We did a one-hour tandem kayak on the river through Venture Outdoors, and it was one of the best hours we spent on our trip. The staff was friendly and helpful - and let us wait out a passing shower before heading out on the water. The views from the water were amazing, and being able to paddle over to see PNC Park, to get great views of all of the bridges, and to cross the river repeatedly without too much worry about oncoming boat traffic was great. Well worth the cost to get a unique view of the city while also having a unique experience along the way! read more

We booked a fishing adventure for my son's 12th birthday. They handled all the arrangements and Sara was so patient answering my millions of questions. On the day-of, Mel and Dan were friendly, helpful and communicative. They brought everything we needed for my son and his 7 friends to enjoy fishing for a few hours. The location in North Park was beautiful and perfect. It was even wheelchair accessible for our friend who had a broken leg. Thank you Venture Outdoors for a memory my son won't soon forget! read more

This was my second time booking a kayaking trip via Venture. Always an easy process to book online and staff is always friendly and helpful. An hour is perfect on the river, enough time to see the bridges and kayak past PNC. Thoroughly enjoyed both experiences and likely will book again when more friends come into town. read more

Kayak reservation was easy, staff were very friendly in getting geared up and on the water.

We had a great time at the Boathouse where we rented SUP and canoe catamaran. The check-in process was easy, the assisted everyone into the boats, and we had a great adventure on the water. read more

Venture Outdoors - Double canoe catamaran was a ton of fun - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Such an amazing experience! The staff was amazing and extremely knowledgable about best practices. They were so accommodating to our very large group, giving each of us diligent care (making sure we knew how to hold the paddle/our life vest was on accordingly/being excited for us). I was the last on the water because we got caught up in the good vibes while they patiently waited for us and enhanced our entire mood with their kindness again once we finished. 10/10 would recommend to a friend and I will definitely be back! read more

We had the best day thanks to Ventura outdoors kayaking at North Park. The staff was great, especially Noah & very helpful. We visit a few times every summer and every time we'be visited it has been a great experience. read more

My sister was in town visiting from Maine over the 4th of July holiday weekend. At the age of 70, she had never kayaked before (something on her "bucket list"). She & I had great fun kayaking downtown with two terrific guides (Beth & Pit) who were very knowledgeable and patient with our lack of kayaking experience. They were quite responsible and professional with getting us off the water prior to an oncoming thunderstorm. I would highly recommend Venture Outdoors for a fun kayaking experience! read more

Looking for something to do. Check out Venture outdoors. They have lots of fun activities from snowshoe training, hiking, cross country skiing in the winter to kayaking in the summer. They have family type activities and even some hikes and beer tastings. Great way to get active and meet other people. read more

I'm updating my review and knocking the rating down by quite a lot. The problem is that they try to be all things to all people and that recipe may have them fail miserably when doing so. Went on a hike today over 7 miles labeled as moderate and maybe should have been labed more difficult. They don't appear to do any vetting so the result is a mixed group of ability levels from both extremes of the spectrum which affects the pace considerably. The leader wanted to hike at 3 miles per hour (his pace, not the pace of all his group), mostly forgetting to check if his group was behind him and how wide the gap was becoming not once but all frigging day long. So you have part of the group that can hike 2.8 to 3 mph and then you have a major gap before the rest of the group that travelled at about the 1.5 mph range. And, because it's a narrow single track trail, one slow person means all behind them will be at the mercy of their pace, as well. My issue is that if you're going to take money to guide, then guide appropriately. You can either label the hike as moderate to difficult and be sure to include the pace mph, or ask appropriate questions of the hikers before taking their money to be sure they're appropriately suited for the hike, or, once the hike begins and you have major (I am talking many minute) gaps, slow the pace, make more frequent stops for everyone to catch up, or break the groups into multiple groups if there are enough leaders (and there were). What is not appropriate is to take money and after not properly vetting out abilities not doing any of the above. In this case, I really don't think the burden falls on the slowest of the group. I think the slow hiker(s) had good intentions and just didn't know what they were in for. They didn't stop; they didn't whine; they pushed on and finished. It is just that they were slow by a lot and I mean by several minutes by the time the leader would stop and wait. And once the slowest caught up, the leader most every time would take off right away, not giving the slowest a chance to catch their breath. I'm a firm believer when leading a group of hikers that you keep your group together and don't leave anyone behind. Having someone to officially "sweep" behind the last hiker is not good enough. I don't mind paying to be led by a hike leader. I do mind paying for incompetent leadership both in the VO office and on the trail. As full disclosure, I also hike with the Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group and, they are a group of well-qualified leaders, it's free, and everything is posted in advance on their website so you know in advance who is leading, who is hiking, and the pace is usually posted. They do a great job of vetting out beginner hikers to make sure they can do the hike comfortably and having the hikes posted also allows hikers to post questions ahead of time of the entire hike's group -- leaders and fellow hikers. I think there is definitely a place for Venture Outdoors but, honestly, is the money more important than having a group that is better matched for everyone's pleasure? read more

Venture Outdoors provides a wide range of outdoor trips such as kayaking, hiking, biking, nature walks, and Dragon Boating. The outings are led by knowledgeable and friendly volunteers who will teach you the basic things to know about a sport and will also tell you some unique historical information about the area. This is a great way to see the Pittsburgh area and learn something new, plus it's a fun way to meet new people. They also have a wonderful annual free festival in May that highlights all the outdoor activities, plus a number of free Family Festivals. read more

Venture Outdoors offers fun all year round. I am a newer member and have only made it to a few outings but I feel it has been well worth the cost of my membership. I hope to become more involved if my schedule permits. read more

They offer a lot of outdoorsy things that provide opportunity for city slickers to get out into nature in an environment they are comfortable with. If you wanted to, you could just about do an activity every other day! Kayaking, hiking, geocaching, canoeing, camping... you can do it all! This is a great organization to get involved in if you are not a hearty outdoorsman or if you are new to the area and dont know about the AMAZING offering of outdoor opportunity Pittsburgh offers! The activities aren't limited to just Pittsburgh either, they go way up north and into the Laurel Highlands--which happen to be my favorite hiking or camping spot. Activities cost money, true, but that way you dont have to do any planning. I bought my boyfriend a membership for Christmas last year and we've been having fun ever since. They really do offer something for everyone. So far my favorite activity is hands down the beer hike, where you get a 4 mile hike in Frick Park and a tour/tasting of E End Brewing Company. You really can't find a better way to spend a Saturday! The only downside is if your activity is on a Saturday afternoon adn you wake up Saturday morning and want to participate, you are SOL bc reservations are required and many of the more popular activities...the beer hikes, the wine hikes for example, will fill up quickly so it pays to plan which activities you want to participate in ahead of time. And the office is NOT good about returning your calls so I do recommend getting a membership so you can register online. I also have a gripe with the hikes...I HATE that you cant go at your own pace, you'll either be slowed down by everyone, or slow everyone down. I've come to conclude that the hikes are not for me but for avid hikers like myself it is something to keep in mind. Venture outdoors! read more

After a couple tours became a member - always something fun and unique! The volunteer tour guides go out of their way to make your experience exciting and memorable. Great for anyone from babies in strollers to retirees! read more

I absolutely love Venture Outdoors. While most of my interactions with this group have been with their kayaking affiliates, I've also had ample opportunity to take advantage of other activities the group has organized and hosted over the years. Firstly, I have to say that it's awesome how this group stays active year-round - it shows just how committed they are to their goal of getting people outdoors, even in the cold weather. That said, I am a much bigger fan of their summer activities than their winter ones. Hiking, kayaking and camping in warmer weather all appeal to me a lot more than any snow-related activities like snowboarding or whatnot; plus, enjoying their 21+ drink samplers after a great hike is one of the best ways to enjoy a summer day in my opinion. Of course, while I'm not as fond of the winter activities I'm definitely not complaining that they offer them, because this diversity in programs is a good thing - so is any effort to keep people up and about during the chilly months. And really, if an event is interesting even I'll go out and enjoy myself - I've definitely braved the snowy weather and gone on some interesting art walks and park hikes with this group in the winter. Another nice thing about Venture Outdoors is that they don't limit themselves strictly to the city's limits. It does mean you sometimes have to carefully account for some travel time before you plan on going to an event, but this is definitely worth it. On a related note, know that programs with travel, food, etc. naturally end up costing a little more than a simple hike - so if you find yourself interested in multiple events at Venture Outdoors a membership is definitely worth it; you'll save some serious money if you're as active with Venture Outdoors as my family. As awesome as Venture Outdoors' staff and organization overall is, I admittedly can't bring myself to give them 5 stars. While I've never had a problem at their actual events, I'm currently experiencing problems just getting into their events on an all-too regular basis. Thanks to a massive website overhaul I've encountered numerous website glitches online for several months on end. It's so bad that every time I want to sign up for an event, I have to call in to their main office - a main office where I've been having additional problems connecting with a real person as opposed to a voicemail; I once somehow got directed to their closed Kayak Pittsburgh office, which definitely wouldn't help me at all. Add in the fact that their team doesn't quickly respond to social media inquiries or even to my emails, and you have a totally disorganized customer service system that puts a real damper on the Venture Outdoors experience. I'll continue to stand by Venture Outdoors because I really do love the organization and its programs. Hopefully once the holiday season has calmed down and passed by they can fix their website and customer service issues going into 2015 - doing so would definitely elevate them to 5 stars in my book. read more

Venture Outdoors offers Kayak rentals as well as organized trips at several locations including the North Shore, North Park, Moraine State Park, and destination and overnight trips. There are many weekly events that can be bought as a series like the Women on the Water , Beginner trainings and my favorite: the Wednesday Wake Up Paddle. The price is reasonable, and the equipment is better than the rentals I've found at Cook Forest and other places. read more

Venture Outdoors - Early Morning Wednesday Kayak trips at Kayak Pittsburgh May thru October - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My wife and I recently moved to Pittsburgh and were looking for a group to join to meet some local folks and do some fun outdoor activities. This group has been perfect for us. We have gone on several kayaking trips, and are looking forward to the winter activities. The discounts are great, and the staff has been very helpful. Recommended to all who love outdoor activities, and newcomers who want to meet the locals! read more

This review is of the North Park location. Arrived on a Monday afternoon and were provided life vests and oars. Staff was very pleasant...unfortunately we were placed in a queue with 5 others couples awaiting a tandem rental. After waiting 15 minutes and looking at the various kayaks which were yet to be placed in the water, I inquired and was told we would be waiting for others to return and that additional boats would not be added as it is too difficult to manage with staff on hand. Supply and demand issue here, when a line forms you add additional boats to meet demand. Poor decision making at this location equaled a loss of business. read more

We have been members of VO for 3 years, and really enjoy the outings they plan. If you like to hike, bike or kayak, and would like to meet people and/or just enjoy these outdoor activities with others, VO is for you. We've been Dragon Boating on the Mon, biking in the 'Burgh, and done some really interesting walks climbing the steps on the North and South Sides. We do the Laurel Highlands hiking series in the spring and summer, and lots of other hikes that are scheduled throughout the State parks which are such a great part of living in southwestern PA. There are kid friendly and dog friendly hikes, and easier hikes in the city that often close with a wine or beer tasting...even a pie eating hike! In other words, a little something for everyone. There is a yearly member fee, and then you'll pay for each outing, bit it's less than a movie ticket or meal out, so definitely worth it. This is a terrific organization with really great people volunteering to lead the expeditions...can't say enough about it, really. And hey, summer's almost here! read more