Always a great time, friendly and knowledgeable guides. a great way to spend the day in the Hudson valley.

Update Sept 10, 2020: I've taken off 2 stars to reflect a lack of communication from the company to clear up an issue. I've emailed both email addresses and called multiple times. No reply/answer. So the package of pre-season tours I bought cost $120. It was for two 2- person tours, with an regular value of $240. First, the coupon code generated never worked. I had to call and email to get them to confirm that I actually got booked for the tours I wanted. Thankfully, they got back via email fairly quickly. But, I also realized that the prices online were $25-30 per tour per person for their regular tours. So, my preseason coupons were actually MORE expensive than had I just booked it regularly online. Technically, after two tours x 2 people I would still have at least $10 left on the account. Or do I still have $130 left since regular value was $240?? If they made a mistake with their promotion, fine. I just wanted an explanation. I'm not looking to get more than the original 4 spots out of that coupon. However, after multiple emails and calls. I still haven't gotten answer. That's just not professional. And I'm also not looking to get back the $10 that may still be on the account. We had a great time. And I left the tour guides a generous tip each time. The company needs to look into their promotions and make sure their customers are getting what they're paying for. And, it needs to answer emails. I can understand being understaffed, esp during Covid, and being unable to answer your phone all the times. But, emails...no answer for 2 weeks now. Inexcusable. read more

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I have used this kayak tour 4 times ..And three in 2019 -2022 were good but this year's trip was a mess . Bought tickets in advance and tried for OVER ONE MONTH to book a trip with no response from email or Vm .. When we finally booked the trip , the guide seemed different than the ones I had had ..and he was . the kayak one of our party got had a very bad crack in it and his kayak filled up within 10 min from shore ..the guide kayak that the guide gave him also had a leak .. while we waited , guide went back for a new one for himself When we finally got to Bannerman , there was no talk give as in the past NONE . Then back home ,. Guide remarked that I can't guide this crew they are all type As ..??????? Very angry about lack of safety checks, the leak was obvious and the kayaks were obviously not checked prior to the trip .. We left in the river for over 30 min with no guide ..and no directions given. Between the very poor communication and the lack of safety concerns , will never use them again read more

I went on the Bannerman Island tour and YES it was a great experience, but a very tiring one as well. The staff was very professional, but a little bit unorganized in the beginning. The one thing I do not like about this tour is you starve to death. I do not like to complain but just be prepared to get really tired and hungry. This tour is perfect if you are into sightseeing and live an active lifestyle. I really give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. read more

Mountain Valley Guides - The front - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York

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I've been kayaking with MVG for years now and always have a great time. Staff is always friendly and helpful. My last two times with MVG I participated in the sunset tour (make sure to check the start time as the summer goes on because it does get earlier and earlier!). Our guide Brian packed beers, seltzers, Mike's Hard and we had "happy hour", once on the beach and another in the water. Great experience and so great to get away from the stale recycled air of my apartment. read more

Mountain Valley Guides - Post sunset kayak tour - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York

Had my third tour with MVG today. We did paddles & pints and the tour was awesome. Brian is an informative and patient guide and was able to help first timers without making anyone feel dumb! Will definitely keep coming back. read more

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This was so much fun!! The kayaking weekend great and the breweries were awesome. Brian was the best tour guide and made the experience so much better. Highly recommend!! read more

Great guide company from start to finish. A group of 4 of us used a group on coupon for a 2 hour kayak paddle from cornwall to bannermans castle. Service was great. New good condition equipment was provided, kayaks, paddle, and life vest. The paddle and kayak were super smooth and fast. Guides provided great history about the hudson river, the area, and bannermans island and castle and kept everyone safe and together. 2 groups broke apart a slower group and faster group but we were all maintained together. They gave a short instructional paddle lesson as well. The kayak docking and casting off area was well maintained and super easy to dock to get in and out. Make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat, water, and some clothes you don't mind getting wet as well as water shoes. I'll be back to try their other trips as well. read more

This is a great place to experience kayaking the Hudson. The staff are really friendly and easily move from beginner- to experienced-level instruction in the blink of an eye, which was helpful for my mixed group of friends who ranged from noobs to pros. Our equipment was sturdy and well-maintained as well. Docked a star because none of the wildlife they promised we'd see was there during our tour. I know it's not something they can really control, but a little warning would have been nice. read more

A friend recommended them so decided to give it a try. Had so much fun!! Everyone was super friendly. The guide was so knowledgeable about the area. Seriously, already planning when to book our next trip with them!! read more

A group of 6 of us bought a groupon for this place. We ended up taking a 3 hour kayak tour of Bannerman Island. Our guide, Louie, was great. He was fun, informative, and friendly. One of our friends lost her water camera in the water and he actually tried going under a bunch of times trying to find it. Also he brought us to this cliff where we were able to jump from a cliff. Such a thrill!! Tip your guides- they work hard ! read more

Booked our 3rd trip with MVG this past Sunday - Paddle and Pints. Brian, our guide was amazing and helpful. We were a little unsure if we're going out at first, due to wind, and choppy water, but we ended up going out, and getting across just fine. The directions were helpful, with no issues. Beer places weren't crowded, which was nice and relaxing. read more

My family and I had a great trip with Mountain Valley Guides! We took the Bannerman's Island tour on a Saturday at 3:00. Here are some things you should know: 1. Their main office is in town. You can park along the street and check in with them. They'll give you a parking pass and direct you to drive a few minutes to the shore where you will meet your guides. There is plenty of parking. 2. Give your guide your keys and he/she will lock them up. Also, unless you want to take the chance of bringing it on your kayak, you can give them your phone. They'll store it in a dry bag on their kayak. Just ask them for it during the trip. Better yet, they will take the picture for you! 3. After a brief, helpful lesson, into the water you go! You'll paddle north just for a bit, then cut across the Hudson. This part was difficult for me as I don't kayak often. It's quite the upper body workout! But there is time to rest when you get to the other side. 4. Our guides, Sean (sp?) and Blane were great. Once we got to Bannerman's Island, we pulled into a little cove and Sean gave us a quick history. We paddled all around the island (easy). There were a few great photo ops and Sean took a great photo of my family. 5. Back out onto the river going downstream this time, which was effortless. You can really move fast with the current! 6. There is an opportunity to stop and jump into the Hudson if want. The guides helped those who did back into their kayaks. 7. Then you have to paddle across the Hudson again, back to where you started. I'm summary, I highly recommend taking a trip with Mountain Valley Guides. The staff was very helpful and our guides - shout out to Sean and Blane! - were fantastic. Don't forget to tip them at the end, they deserve it. We made a day out of it by hiking Storm King Mountain State Park (I recommend), then lunch at Twins Eating House (highly recommend), then kayaking. All 3 places are within 10 minutes of each other. read more

Purchased a two hour kayak on Groupon for two and had an amazing experience. From start to finish the staff was friendly and extremely patient. About 20 if us went on the 2 hour tour which gave us the opportunity to see Bannerman Island. It was a beautiful day on the Hudson and I was extremely nervous being that I'm not a swimmer. The guides were very informative and quickly put me at ease. The guide even helped us out by recommending a great trail after expressing that we wanted to go hiking after. I would highly recommend this company! Definitely worth the price! read more

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Best Of the Best Kayak Guide on the Hudson River

Our guides were great! They made sure everyone was safe and had a good experience. It was easy to book and find the location.

This was such a FUN tour! I found a Groupon for kayaking for two people and chose the Bannerman Island tour at 3-5pm. You meet at the company's location and then they hand out parking passes and you meet them down by the water. It was a little confusing getting to the correct place on the Hudson, so we were late meeting the group down there and missed the instructional portion. It would have been nice if the company handed out some type of map to get from their location down to the water. The tour should have started by 3pm, but by the time everyone got in their kayaks and into the water it was probably closer to 3:20. Luckily, the tour itself was awesome! If you've never been kayaking before, this is a great way to start out. There were at least 2 employees with the group, so if you're having trouble someone was there to help. Plus, kayaking in itself is pretty easy to get the hang of. I'm so glad we did the Bannerman Island tour, it was really cool seeing the castle and learning a little history about the place. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you purchase the Groupon. read more

Amazing staff and tours! Views are beautiful, definitely a must if in the area. Very friendly, very through and just fantastic people all round. read more

We went on a sunset tour with the midweek special, Dylan was our tour guide. Our group was 4 people + guide. Dylan was great and made us feel really comfortable. It was an easy kayak experience with a gorgeous sunset! I highly recommend it! PS we are beginners at kayaking!!! read more

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Excellent Kayak tour at Cornwall-on-Hudson. Our guide took us down river to some small cliffs for Cliff Jumping (best, most exhilarating part of the trip), across the river for some beach time, and for a tour of Bannerman's Island. I thoroughly enjoyed three hours on the water. I highly recommend this tour to anyone in the area. read more

Took advantage of their infrequent Doggie Paddle trip. LOVED IT! The tour guides were great! My dogs seemed to give us the most trouble and the guides, Ben and Ben were amazing about helping us novice kayakers get the dogs back in the kayaks. I did reach out to them to ask how many dogs can come a month in advance and their answer was "however many can fit." I recommend not doing this! I brought 3 dogs thinking my friend can take one of them and I can keep two but the kayak is too small. It's much more comfortable with a human and 1 dog. I will definitely be back! read more

Mountain Valley Guides - Doggie Paddle trip - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York

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We did the Sneden's Landing tour from Hastings on Hudson. Super convenient if you don't have a car, as it is under a 5 minute walk from the train station. Kenji was our guide and he gave some good safety tips before we went out and did a good job, with one other guide, of keeping our group of 20 together and on track. We paddled over to the waterfall on the NJ shore, at the bottom of the State Line Lookout trail. The only drawback was that, because the group was so big, it took a long time to get going and to get everybody in and out of their kayaks at the waterfall. I'd suggest limiting the groups to a smaller # (It's currently 25), but I know that may not be cost effective for them. I would check out their other tours, though. We got a coupon through Amazon so it was only $60 for 2 hours for 2 people--a really great deal. read more

Mountain Valley Guides - Kayaks waiting to go at Hastings on Hudson. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York

So Much Fun! I have "sat" in a kayak, and maybe paddled a smidge, but was super nervous to take on the hudson and its many currents. HAVE NO FEAR. Our guide, Brian, was able to give us a little freedom, while making sure we were all BEYOND safe. I can't recommend this trip enough, to anyone who is looking for something a bit different in the area. read more

MVG has always been wonderful. Their guides (especially Ben, Tim, and Sarah) have been great on the tours I've been on. Very knowledgeable and helpful with beginners. They're also witty and have some great gems to share about the valley! Going back soon. read more

We signed up for the 9am Bannerman's kayaking tour 2.5 hrs. Sign up was done by phone and Bill and Ben were very easy to work with. They got us setup with 1 single and 1 tandem kayaks. Kayaks and equipment were clean and in good shape. Ben was our guide. He was great and knowledgeable about the area and helpful in guiding us throughout the tour. Great experience even for us first time kayakers. read more

Great find on groupon and thought the trip sounded interesting. We love being on the water. The staff was friendly and shared all about the history of Bannerman Island. We did the 2 hour tour around the island with 28 other kayakers. It was a beautiful fall day and very relaxing. Afterwards we had lunch on a golf course which had a beautiful view of the mountains. I highly recommend this company. It felt like a mini vacation! read more

I first and foremost want to say thAnk you to Shaun who was one of our guides. He was amazing and so patient. I was behind the group the entire time and he never once lost his patience with me. I even capsized twice and he basically made sure I was safe and not panic. Thank you Shaun for the wonderful experience. You are truly amazing! I def hope whoever comes to have Shaun as your guide mostly if you are a beginner like me! The landscape and history of the surrounding area was amazing and the views as well!!! read more

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It was my first time, and I think I did pretty good for a newbie. At least that's how I feel. You'll have to ask Bill and Kendra to confirm that! When we arrived at the office to check in for the Sunset Paddle in Cornwall. I had my knapsack with me asking will the thing fit in the kayak. Bill - and my friend had a great time poking fun at me about that one LOL. Okay, so I did have a lot of stuff....what, I didn't know! I thought those kayaks had some kind of storage cubby or something. Anyway, we drove down to the water, I left the sack in the trunk, put on my water shoes, grabbed my water and was ready to go. After going through basic instructions on how to paddle, turn, stop - what to do if you fall in etc. we got in the water. What did Bill say again? Paddle left to turn right or turn left? After a few hiccups, I finally got the hang of it and was on my way. I actually was able to relax and enjoy the beautiful sunset. After spending the afternoon hiking, it was the ending of a picture perfect day. Now, on the way back I'm really doing great, I'm paddling. I'm on track. I see the shore just ahead. All of a sudden, the wind and waves pick up and I'm paddling right, but the kayak and the waves had other ideas and I'm just going in circles. No worries, Kendra to the rescue! She hitched me up to the back of her kayak and helped me navigate back to shore and all was well with the world. We had a blast and can't wait to do it again. Thanks to Bill and Kendra for a great time! read more

Will not purchase from them ever again. Firstly, they are super hard to contact. We had to call and email multiple times before getting someone, and then we never received a confirmation email. When we arrived a few minutes late, they didn't allow us to join and told us we caused them to lose money Horrible service, after driving 2 hrs to attend. They claim the email said that we had to arrive 20 minutes early, but we never got that email. They refused to refund our money and want us to rescheudle to drive another 2 hrs. Never again. read more

These guys are my favorite. They know how to make you feel special and have fun on a trip. Amazing service and soo fun thing to do in summer. read more

We did a two hour Bannerman island tour yesterday which was awesome!! Our guides, Ben and Dylan, were a great combo of athletic (I felt in good hands and safe), knowledgable (they knew a great deal about the history of Pollepel Island and enjoyed the storytelling aspect as well) and funny (they kept us entertained). It's thrilling to know we paddled across the Hudson!! Do it!! read more

My girlfriend and I did paddles and pints last Sunday and it was an amazing time! Our two tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly, weather was perfect, and we got to try out some great local breweries. Would definitely recommend! read more

The guides are very knowledgeable and helpful to everyone. They made sure that stragglers were supported and encouraged and helped everyone get comfortable in the boats. The equipment was in excellent condition and the training was just enough to keep people safe, but not overdone. Excellent excursion! read more

Our group had a wonderful time kayaking with Mountain Valley Guides. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable, the 2-hours was just right (we were pretty tired coming back from the island), the kayaks were comfortable, and the views were great. I highly recommended doing their kayak tour on a beautiful day read more

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Great 2 hour kayak tour around Bannerman Castle. Very friendly, professional family operation. Would definitely try one of their other kayak adventures in the future. read more

Nothing but a good time. Did the sunset tour. Guides were friendly, helped everyone who needed it. It was relaxing and good exercise at the same time. Going to go again-try the Bannerman tour. Bring water. read more

Took our second kayak trip with MVG's this past weekend and it was another great day. Guides are great, scenery is beautiful, saw lots of wildlife including 2 bald eagles. I posted a more lengthy review 9/24/18 and gave it 5 stars last year also. We plan to go back again next year around the same time. read more

Went on the Bannerman Island tour this past Saturday and it was such a great experience. Our guide, Kyle, was not only a great instructor/guide, he knew LOTS about the island and its history. Will definitely come back for more. read more

Thank you for a great morning on the river, from Hastings today. The warm water and expert guidance made the unusual waves just fun fun fun for this average recreational kayaker, despite it being only my second time on the Hudson. I'll certainly be back. read more

4 of us were part of the 11:30 9/21/13 kayak tour from Hastings on Hudson. It was a complete disaster. Multiple people capsized and they did not have enough guides for this group of 20 people. We had to be rescued by a boat called by other kayakers. Mountain Valley Guides did not seem to be prepared for the conditions that arose that day. I do not recommend taking one of their kayak tours. read more