Lincoln was our boat guy this morning. He was very patient and helpful with getting our anxious 10…read moreyear old into her kayak.

We found this secret camp spot not too far from Hocking Hills State Park right along the river…read more Shane set us up over the phone with a campsite and kayaking for the next day even though it was preseason! The campsites had a small bundle of wood for a campfire and they were really well spaced out so you don't feel that you are right on top of the next site. The hot showers and restrooms were well maintained and really nice after falling in on our kayak excursion:) Thanks Shane

Hughes Outdoors is awesome! They are helpful and very responsive with communication. We rented 3…read morestand up paddle boards and joined with two people who already had boards to have a super fun Sunday afternoon on Howard area of Alum Creek. Hughes Outdoors made it fun and easy to try something new. Hughes Outdoors is the perfect company to help you plan a super fun day with your friends, family members or a special date with your partner.

Hughes Outdoors is fantastic. They were waiting on us when we arrived and were very personable…read more The kayak launch dock at the loading ramp they use is so nice. Easy in and out and Hughes Outdoors helped us get situated. This area of Alum Creek Lake is a no-wake area and very calm and peaceful. I highly recommend this kayak outfitter. We will be back for sure.

I've been to Trapper John's a few times in the past, and I know it's a great spot. I'd consider Big…read moreDarby Creek one of the most exciting trips to kayak or canoe after it rains that we have within an hour of Columbus that I'm aware of. Place is pretty nice with a good sized parking lot (there's even food trucks here occasionally) staff is informative & friendly, and the directions are clear (if you catch yourself asking "where to now?", stick to the left). Distance is measured by the bridges; I think on the Sampler Trip you pass 2 bridges, and on the Lower Trip you pass 6. MAKE RESERVATIONS, unless you do the Sampler or the Lower Trip, those are First Come First Serve. As I mentioned above, I believe this is one of the most exciting & fun trips because when the water is high, there's a lot of areas that are Mario Kart speed boosts that will send you flying. However, when the water is low, you will have to paddle yourself majority of the time, and you will get stuck in shallow areas which is really frustrating. You will need to get out & push yourself out, which sucks but gotta do what you gotta do to keep moving. Keep an eye out on weather & water levels on their website, best time to go is a few days after it has rained and there's a good amount of water on the creek. Water levels are out of Trapper John's control obviously, so it's up to you to research or ask the staff.

Beautiful drive east from Springfield led to a WONDERFUL late morning/early afternoon on the…read morewater!!! We got VERY lucky and threatening storms didn't hit 'til after we were done!! Easy in, easy out, friendly staff, and the kayaks, canoes, paddles, life jackets, etc. were all in great condition!! No stinky, musty, OLD stuff, I appreciated Trapper John's well-taken care of supplies!! Smooooth "sailing" along Darby Creek, except for a few VERY low sections, where you might have to get out and PUSH... Fine for beginners, though you might want to have a BIT of experience before you got solo. I've kayaked before, though I'm no expert, and this was relaxing, scenic, and lots of fun. Only wish we had gone farther than just the simpler route... Reasonable rates, group discounts, hope to return again SOON!!

Really great time all of the staff was super friendly and hospitable and gave us enough knowledge…read moreto feel confident to handle everything so a great time definitely recommend to see some really nice nature!

The staff and owner here were awesome! They made sure my family, including my dad who has…read moredisability, enjoyed an equal and amazing experience canoeing/kayaking down the river. Would highly recommend!

I have wanted to check this park out for a long time after seeing lots of pictures of the Tall…read morePines. So we went to BrewDog for lunch and then headed over to the park and took a walk in the Tall Pines area, and it did not disappoint! I only wish the Tall Pines were even more plentiful. (They are a good little chunk of the trail in the middle but not the entire trail is full of them but don't let that stop you!) They are beautiful and such a marvel. I could have just laid down and stared at them. The trail was flat and easy and was the perfect length for a nice afternoon walk. I'll definitely be back to stare at those tall trees some more :)

What a fabulous park! I'm kicking myself for not visiting sooner. It's about twenty minutes from my…read moreplace and I've been seeing beautiful pictures of the tall pines here forever. I like to hike on snowy days when the sun's out and over the weekend I took advantage of the prime weather conditions and made my way out there. There's a sign out front letting you know to turn and there's a relatively small parking lot to leave your car. The start of the trails were easy to find thanks to the signage and after getting my bearings I headed out. The trail turns and weaves for a couple miles making a few loops. It was pretty simple to navigate which was awesome. And while the parking lot was full, I didn't run into too many people. I love that! I enjoyed every minute of my time out there. If you're like me and in need of a little time to disconnect from the world, come here. Of course, the entire place was extremely photogenic, the tall pines area being the most instagram worthy. I could have laid down right in the middle of it and just enjoyed the sound of the birds, the wind, and the feeling of the warm sunshine on my face. The only thing is the only area I found to sit down was on the other side of the park. It would have been nice to see a few more benches scattered about. Come here. Soak up nature. The peace and quiet. Unwind and settle your brain. You're welcome.

This was such a fun activity. Windrose is easy to get to right in Downtown Columbus. They have a…read moretent right by the water and provided everything you need. There was a kind and instructive staff member who helped us get in and out of the kayaks. She provided a route for us as well. I did notice when we got out of the kayaks she was thoroughly inspecting them, possibly for any cracks or holes. We already had a blast but knowing they are being very careful will make me a repeat customer. We paid $30 for a one hour ride. I felt like that was a very fair price. It was beaming hot and the route had little to no shade so do dress appropriately if you are visiting in the summer.

Lovely experience on Saturday late afternoon! Easy to book and easy to find. Lovely row through…read moredowntown area. Staff helps you out into the water and one gets to enjoy the river and the city of Columbus! I would highly recommend

Rafting family trip…read more We went on a Saturday to canoe. We had two adults and 3 kids in our group. I asked what they would recommend based on the river conditions. I was told we could not fit all 5 of us in the canoe we would need a raft. We decided on the 3 mile trip since it was supposed to take 2 to 3 hours. It only took about an hour. For the price I would recommend taking the 7 mile trip since it was a lot of money for a short period of time.

Had such a great time!…read more Was a little bit chaotic when we first checked in and selected our watercrafts because the lobby area is also the gift shop, would be better if they had some rope and stanchion or system for a line. You have a choice between kayaks, canoes, tubes or a full raft like the one we chose. Once you have selected and paid you wait for a shuttle bus to take you down to the river. We then waited in line to launch our vessels and paddled away. Had such a fun time even with the water levels low in some places. Once we had finished, they helped us out of the water and we were back at the facility. They had all sorts of other activities like a rope course and the price was reasonable. Would definitely like to return on my next visit to Ohio.

I've never kayaked before but this was so easy and relaxing. The boys that helped me in and out of…read morethe kayak were wonderful.

Beautiful canoeing trip through Ohio farmland. Don't be afraid to stop where ever you can to take…read morein nature and hang out with those you're with. The trip goes by quickly and can be completed in under 90 minutes without much effort. But you won't regret slowing it down and taking your time.

Had a blast coming here. I've never heard of this place before, but my friends told me about it so…read morewe went. Very peaceful and clean. Wasn't really crowded at all on a Saturday where it was 82° which shocked me. The rocks may hurt some people's feet so some beach shoes will come in handy for those with sensitive feet.

Wonderful!!!! The cabins are super nice and the lake is just great! I've been here several times…read moreand it's got everything!

We wanted to hike on this hot summer day. The trails were shaded so it was very enjoyable. We…read morestarted at the nature center and took the stairs down to the John L. Rich trail and looped back around crossing over onto the north rim trail. Heavily trafficked trails from what I saw.

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve is my first state park I have visited in Ohio, and it did not…read moredisappoint. I'm not a hiker, but I found the trail to be a somewhat easy hike for a senior and the walkways and guardrails were well-maintained. There are lots of benches to sit on to take in nature, darling native plants, and plenty of interesting facts to read about along the trail. We saw photos and explanations of how the Little Miami River was used to power grist and cotton mills, paper factories, and breweries. In the information building, we were greeted by the very friendly ranger, who gave us a botanical identification brochure (it would have been very useful during the hike) and introduced us to the turtles in their enclosure. The preserve was quiet, and we enjoyed ourselves so much. This is just the start of our adventure of the Clifton Gorge, and there are so many more activities to explore. We hope to be back during another season when the water in the gorge is flowing more rapidly.