Great way to spend a beautiful summer afternoon! Tubes are just $14 ($17 if you want one with a…read moreback rest). The long course took us about 3 hours to float, with a mix of rapids and calm water. They have tubes you can rent as well to carry your coolers, filled with whatever will get your through a few hours of floating! (No glass though) An old school bus picks you up at the end and takes you back to the store. They also will hold your belongings behind the counter while you're on the water. Right on the main strip of Lanesboro, a cute old town with many restaurants, bars, and little shops right within a block or so from the store front.

My niece and I have been tubing on the river for years and we look forward to this annual…read moreexperience. We went out on Sunday and we were told that the river was "running faster than normal" and the route would take two hours instead of the usual three. We thought that might be nice because the weather was kind of chilly and we didn't know if we wanted to be there for three hours. That said, we did not know that the river running faster would mean that it would also feel dangerous in certain parts and the rapids were a lot rougher than normal. We were pushed into various parts of the river where there were sharp rocks and fallen trees jutting out. I understand that root river outfitters doesn't have anything to do with nature, but I do think that there should be a warning about how the river running fast also means that the river is running more rough at certain points. My tube was pushed into a large tree branch from behind and I cracked my neck and I have been in pain ever since. I am not blaming root river outfitters for the situation, but I do think that they should at least let people know what they are getting into when they are going to be having a two hour experience on a river where they really don't have an opportunity to get off if they feel in danger or uncomfortable. This is just something I think that they should inform people before they go.

This is my second time floating this river with Zumbro Valley Canoe Rental and I cannot say enough…read moregood things about the experience. The staff and owner were great and made sure we had a safe and enjoyable trip on the river. We saw bald eagles, giant blue herons and other wildlife.

The float from Zumbro Falls to Hammond is a beautiful, peaceful 3 hour trip in kayak or canoe. That…read moregave my rating the fourth star. The establishment itself is a 3 star because the overall condition of the kayaks. The kayaks are Old Town which when new were high quality. However, most of the kayaks here are in pretty rough shape. My wife and I had two that were ok, but several had missing peddles and/or major damage to the fiberglass. So beware, before you pay make sure your kayak meets your approval. After all you're going to be in it for 3 hours. The canoes looked in better shape. The price of $35 per kayak was reasonable and Sully gave us excellent advice on how to navigate the river.

Broken Paddle is The Best. It has taken me a few months to post this review, bc I feel like I just…read morecan't say enough good about them. This is easily one of my top things of 2026, and I recommended it to almost everyone. The service and the experience we had on a Sunset Kayaking adventure in June of 2026 was just perfection. Our group was 6 recent high school grads and 2 adults, all in decent shape with a little bit of paddling experience. Our guides were Sam and Taylor. They were knowledgable, kind, funny, chatty. They've been friends for years and have a great chemistry. They were incredibly proactive ay every stage. We paddled in several different types of areas, small channel and the large river. We got out of our kayaks on a sand bar in the river. We saw an unusual bird, an avocet. The website is clear and accessible. When you sign up, you will be asked to check a box for your weight so they can best prepare the right equipment. They handled body diversity in the most kind and low key way possible, giving our group confidence and making it seem like no big deal. BC in this situation, it was not a big deal.

Very friendly group of people! There were 4 of us who…read morerented kayaks and paddled the Nelson Trevino Route 4th of July weekend. My husband and I had been kayaking a half dozen times but our friends had not been kayaking before. Peaceful and slow moving route until you get to the river. Carefully cross the Mississippi river and head to the back waters for the last leg of your trip. We counted 15 bald eagles and saw a couple of eagle nests. I am sure there were more that we did not see. Our trip was about 3 1/2 hours with a couple stops for snacks and picture. There was one other group of kayakers and paddle boarders that caught up with us and we passed one guy in a fishing boat who was catching bass and walleyes.

The owner was extremely friendly and even let us go out on the river, despite being 2 weeks from…read moreofficially opening.

Great place to go for relaxing and enjoying good vibes with friends. Staff is had the best customer…read moreservice Ive ever witness. Will be visiting again!!

Awesome!! Great equipment at good pricing. Bikes are top notch, it's like it's your own.read more

From the owner: Outdoor gear rental for adventures BIG and small. Canoes, Kayaks, SUP, Mtn. Bikes, Fat Bikes,…read moreTents, Hammocks, Sleeping Bags, Sleeping Pads, Cross Country Skis, Snowshoes and more

Amazing experience white water rafting down the river with multiple points of interest,…read moreopportunities to swim, and beautiful untouched scenery. This tour is a 11/10 for me! You really get your money's worth and my family and I had a great time on the water! Thank you!

I had such an incredible experience Ice climbing. Tony, our guide and shop owner, was incredibly…read moreinformative, easy going, and truly made the experience enjoyable. He even worked with my limited availability. You can tell he is passionate about what he does. He provided me with quality gear to use! I would come back ! Highly recommend.

Very fun float kayak paddling trip! We rented kayaks and they helped us put in and take out along…read morewith a quick bus ride back. It was about 8 miles on the river with a few small rapids. The water was fairly shallow and easy to navigate. It took us maybe 2.5 hours for our kayak trip with beautiful scenery. We saw deer, 2 fawns with spots and a doe. We saw two bald eagles and 1 golden eagle, blue herons, turtles, kingfisher, turkey vulture etc. The parking is free; there is a bathroom where you put in. You need to sign waivers before going. They offer PFDs to everyone; under 18 must wear PFD.

We love the town of Cannon Falls. We decided to plan a Kayak trip with some family and give this…read moreplace a try. This area is beautiful and we saw many Bald Eagles as we strolled down the Cannon River. I don't think this was too expensive and it was a lot of fun. We had not been kayaking before and my wife was clueless. I had used canoes when I was a kid and had been up to the Boundary Waters, I felt okay. We told the people that it was our first time and without much of any instruction, they put her in the kayak and away she went. I felt like they could have done anything to make her more comfortable. The rental area is a shack, basically. They put you in kayaks and then pick you up in an hour from departure at the pick up point. Look for the large pink rock, that is where you exit the river to be picked up. We had the last time slot with several people overturning and having to empty their kayak, not me, I stayed dry. The people that had to drain their kayak wasted a lot of time and we were late to our pick-up at the end of the day when you know they wanted to go home and start their weekend. I felt bad but it wasn't my fault. This was a fun time. I would recommend that you have some experienced people to help you if you are new at this. The people running this place are not interested in spending time teaching you how to stay dry. That is up to you.

We had a fantastic experience with our overnight trip outfitted by BRR…read more In my pre-trip phone calls they were patient and detailed with the information provided. When we walked into their beautiful cabin / office the potbelly stove was kicking out a little heat on that chilly morning and the panoramic view of the river through the wall-o-windows was fantastic. The woman who helped us was so friendly and gave us a thorough briefing to prepare us, including helpful details about what to expect from the river. The black-and-white map they provide is a little tough to read. Color would be better. I do like an aluminum canoe best (which is what BRR runs.) The PFDs they provide by default are the orange rectangle type II, but when I asked if they had a vest-type they accommodated. The basic orange are fine if you're leaving them in the boat, but really get in the way if you wear them while paddling. Because s#!t can go wrong fast on a river like the Wisconsin I prefer to wear the PFD most of the time. Our pickup was prompt and the van was clean and in nice shape. I've done many different stretches of the Wisconsin now and I do think the segment between BRR and Arena is the nicest I've done. It's more distant from roads, so without that truck noise it feels more remote. The shore and bluffs are pretty on this stretch too. It's a small and personal operation which is great when it's quiet. I could see them struggling to attend to everyone on busy weekend days, though. Our canoe had clearly see lots of trips - it showed evidence of many repairs and made me question its reliability a little bit. That said, it did not appear to leak at all, so... I do like like renting from a down-river outfitter so there's no need to get back for a specific shuttle time, so BRR has that going against it, but all-in-all this place will likely be my go-to for future trips.

Blackhawk River Runs canoe rental was awesome from start to finish! They provided great guidance of…read morehow to navigate the river and provided phenomenal customer service with detail to cleanliness. I highly recommend using them if you are looking for a fun day on the Wisconsin River with 2 pickup times to provide plenty of flexibility.

A group of friends and I came tubing for the afternoon & we had a blast! For $20 per person, you…read moreget a tube rental, twine to tie together, & a shuttle bus to the top of the river (where you then float back to the rental place/your car). We got an extra tube for our cooler, which did cost an extra $20. It's also only cash, so know that going in! The river is gorgeous, I wish I'd had a way to take pictures. It's super clean, a good pace (some faster areas & plenty of slower spots), & took us about 2.5-3 hours. Definitely wear sunscreen, that was a mistake we made I will absolutely be back & can't wait to bring my husband & other friends!

I wanted to share my experience because there were some serious safety concerns that I think would…read morebe helpful for the business to address. I called ahead before coming because rain was in the forecast and I wanted to make sure they were still open. I was told that they were. Their website also says to check their social media for updates, which I did, but there weren't any recent updates indicating that the water level was unusually low. Unfortunately, the water was extremely low, and throughout the entire trip we were constantly hitting hard rocks. At one point, a large rock hit my tube hard enough to knock me completely out of it. I landed on a bunch of rocks, and the current kept pushing me back down onto them, making it difficult for me to get back up. I ended up bleeding and was extremely lucky that a canoer happened to stop and help me. I honestly don't know what I would have done if they hadn't been there. My group had tried to help me, but the rocks are so slippery that they also got hurt. (See my bruises and scratches in photos attached) The experience at the end of the trip also wasn't great. A worker yelled at us and was quite rude about putting our tubes back, even though there wasn't any visible signage in the front beach area explaining where or how we were supposed to return them. There was towards the back area, but we hadn't gotten there yet before he had already started yelling. I strongly advise future goers to specifically call and ask about water levels, and think this business should be more adamant about posting about them giving that not only can it ruin an experience, but it can be a safety hazard as well.