Columbus, Lake Oliver and a…read morecouple of other spots with no bites, we happened on the dam at Hardley Creek Recreation Area. Some other anglers were hitting on Stripers with some Bucktail jigs. My 14 yr old son was determined he was going to get one of them so I got on Google Maps and found the nearest fishing supply store. Matt answered the phone. He was so pleasant and helpful. He told me exactly what kind of jigs we needed. He knows because he is a regular angler at that same spot. He fished for a long time without any bites. As soon as we got the jigs from Matt he caught fish on the 3rd cast. Who better to sell you the supplies than the guy that catches the fish. He showed me lots of pictures on his phone of his recent catches. The service and prices were great. I really enjoyed meeting this young man - and what a beautiful, well-stocked store he has. He will treat you just like family. Well, my son caught several large stripers with Matt's help and advice. We had a wonderful day. I hope you take time to go my and meet him and let him help you hook the big ones.

Awesome experience! First let me say how kind and amazing Calley that answered the phone was. We…read moreare from out of town, camping in our 5th wheel 45 min. away with our 2 big dogs, and storms were headed to the area. We had a noon classic trip planned but we're concerned with the oncoming storms the power might go out while we were gone for over 3 hours, and it be life threatening heat to our dogs. She rescheduled us for a later time that day, and said we could call and check later to be sure it would work. It all worked out perfect. Then we had a very fun experience with our guide Leo. Would recommend this experience overall!

Bought a Groupon here for the classic ride for me and my children. It was their 1st time rafting…read moreand we had a blast!! Rafting through the middle of a town was a first for me. So that gave this rafting experience a whole other dimension I don't usually experience on the river. The guides were knowledgeable, skilled and entertaining. Everything you want, right? The trip was just the right amount of adventure for us, plenty of splashes and drops to pump the heart, but not so much that it ceases to be fun. Extra kudos to the staff for mailing back my daughter's necklace she accidentally left behind in the dry bag for safe keeping. I would recommend this company to anyone.

Awesome friendly staff got us safely to the launch and gave us lots of great information on the…read moreway. The creek is beautiful and it's a 6 mile float back to the takeout which was clearly marked. The pvc rails made it easy to get our kayaks out instead of having to carry them up the stairs. Highly recommended!

Big Wills Outfitters is family operated. very responsive and really nice folks. 6 miles down the…read moreriver with mile markers. beautiful easy float. mostly shaded by all the trees along the river bank. it was a little low this time of year but we had it to ourselves on a Thursday afternoon except for the two cows in the river!! but they were nice. also, it's always nice to get out where your car is parked. They sell paddles and waterproof bags in their cute little shop. cash only.

Fantastic experience kayaking the Chattahoochee! We had a group of 6 fairly inexperienced kayakers,…read moreand the staff here were very friendly and helpful. The river was quiet, very wide, and easy to paddle and navigate. Several spots had small rapids, but were fun and little water got into the boats. The boats and paddles were very well kept and comfortable. Reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that we had to wait a very long time for the shuttle to pick us up. They also seemed a little disorganized. But overall we had a great experience and would definitely do it again.

We enjoyed great weather and smooth waters for a group of five of us novice kayakers. Chris took…read moregreat care of us and Peter did a wonderful job of shuttling us to/from Banning Mills.

This is no longer open. Had to shut down due to the pandemic. Didn't get a chance to do thisread more

Been here over the summer. Great fun, owner was very nice and accommodating. Will go again.read more

I'm not a fan of heights - well at least not a fan of falling from heights!…read more The things we do for our Kids right?! I got a great deal for this via Groupon - so definitely check that out before booking. All of the folks that I spoke with on the phone & in person were super helpful! We booked the Full Adventure - 4 hours of zip lining & aerial course thru the treetops! One time thru all the zip lines & aerial course took close to two hours and we had things to ourselves! I was glad to see all of the safety inspections & instruction given. This was done throughout our experience. Three staff members went with us & each made sure that we had fun - but were very safe! The two main zip lines run over 1000 feet and take you across the Georgia/Alabama line and over the Chattahoochee River twice! There's a series of 6 smaller zip lines on the GA side that take you flying thru the trees! This was a most excellent adventure and I look forward to doing it again!

Me and my wife had an amazing time with some awesome guides, beautiful views, and new adventures…read more with rafting and zip lining. Needless to say they're a must if you're around the area. I see many more trips in the future!

Went to this business looking for a place to spend a couple of hours with my grandchildren…read more. Location was easy to find and very clean. The employee that was there was very courteous and Respectful told us the instructions in simple English so we would not get lost . It is a lot of upper extremity exercise besidesthat very enjoyable we'll recommend this place and we'll be back in the future.

I love this place. Their rates are great and they work with groups. The owner was really nice and…read moretold us about the business. There is a really cute shop inside where you can get necessities for a fun day on the river. I strongly recommend that you visit next time you are in Phoenix City or Columbus.