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.

We had an awesome time today! The whole crew was so helpful and informative. Definitely recommendread more

From the owner: We are a Raft Rental business located in Oglesby, Il. We rent single tubes, double tubes and…read morecooler tubes for floating down the Vermilion River. You park at our location and we take you to the entry point in a bus and then pick you up at the exit point and bring you back to your vehicle at our location. This section of the river is a "lazy river" with one section of rapids to go through. We are family friendly and encourage you to bring your kids. Life jackets are required for children but not for adults.

We had a lovely family outing tubing, swimming, and boating with Starved Rock River Adventures. The…read morepontoon boat was in good shape and our route was easy to find with the map Tony gave us. The water was a little gross but we had a fun time and made good memories. Worth it!

It was bad. The boat was not in good condition and had the seams on the seats popping out. The…read moreowner charged us for damages that were cause because of false information and water depth. They did not correctly explain the water and its ranges and then got upset when we asked them about it. Would never rent from them. I would give it a 0 if I could. They also tried to charge $50 over if you were late by any minute.

Had a great time kayaking on lake Monona. It was super easy…read moreto book & pay online. They sanitized the paddles and life vests and everything & it's easy to socially distance on the lake. Will definitely be renting from them again!

Excellent customer service. Patient, knowledgeable, and kind. Picked up a little hatchet and some…read moreexcellently priced sale items. Love this store

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!

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.

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.

Some friends and I were in the Rockford area looking to rent skiis. Unfortunately, we arrived too…read morelate in the day to rent. I appreciated that the staff was honest with us instead of taking the sale and having us be unhappy. It also helped that they had the most adorable dog in the world. Stop by!

If you are in the Rockford area and looking to buy or rent some adventure gear, this is the best…read moreplace around! Some friends and I recently took a trip to stay at a cabin in the Rockford area. We had planned to go cross country skiing and found that Rocktown Adventures rents xc skis in the winter. What we had not planned on was how slow we would be at finally leaving the cabin to go pick up the skis. Since they unfortunately don't do reservations for the skis, we called ahead to make sure they had some before heading over. By the time we got there it was already around 3 pm and unbeknownst to us, they close at 5 pm on the weekends. We got started with the rental process only to realize we would have very little time to ski before sundown. After explaining a couple options we had for still getting out on the skis, the staff member ultimately told us it probably wouldn't be worth our money given our time constraints. Instead of staying quiet, taking our money, and letting us have a very short ski trip, the staff member suggested the option that was best for us! He then told us that if we were ever back in town to just give them a call and if they had skis available he'd have them ready for us when we arrived. Not only is the staff knowledgeable and caring but they have an incredible selection of gear. We didn't end up spending any money there, and that is exactly why this was a five star experience!

Saw Wee Kee is a really nice location to hike that's not very far from civilization. More hills…read moreand terrain than you'll see anywhere locally with decently marked trails (once you are on them) and all kinds of nature. Check the website for a trail map, but most of them intersect (even though it is not always clearly marked). Sitting by the river and looking at the blind on the island we saw a bald eagle fly right overhead. So cool! I didn't believe my friend when he said they were here around the fox. There are 2 lots at each end of the park, the Northeastern one featuring a boat launch that is kayak & raft capable (though I'm not sure where you'd get off. Maybe Silver Springs state park? The way the high trail is set up it definitely looks like it could be a mosquito breeding ground next to it during the appropriate months. Bring DEET if you think it'll be an issue, but in early October it was mostly a non-issue. There is a tick warning as well, but we didn't find any. The only thing you need to watch out for is mountain bikers (and I guess the occasional horse / horse apple). They will be coming, and some of them can move pretty fast. You'll hear them on a hike, but be courteous and step to the side of the trail and everyone can enjoy this location.

Too many mosquitoes and not enough view of the water. Rather boring trail, at least on foot…read more Disappointing.

CAMPING: I camped with a private group at Larsen's Landing…read moreas part of a weekend canoe package. We had the campground pretty much to ourselves. Pros: This camp site is off the beaten path. Literally. The road is not paved. There's no city noise and it really feels like you're in the wilderness even though you're just a short drive to civilization. Cons: You're in the wilderness. This is rustic camping. Forget about electric hookups. No water spigot. Not even a pit toilet. They did provide a port-a-potty. CANOEING: The canoe portion of our trip was no fuss. They drove our group by bus up-river and dropped us off - each with a sack lunch and a canoe - with instructions to just follow the river back to the landing. This was very well organized and they made sure everyone was set before taking off. I wouldn't change a thing. TIPS: If you're camping, bring your own water and a roll of TP. Invest in a dry box. Your canoe *WILL* tip when you least expect it. The sack lunch is worth it.

If you've never been kayaking and want to try it, check this place out. $45 a person per kayak, or…read moreyou can rent a canoe for less. The owner will take you to the drop off site at Epensheids park and away you go. Life jackets are provided. The trip can take 4-8 hours depending on what you do along the way. You can bring a soft sided cooler that can mount on the boat. Wear shoes as there are some rocky stopping spots. My friend and I had a blast on a gorgeous day on the Kish river.