The area is absolutely breathtaking. There are lots of different things to do like hiking and…read morebirdwatching. There was a winter event when we visited and everyone was so inviting and welcoming.

We took a nice 2.5 mile hike and really enjoyed our hike at Glacial park. Trails are great and just…read morea truly beautiful part of illinois. The rolling hills are overall easy to moderate for the most part. The colors of trees where amazing at this time of year and really enjoyed the cooler weather as we hiked along the well maintained trails. We hiked the glacial park loop for about 2.3 miles and brought our dog who loved it! I would highly recommend heading to Glacial Park for this wonderful sights and wild life adventure!

What an amazing place! How did I not ever know about this? It is free for entrance otherwise it's a…read morefive dollar visitor fee. If you wish to go to the main beach, that's an additional $12 if you are not a resident of Crystal Lake. The grounds are immaculate, very well maintained, and the bathrooms are clean. There are two lakes, multiple pavilions that you can rent ahead of time. Lots of picnic tables for you to sit down. Near the bar and grill while you can't go in the water, you can take your drink and sit on one of the cheers on the beach. You can watch people practice on their WaveRunner. Swing on the swings at the bar and listen to great music. I did not have any food here. I did have an amazing Mojito. The bartender was a young man looking to join the Barrington police force. Polite, kind and also had great customer service skills. The reason why I didn't give it five stars is that there are absolutely no markings anywhere as to what trail you are on, how long of a trail it is, and where there may be porta potties. There aren't any maps or QR codes and it was a bit confusing as I came upon several wise and the trail to decide which way to go as I had limited time there. Given the fact that everything is so nicely taken care of I don't know how they can't have at least some markings on the trails that they have there. One of the workers sent me direction and it literally just took me to a pavilion. They have kayaks, canoes, paddle boats and SUP boards. They also offer lessons for SUP depending on the day. Lots of people fishing. Amazing Place! Please add signage for the trails! The pop and water machine near the beach entrance did not work. Hopefully those are checked daily to repair.

First time here, and came with our 3 year old. Boy oh boy did we have fun!…read more Beach was beautiful. Very clean, everyone there was respectful and our son had fun playing with some other kids. Water... cold. Expected. Lol. But nothing you wouldn't get used too. Typical "pool / beach" food is available. Not the cheapest... so be ready, lol. But all is okay. Haha. There is feet washing stations and a really nice playground! We had an absolute blast and will absolutely be back!!!

Nice place for a walk and to observe nature. During the winter the indoor bathrooms are closed, but…read morethere is a porta potties. (Bring your own TP and hand sanitizer!) Trails had maps available and decent signage.

beautiful walking trails and a bridge. Prom pics were taken here providing beautiful backdropsread more

I wanted to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) for about forever…read more The concierge at the Abbey gave me a coupon for a discount rental at nearby Fontana Paddle so I decided to finally give it a go. It was an excellent decision. Rates are reasonable. They fit you with a flotation vest, changing rooms are available and they have small lockers. You do not want to have your smartphone on you in the event you fall in the water on the lake. It is better to lock it up, IMO. The training overview was pretty detailed and there is a lot to remember and coordinate all at once. I liken it to riding a bike or driving a car. Once you learn it, you'll always have it and it becomes normal/natural, until then, you have to remember to switch hands, stay balanced, etc. I did go out too far from where they told me to stay, but that was unplanned. A little wind and then a boat sent me even further out which resulted in my instructor dude coming out on board to see if I was okay and if I could get back in on my own. Embarrassing, but also super cool because he gave me some on water tips that I somehow already had forgotten. Also, the further out you go, the more the wind affects you and there are more boats, so you can expend more energy on balancing rather than paddling enjoyably along. Once my guy knew I was okay and headed more in the right direction he went back and I went on to a very enjoyable experience. Prices are good. Staff is helpful. Get out early on summer weekends, too many boats on the lake will not make for a good SUP experience.

Perfectly located on the shore of Geneva Lake in Fontana. You can walk 20 feet to the lake to…read morelaunch. I have been in the store/shop countless times over the years. They have a huge selection of standup paddle boards, kayaks and accessories. I am actually wearing one of their shirts right now. Cool thing is, I just found out they sell ans rent snow shoes also. Being right on the lake, a hike on the lake path is something to behold anytime of year. A lot of my Rockford, IL friends kayak and have either friended them on facebook, visited the website or store itself. If you have any questions while you are there, which I always have plenty which I think some are kind of dumb, they are right there to answer them. I plan to take my family for lessons this Spring.

I had an amazing experience renting a canoe from Scull and Oars! The canoe was clean and…read morewell-maintained, and the staff greeted me with warm smiles, clear instructions, and genuine enthusiasm. A perfect outing...highly recommend!

No one answers the phone and the location given is a general store. Not a kayak rental place…read more Store employee reports that "they used to rent kayaks here but not for awhile".

TRANQUIL KAYAKING ADVENTURE FULL OF WILDLIFE & FAUNA The…read moreHubby and I love to Kayak. We were exploring options and wanted a longer Kayaking Adventure than the average 2 hours or less, starting and ending at the same place. We were up for a "challenge". Found River Guide Kayaks on Groupon on the very last page: Kayaking for 2 people, 2 Kayaks: $49. Sign us up! Richmond, Il is located in the North/West section near the Wisconsin border. You can book your trip online using the Groupon coupon code. It's normally $60 per person. Again, we would've never discovered this place without Groupon. Due to the limited Kayaks available, there are 2 launch times: 10am & 11am, 10 Kayaks per launch. The Glacial Park Landing site is marked by a sign. However, slow down and LOOK for the sign. We missed it and ended up turning around in the farmer's driveway. We also reached out to Tim the Owner by cell who called us back within a few minutes but, we figured it out the meeting site by that time. There are 2 Guides who meet you at the pick up site/Glacial Park. Leave your car parked here and bring only the essentials with you. The Guides will give instructions on how to Kayak (just paddle or not), if the River is running high or low. You will then be piled into into a van or truck where you will be driven to the actual launch site. There are indoor porta potties at both sites. Because the trip will take at least 3 hours, use the facilities. Hold your breath, cause they are super stinky. We worn our swim suits under our regular clothes and flip flops. We brought a back pack to stuff them in. There is a cut out in the back of the Kayak for storage. We brought a few snacks and water bottles. There is a water bottle holder in the front of the Kayak. Bring 2 per person. The Nippersink Creek is almost 7 miles long. It zigs and zags with very small rapids which are not even classified because they are so small. But, super fun to navigate. Nippersink is a relatively shallow creek FULL of wildlife! We saw a large selection of bids, fish, butterflies and even Beavers building their home. The terrain does change as you head south on the creek. You will pass 5 Bridges before you come to the exit. The Guides will help you out of the Kayak at this site. The Hubby and I did some medium paddling and also drifted, it took us 3 hours. Other Kayakers took longer than us as they did less paddling, you have up to 5 hours to finish. Bring your cell phone to take photos along the way. Either store it in a ziploc bag or plastic container, you will get a little wet from the drops from the paddles. Also, use your sunscreen. Relax and enjoy your trip, it's amazing! P.S. You will most likely not see ANY civilization along the Creek, just a few fishermen. Don't panic, the Zombies did not attack the World while you were gone ;)

From the owner: Kayaks for rent on beautiful rivers.read more

Our trip was really fun! There were 4 of us and we got 2 tandems. Price is reasonable. Very…read morepersonable and casual, which was nice. However, we felt lost for the majority of our trip. They just told us that we would go under 6 car bridges, and the rest was up to us to figure out. There were some points where we were going to wrong way and had to turn back. In addition, we had a pretty late start and had to wait at the pickup for awhile. Overall, a fun experience just some kinks that could be worked out.

We had a great birthday party on the River. Paddle On delivered us 7 kayaks and then picked up the…read morekayaks at the exit spot 3 miles away. They were on time and knowledgeable. We were very pleased with the experience!! Looking forward to working with them again in the future.

Great company Recommend !!…read more Every one is friendly and helpful Prices our normal Good job!!!

Rented wave runners one day and a boat the next. Everyone was excellent and the equipment was well…read moremaintained. Thank you for the memories with my family.

I have rented the 10' pontoon boat on a busy Saturday for a birthday celebration on the lake. The…read morereservation process online was easy and user friendly. After reserving I called beachside multiple times before the day of my rental with questions that may seem "stupid" and tedious to answer, the staff on the phone always took the time to answer genuinely and explain everything, I really appreciated that. On the day of our rental, we arrived and promptly guided into the office to sign some paperwork and then assigned a members of staff to help us. He took us on the boat, explained how to operate, do/don't, and even added some personal tips to enhance the experience. Everything was absolutely great, smooth, and easy. Thank you beachside and i can't wait to rent with you again!!

My second time renting from Beachside Boat & Bait. Great experience. They make the whole process…read morevery simple and smooth. The employees are super helpful and friendly. The boat was great. Extremely well-maintained and clean. This time one of my guests (I won't name names) lowered one of the boat's anchors, and it came untied. It sank to the bottom of the lake and we couldn't retrieve it. We were a little worried that we'd have to pay for it, but the staff at Beachside was extremely understanding and cool about it. Will definitely rent from Beachside again!

Reviving this gem on the Chain of Lakes! For more information, please check us out on Facebook and…read moreInstagram.