Just went with a group of 9. We had a blast! I've always wanted to go and a great friend coordinated the trip. The entire process from booking, checking in, bus ride to drop off and checking back in was super easy. Everyone was helpful and friendly. I can not wait to do it again read more

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Super nice staff with a friendly environment. Had a great time with my girlfriend, very beginner friendly and good quality kayaks

The river was not too low and not too high. The people were so nice and helpful. Nothing better than a peaceful float down a river to st your soul free read more

Riverside Rentals - Beautiful tree stump - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Winamac, Indiana

I absolutely love this place I tell everyone about it and plan on making this a annual adventure This year brought my kids and my daughter in law my new husband and his son. They loved it too. read more

Riverside Rentals - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Winamac, Indiana

Place is awesome and ridiculously relaxing!!!! It's easy on the pocket and not far from Chicago!!! You can booze the whole trip down the river. Wear old shoes not flip flops and prepare to get muddy it is a River after all. Lol. Nice people and plenty of parking and a place to rinse off the mud when your done. Good times for all ages!!!! read more

One time is all it took for Riverside Rentals to make them the ONLY place I'll ever rent a canoe from on the Tippecanoe. For $35 you get a canoe, paddles, life jacket and a ride up stream. The trip is approximately 3-4 hours long, but it can be longer since the only time limitation they give you is 'Be back before dark" which was awesome! We stopped along some sand bars and a small island, took a bunch of photos and just enjoyed the scenery and wildlife. Reserving a canoe is easy, just call ahead by a few days give dates and times and that's it, done and reserved. Check in was super easy since we filled out the waivers and forms prior to arrival. After all is filled you get a ride upstream where they unload the canoe, kayak or tubes, give you some life jackets (not required to wear but must be nearby) paddles and off you go. Canoes are clean and comfortable, plenty of space for backpacks or coolers if you choose to bring them. The trip was just amazing, lots of wildlife to see and the riverside scenery is beautiful. The current was just right that you really didn't need to use the paddles for anything other than getting to an island/sandbar, navigating around fallen trees or other obstacles. It was a simple and enjoyable trip, worth EVERY penny spent! Bonus points for letting us borrow a corkscrew too. read more

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There are few things in life that I enjoy more than time in the sun and on the water with friends. In that vein, I discovered the Tippecanoe River was a short two hours out from Chicago...and I was sold! I called ahead on a beautiful June Friday and was assured that no reservation was needed for our small group--but the last trip goes at 2, and they are in central time. When we hit traffic on the way out of the city, I called again since GPS promised we would be there right at 2--how flexible were they? Totally flexible, and as long as you hit close to 2, you are golden--as proven by the two groups who arrived just after us. It was a nice and short bus ride to the entry point, some decent stairs down, and into the river. It was warmer water than I expected, and a gentle, quiet ride despite the other groups behind us. We saw Canadian geese, wading birds, and turtles on the way down, taking us closers to 3 hours on the river because of recent rain. It was relaxing with our cooler and drinks, and absolutely perfect. The tube even had a cup holder! My only complaint--and honestly not even enough to dock a star--was the lack of facilities. As it's on a flood plain I can understand the lack of a bathroom, but there is no reason that the changing stalls can't have a floor. Don't expect to buy anything at the location, as it's pretty bare, but it's totally worth it for the quiet and calm summer fun! read more

Riverside Rentals - The river - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Winamac, Indiana

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I've gone back to Riverside several years now, and have always had a great time. It's a little over 2 hour drive from downtown Chicago with tolls, and worth it. Check in is easy and you can even leave small valuables in the office to avoid losing them in the water. After they bus you over to the drop off site and get down to the water, you can use the life vests to connect tubes together and make a barge. Water is mostly shallow at a few feet deep with only a few spots at about 6-7 feet. read more

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We LOVED this place! The float down the river was awesome. It was shallow enough to touch in most places and easy to navigate. When we got back, there was a staff member to help pull us back up and take our tubes and life jackets. The kids did the dunk tank for 20 minutes after our float and had a blast. The staff was friendly, prices were just right and it was a fun experience. Highly recommended riverside rentals! read more

I've been to Riverside Rentals twice for tubing, and both times I had a blast! The first time was last summer when a group of friends and I bought a Chicago Living Social adventure for a day of tubing, complete with transportation and lunch for $60. You just had to bring towel, sunscreen and your own drinks. When the deal came up again , with our doodling and large group decision-making, we ended up missing the deal. We visited the Riverside site and decided we could do it ourselves. Rentals cost $15 a tube plus $15 for cooler tube/float (which is a square tube with flat bottom to literally set a cooler - probably filled with beer and water). The people at the office were very nice both when I made the reservation and when we got to the location. My recommendations: - Bring signed waivers to make registration go faster. The waivers can easily be printed from the website. - You will need shoes. They recommend and sell water shoes, but in my experience you can use flip flops to get in and out of the water and then throw the shoes in the cooler tube. - Bring plenty of drinks including water. The first time, my group ran out and unsuccessfully tried to barter with the other groups, but floating on a tube with no wallet leaves little bargaining power. - Bring string or rope. We forgot it the second time and had to continually grab on to each other. I suppose it added some excitement, but the first time we tied our tubes to each other and the cooler float so we could float together. - Note that Riverside is on EST. That means you'll lose and gain an hour in a round-trip from Chicago. Not a big deal, but it can get confusing and helps when planning for a meal afterward and if you need to get back at a certain time. - Remember, there are children. I believe this is intended to be family friendly, so even if you're drinking a lot, be kind and remember there may be a family canoeing nearby. (side note: The first time I ever went tubing I was a young child with my parents, and it was the first time I saw full frontal nudity by a drunken guy. There was a boom box in the background, and now I'll never hear Pretty Fly for a White Guy in the same way.) As I mentioned, Riverside offers canoeing, and I've not done that. However, tubing is a good time. Get a car of people together, drive on over with loaded up coolers, and make a day of floating down a real life lazy river. read more

Riverside Rentals - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Winamac, Indiana

Oh my gosh, go here!!!! This is a very cool experience. I was looking for something to do with my large family, ages six to 75. We had a group of 11 and called ahead on a week day when they were not busy. Based upon previous Yelp reviews we brought lots of drinks and snacks. I warned our drinkers to bring plenty of booze!!! The location was easy to get to following GPS and there was plenty of parking. They have shaded picnic tables, sand volleyball court, changing area, a stable with an adorable horse, etc. The staff was laid back and made checking in easy. They loaded up our coolers for us, too! We had a short drive to a drop off point and we just hopped in and started floating. We stopped at a cool sand bar and the little kids ran around while we ate sandwiches. We had no idea where we were headed or how long we were on the river...we just FLOATED. It was awesome. The kids loved it, my older parents loved it...and everyone in between. You can drink, look at scenery, swim, feed the adorable ducks, etc. I highly recommend this activity. Twenty dollars well spent. read more

Riverside Rentals - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Winamac, Indiana

We went to Riverside Rentals the first time this summer with some more experienced "tubers", and we liked it so much we went back a month later with another group of friends. As my husband describes it, it's basically a real-life "lazy river" from a water park, but with lots of beer. It's a pleasant drive from Chicago, and we used the location as an excuse to check out Three Floyd's Brewing on the way back. The river seemed clean and is the perfect depth, length, and current for this sort of activity. I definitely recommend calling for a reservation as early in the week as you can plan (it's difficult to predict the weather, but hey...) because they do book up. I can't wait for next summer so we can go again! read more

We have been looking for a place to go tubing and discover since we would be visiting my family in Indiana anyways we searched and found riverside Rentals.. From the start it had been nothing but great customer service. I mean they were even texting me with every answer to my questions and offered advice as well as suggestions for a stay in the area... Checking in was so easy and friendly.. the ride to the river was great.. loved the music!! It took the journey about 4 hours and loved every minute of it.. rented tubes and a cooler .. tied them together and just floated. People along the river were so friendly as well. Local kids were swimming and interacted with us .. we will definitely be back .. thank you so much for a great experience !! read more

I have floated down this river 2 times before and this time, last weekend, was just as fun! The rental process is quick and organized. They have big clean tubes for everyone and the option to pay for a float to put your cooler on as well. I came with a group of 6 girls this time around and we used the life vests to connect all of our tubes for the float down the river. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful as it usually is. A wonderful day spent outside, having a low key adventure with friends. What more can a girl ask for! I will be back and suggest you do the same :) read more

We go canoeing every year, with 20+ people from Chicago and every time it's a blast! They are super accommodating and they know that everyone coming is there for a good time so they keep that in mind! We typically aren't the "relaxing" group that some may prefer but you can def make this trip into whatever you want. It's a few hours of fun and sun with great people! ( unless you're us; it's rained for at least a part of the day for the past 4 years!) All of the people working are amazing at coordinating groups and getting everyone situated and ready to go without a hassle. It's amazing how smooth the process can go! We're excited to come back for year 5! read more

This place is awesome! We had so much fun! The staff was amazing! Adam was amazing and super helpful with all of our questions! Will be back soon! read more

Great place to go. This was my first time with a group of 6, everyone had fun! Bring your phone, coolers etc. 15$ to rent a cooler float and another 21 per person was a great deal! They also sell water socks or shoes as I call them for 9$ a pair and they're actually pretty nice! Bring lots of sunscreen and lots of beer and float away read more

Came down from Chicago for a lazy Sunday in late August with a group of 9 adults and 2 kids. We had a great time! The weather was hot (90) and mostly sunny, but the river was cold but perfect to cool off. We booked a 12pm launch, but had to wait a little bit for part of our group who had car trouble. There was no issue waiting around - we weren't held to a strict time to take off. Once our group was ready, we boarded a school bus (with our coolers) with some other groups and headed to the launch. All you need to bring on the bus are yourselves (with your water shoes), the life jacket they provide, your cooler & snacks, and sunscreen. We also brought a bluetooth speaker (in ziplock bags) so we could listen to tunes. The drive to the launch point was quick, then you each grab your tubes and however many cooler tubes you rented, and use your life jackets to secure the tubes together so you have your own little floating barge for your group. (You can also float separately.) Then you launch onto the river and just float until you return to Riverside Rentals. It took our group a little over 3 hours, but that included stopping a couple times. My tips: Book online in advance. They often sell out in advance on Saturdays but Sundays typically have more availability. (And weekdays too.) Eat lunch (or breakfast) before you launch. But also bring snacks. Bring a cooler for water, beer, etc. I recommend at least 2-3 bottles of water per person. They sell bags of ice and bottles of water. Coat yourselves in sunscreen before you launch and also bring spray sunscreen to reapply. Bring a hat/visor and sunglasses. I also brought a light colored t-shirt for extra sun protection for the last hour we were on the river. (I'm a pasty ginger.) You're required to wear water shoes (or sneakers). The bottom of the river includes lots of rocks, branches, etc. The river isn't too deep - adults should be able to touch at pretty much any point, and most points were shallow enough for kids (youngest was 4-5) to touch the bottom. Keep towels and a change of clothes in your car so you can get out of your wet clothes afterward. They have changing stalls (and portopotties). The only bugs we noticed were dragonflies, so we didn't use bug spray and that wasn't an issue. read more

Dave, the owner, is a character. Enjoyable to talk to, that's for sure. Tubing this river is perfect. Water level ranged from knee level to chest level 90% of the time-perfect for a not so great swimmer like myself. Peaceful river most of the time, only disruption came from occasional party groups floating down the river. Water was a comfortable temperature even this early in the season as long as the sun was shining. Loved this place, will be back. Pricing just went up from $15 to $17, FYI. read more

Extremely friendly and helpful staff! Within the first minutes of being on the property, my mom and I felt like we had known the staff for years. I've kayaked before but only ever in a traditional sit in. Two of the men we were talking with recommended the newer style, the sit on kayak. AMAZING decision! So comfortable and really made the ride that much better. The river flowed and kept us going, leaving us much time to enjoy the beautiful wildlife around us. Once we got back to Riverside Rentals, two men were there to greet us, pull our kayaks up, help both of us out and gather our things, threw away our trash and took care of putting away all equipment. Couldn't have asked for a better day! I will definitely be back soon with more people. read more

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Efficient, professional, knowledgeable staff. Quality service and equipment. $35 per canoe including ride up river. It's an amazing deal - you'll spend that much for two people and snacks at the movie theatre. read more

This is so much fun!!!! Can be whatever you make it - wild and crazy - or relaxing and calm! :)

This is the 5th year in a row we have gotten a group together and made the trip from Chicago to Winamac for a canoe trip. Dave and Connie and staff are extremely accommodating for any sized groups. While our group of 20 was getting ready, there were 3 big school buses that pulled up. Dave and Connie got everyone ready right away and got them out on the river. Our group has such a good time that it gets talked about pretty much year-round. Whether you make it a drinking trip, or just a relaxing float in the sun, this is the best place to do it! We are looking forward to coming back next summer! read more

The actual float down the river was awesome! There were seven of us and a cooler float, all snapped together so we stayed all together as a group! The river was perfectly cold with very little bugs, mostly dragon flies. Worth every penny. However, the facility gives very little or no instruction at departure or arrival. It was very confusing, no one offered help, give facts about river (how deep throughout), or anything really. We struggled to get out into the river, but we did, on our own as the workers stood by watching. The arrival was even worse. The stop snuck up on us, so we tried to get close the landing. Couple of us hopped off, and tried to pull in but the current was so strong, we could barely touch the bottom. I got scared for a second actually, was yelling to the workers, who again just stood there watching as I panicked. Long story short, it all could have been avoided and ended on a happy note if the facility would just give some instruction and what to expect on the bus ride to the departure spot. It was a great time though other than that! read more

Super good time. We went on a weekday very peaceful. Staff extra nice. It was 6 of us with one cooler....needless to say. Next time we will bring two. The weather was awesome,..we will be back!!!!! read more

This place was great! $15 per person for a 3-4 hr tubing trip. You park your car, pay your fee, they drive you and your friends and all the equipment over to the start of the river, get in your tubes and have a great time! Make sure to bring plenty of beer and sunscreen. Remember to bring rope - we tied our group of 8 and our cooler and shoes tubes all together. We kind of got caught in some tree branches and marshes but that's cuz we were being stupid and not paying attention at all to where we were floating. It's not too big of a deal, if you're smarter than us and manage to stay mostly in the middle of the river, you should have no problems. They also have picnic tables so after we finished tubing, we were able to relax and eat some sandwiches. The only thing that sucked, and it's totally not Riverside's fault is we drank our beers too fast and they don't sell alcohol in Winamac on Sundays!!! Make sure you bring enough BEERS. read more

Awesome tubing down the river. Had a blast. This place is friendly staffed and clean. Can't wait to do it again!

These guys were great - very responsive to my inquiries ahead of time, and welcomed our large group once we got there with open arms. There was a minor hiccup when they forgot to bring an inner tube to the launch site but they made it right - wonderful customer service. Highly recommend if you're in the area (or even travelling a bit ways from Chicago like we were)! read more

On 7/13/2013 our family of four went tubing on the Tippecanoe river. We rented our tubes with Riverside Rentals. Initially it sounds great, there is a tour (un-guided) every hour up to 2:00 pm. Remember that the river is a force of nature and unpredictable. Everything was fine, until we where 1.5 hours in the tour and our party hit a fallen tree. The current of the river was so strong that we where sucked under water. The water was chin deep. We could not climb back on our tubes. It was an exhausting scramble. Just when we realized how lucky we where to have survived this ordeal. The family behind us, with canoes had capsized, their dog was pulled under, their young son slammed against the log. Riverside rentals advises against ropes, valuables (phones). So we where left helpless. Eventually we managed to call for help at a house down the river. Not once did we see some one from Riverside Rentals check on our safety. The tour by tube took our family 4.5 hours. It was way too long and impossible to hang on to each other or the cooler. It felt like a nightmare ! When we told the staff of Riverside Rentals what happened, they shrugged it off and acted surprised. So if anyone is brave enough to go tubing on the Tippecanoe river: bring strong shoes, rope, mobile phone, wear life jackets and t-shirts, bring loads of drink water and sunscreen. It was like a survival tour and not lazy at all. read more