The water level and rapids was perfect today for my first time experiencing whitewater rafting…read more We arrived a little after 9am, we made reservations ahead of time and there was a couple of big groups checking in ahead of us. The process was quick, check in, sign waiver forms, get your paddle, life vest and helmet and you're ready to go. Before we got in the water we got some instructions how to go down the main rapids: Wildcat Falls, Lone Star Dam and the Narrows. The Wildcat falls, go towards the right of the river, aim center of the two giant boulders and go down left. Most people went way right down it and got stuck at the bottom boulder and some fell in the water. We manage to go down successfully after watching a few rafters. The Lone Star Dam, stay close to the right side to go down it. The rest of the dam has a under tow that can be really dangerous and can pin you down specially if you go down sideways. The Narrows, make sure to hit it straight on and just ride the rapids. That was my favorite section. Yes, this can be dangerous. Just follow the instructions, ask a lot of questions and know your ability. Their is no guide on the raft with you. Tips before going. -Make sure to watch the safety video first, link provided on their website. -Make sure to check the water level and speed at the US coastguard link provided on their website as well. -Lastly know your ability or skills/experience paddling/kayaking/rafting. -I also watched a few YouTube videos to have an idea of the areas mentioned above. -They only accept cash or check. Today, 6/8/19, the water level was 8 feet deep and flowrate of 1500. Classified as Class 3. There was a huge group of boys scouts out the same time we did it and everyone got through it safely and had fun.

I went white water rafting yesterday and it is seriously beautiful! So much wildlife, nature and…read morethe path is very nice you can even see a waterfall at the end, it is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or go alone but go in a group and research before you do this activity you will be fine. It is kind of sad that there is garbage every now and then left on land, people ruining the nature but still beautiful for the most part. As other reviews state, avoid the dam area , paddle to the right.

Jeff is the nicest, chillest guy. He had our equipment ready and gave us great tips on how to…read moresuccessfully get through the course. We had an absolute blast and will be back!

Yak Shack is a great local paddling outfitter... very knowledgeable and they are willing to teach…read moreyou all you're willing to learn! Good selection of gear selection rentals as well as some used kayaks to help beginners get into kayaking on a budget. They have boats to fit everybody from kids to big guys!

The staff is so nice and accommodating. The equipment is good. We come back every year!read more

Ckg in was no problem. We had 14 in our group, with life jackets, coolers, personal packs, and had…read moreto cram into a van that seats 12 - not a good experience. Arrived at launch 'area' ~ side of the road with @ least a 30 deg. downslope of jagged rocks to the river's edge. Our driver (Dan) off loaded canoes from the trailer rack & we were left to take them down to the river, along with all of our gear! WTF? It wasn't safe for my 62 y.o. self & my 50 y.o. brother didn't need to be manipulating the heavy aluminum canoes (6 of them). Additionally, it wasted a lot of time that we could've been on the water. End of trip wasn't better. Off loaded at a small beach area within a campground. The van/trailer was backed up to beach area, but we had to go ashore about 8 paces before the beach because there we a bunch of kidz playing in the water. Again, our group had to unload our stuff from canoes AND haul them up a berm & over to the trailer (Dan may have moved 1). It was quite obvious he copped an attitude, by his changed demeanor from our interaction with him @ beginning of trip. We had no idea why the change, but didn't imagine it had anything to do with us. Upon returning to the office to ck out, we were told to hang up our 14 life vests (been on a lot of canoe trips & never had to do the staffs' jobs before - smh). As our group was in the lot saying goodbye to one another, one member approached me to say 'I know why Dan was angry when he picked us up. I heard him tell the lady behind the desk that we didn't go ashore at the beach right by his trailer, so he had to haul the canoes over to it.'. SMH We tried this business on the Kankakee River to save us drive time to Tippecanoe River (riverside rentals), which has been our 'go to' for the last few years. We'll be going back to them now & I won't complain about the drive time (lol). MUCH better service (staff puts canoes in & takes them out), $20/canoe cheaper & they're fiberglass so they're lighter), they use a short school bus to transport which provides plenty of room for our group/gear. And, at the end (knowing we're pooped out) they even help us remove our gear from the canoes! Note; the kankakee river route wasn't woodsy (residential) & was often parallel to back roads which were busy with cars/motorcycles - so noisy as well, there were speed boats zooming all over near the beach area where we needed to go ashore, and there weren't ANY good places to stop to stretch or have lunch - too high embankments & MUCK 6" deep (we were told there were plenty of island to stop at - sure, you can stop but you can't access islands). We were also told there was a good current, which was only true in a very few areas where the water was shallow so we didn't appreciate the heavy canoes. All in all it was a lot of work for us & a big disappointment :(

What a great couple that runs this place. We couldn't canoe because the river is well above safe…read morelevels. But they were awesome local guides for us! And they have great prices on really good firewood. Not the junky stuff you get at the hardware store. We will definitely be back to canoe when the river levels drop.

People were great! Enjoyed our trip down the river. They make everything easy including set up and…read moreensuring a safe trip.

If you're local it's awesome , if you're an out of towner like me you have to pay to park then pay…read moreto get in which sucks

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.

Lots of fun with beautiful scenery. We will be going back next year again for sure! Everyone was…read morevery nice and it was easy to set up the reservation.

We were here on a girls trip and decided to float down the river. We had a wonderful experience. It…read morewas about a 2 1/2 hour float. The flow of the water was perfect with a few tiny rapids. I recommend having someone in your group in a kayak. That way they can paddle you out of obstacles. They can also have room for your cooler. We saw bald eagle and and an owl. We all highly recommend this experience!

After a disappointing experience at a different tubing location, my friend group was told about…read morethis spot. My friend called about 2 weeks ahead of time to reserve our group's spot. At that time, she was told this season's pricing. It was about an hour drive from Dupage County and we passed the entrance at first. When we arrived, the bus was just taking the earlier group out. We arrived about 30 minutes early for our scheduled time, however that was unnecessary. The bus returned to take us at our exact scheduled time. Ensure proper count of your group's tube and cooler tube needs. From the time of loading, driving, and unloading we got in the water about 1.5 hours after our time slot. Ok all, if you are someone seeking prestine clear waters, tubing on an Illinois River is not for you. You may have bugs land on you or get muddy. Bring water shoes or croc type shoes to protect your feet. Bring a garbage bag for your cooler tube for your snacks and drinks. No glass or Styrofoam per their policies. They advertise bathrooms and showers. However, on day of visit they only had one working toilet. After the float, we quickly took turns changing and using restroom. It was only our group and 2 other groups out at that time. It was nice. Exiting the river was a little muddy. Fun activity that is reasonably priced.

I had a blast here!!! They were really nice and accommodating of our 30 people party. Bring a…read morecooler! You will need food and drinks. They offer a tube for the cooler. I am afraid of brown water, lol, so I got the tube with the bottom and just layed in it, the whole time. I also bought my own life vest off amazon. But they do offer the ugly orange ones lol Anyway we did the 3 miles but would love to come back and do the 6 mile one. Very cheap. Also the people who did go in the water, they said the very shallow areas are very rocky & scraped their knees. The deepest part is 10 feet but other than that, it's not deep. The bathrooms are nice and they offer a shower too. At the end you wait for the bus to pick you up and bring you back. Pretty cool.