SCAM OPERATION!!! Received a cancellation of our rental at 5:30a the morning we were supposed to get on the water. Reasoning was due to the nearby landing not being available...which we witnessed later that morning in full use. We were staying right down the road so we stopped by the Wild Society storefront while they were supposed to be open to see about possibly getting a later rental and we found a completely empty location. No people, no equipment - just an empty barren room with not a single thing on the floor or on the walls (see picture), While a refund was promised via text, the charge was actually processed the following day. *****Unknown if this is related, but the credit card used was immediately charged for ten additional purchases from Amazon. We had to have all these fraudulent charges disputed and reversed. Not known if these events are related, but either way, the initial experience of dealing with Wild Society is frustrating and disappointing. There are many other legit businesses on the lake to support. We clearly picked the wrong one! read more

Wild Society - Completely empty - not a thing on the floor or walls. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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We made a reservation a couple of days ago.. ran late from all the traffic we had and I am So soooo grateful they were still able to see us. We rented the two single clear kayaks. Great customer service ( I am so sorry I didn't catch your name) went in on Thursday 6/29. We had such an amazing time. Highly recommend. Just make sure you book ahead of time. read more

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DO NOT BOOK! COMPLETE SCAM! Left my boyfriend to do the booking and ended up getting scammed. No one showed up to our booking time and we are still dealing with the refund process a month later. Whoever owns the business was completely unprofessional and left us in the dark. The phone number provided doesn't even work and there was no other point of contact. Later we were given some sad excuse about their employee not showing up. She then sent us a refund that still has not processed through. Whatever they are running here is completely a scam. Luckily we were able to rebook with another reputable company so last minute (Clearly Tahoe) that was completely worth our money. read more

DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY. If I could give them 0 stars I would. I booked two clear kayaks over the summer and on the day of our rental, the weather was bad so Wild Society canceled our booking. No problem. In the message they sent, they had an option to rebook or to get a full refund. I chose to get a full refund. It has been over TWO MONTHS later, and they have never sent me the refund. I have emailed and called multiple times, and there is never anyone who answers. If you look at their Google reviews, this is a common experience amongst other customers who have had their rental cancelled. Extremely frustrating and I'm out $250. Absolutely WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. read more

tl;dr: Professionalism is lacking. Kayaks are Canoe. 2 hours is not enough. Crystal bottom is too scuffed to really see much. Website is misleading that sets false expectations. The canoe may have quirks that will led you to regret your 2 hours spent here. Due to COVID, waivers are signed online. This would be helpful to have received such news and the link a week or, at least a few days, in advance than ~7pm the night before. I'm on vacation and it should not be an expectation for me to carry long my laptop such that I can properly read the various rights I am waiving off. Upon arriving to the location, I turned into their lot thinking there was private parking. I was greeted with one of the staff and was told to just part at an ice cream shop's parking lot or somewhere on the street with some very ambiguous hand motion. This lack of communication is a bit frustrating when you have a ticking NO REFUND timer to arrive exactly 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. Now for the experience itself. If you, like me, visited their website and was awestruck by their beautiful pictures of the scenery you can see, then be prepared to be disappointed. The water is murky and nowhere near the crystal cyan blue shown on the website. The crystal "kayaks" are no where near crystal clear due to the many scuffs at the bottom. I found myself not even bothering to look down. The "kayaks" are actually canoes. So, if you are looking to kayak, you are going to have to settle for crystal canoes. This would have probably be passable if it wasn't for the paddle being a kayak paddle unsuited for the length of a canoe. The paddle, without a doubt, will be hitting the edge of the canoe with each stroke. There are two main paths: left past mostly private beaches and right along King's Beach. The recommended route is to go left. I guess you will need to pay for the 4+ hours because there is no way you will see any of the scenes shown on their website otherwise. In 2 hours, I was able to make it roughly to the bend towards Crystal Bay. I decided to row back to get back on time to avoid any outrageous late fees. Recall, the left path is mostly private beaches. On the way back the fin of my canoe could not go down fully. This led to a miserable 1 hour motion sickness inducing cat tail full ride back to the launch area. read more

Some friends and I booked this location without doing too much research and were left bit of an aftertaste of regret. First things first: the lake water really is not as clear as it appears. A lot of the videos and pictures of the lake that you see on social media are edited, and even if not, a majority of the time the conditions are not good enough for the water to be truly clear. (If you did visit and the water was perfectly clear, then you were *extremely* lucky!) Secondly, the main selling point of this location can also be a huge detriment. The clear "kayak" -- which is really a canoe -- is a bit awkward to maneuver given that you still have a kayak paddle. The paddle constantly hits the edges of the vessel. I attached a photo of the route we completed. They recommend that you exit left out of the boat launch ramp, which we did, but that route felt a bit bland. Most of the coastline that you'll see in that portion (we went around 1.3 miles down the coast) is really just private beaches. I suppose if you were really hustling you could make it around to the other side of the Crystal Bay and see something there, but if you only make it on the south side you're not going to be particularly impressed with what you see. In summary: Only go if the weather is amazing, and unless you really have money to burn, just rent a normal kayak. read more

Wild Society - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

This place sucks. They need to shut down immediately. I was in a trip and had a reservation and canceled on 4 times and when we eventually got in the worker was high, devices was terrible and so much more. NEVER COME HERE!!!!!! read more

I left my phone at home so I did not see the cancellation text. Up to that point, all communications were thru email, so I was looking thru email. We were emailing because no one answers the phone or calls when leaving a message. We arrived and saw the white caps on the lake and figured the trip was cancelled. There was no sign or person to ask. The low rating is simply because no one answers the phone, not even if you're having an emergency (option 1). Hopefully no one has an emergency. read more

In town and was looking for the clear kayak experience! Came across this from just a simple google search. The experience was absolute A+ as it was a very pleasant 2 hour ride. The staff was friendly and the tutorial was thorough. We got to witness the cove areas with very turquoise clear water and it had almost a Hawaii vibe to it. The clear kayaks made the experience even better as you can see the bottom of the lake on more shallow ends underneath you. On top of that, it was a great workout. Came back feeling the soreness and I would recommend anyone in town to experience this at least once. It is more on the "pricier" end for some people. $96 for 2 hours per person in comparison to a basic kayak which is like half the price. Also, if you subscribe to their newsletter list on their site you get 10% off discount. Overall, very pleasant experience and I wouldn't mind doing it again! read more

Wild Society - Crystal - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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We had a great time with Casey and Brooke. Young but professional and great communication from both! They had thorough instructions and helped us with anything we needed, no problem. Views were beautiful and the water was perfect. A little overpriced but that's expected in Tahoe. Overall we had a great time and our 2 guides were amazing! read more

We had this booked last summer but due to the fires, had to reschedule and so almost a year later we were very much looking forward to the experience. However, as some of the reviews mention- it was subpar. I agree that it is hyped up as the bottoms of the kayaks are rather scuffed up and so it is not as clear as you would expect or as the pictures on their website shows. It was still a fun and calming experience but to get the pretty photos you do have to paddle out for about 20-25 minutes. I will say I was impressed with how much they equip the kayak with including dry bags, a speaker, and first aid kit and sponge. It was an experience that I was happy to try once but wouldn't necessarily do again, especially given the price. read more

No restrooms, so make sure to go potty before arriving. Stayed on N. Lake Blvd, you can easily bike or walk to the Wild Society Boutique. Wish we would've gotten here during business hours to check out the boutique. Located right on King's Beach. This review is for the clear kayak (more of a canoe type) at night with LED lights. Booked through their website 2nights before. Upon arrival Brock explained to us the rules. It wasn't a guided tour which my family & I liked. My family loved the experience, the view of the stars at night OMG so BEAUTIFUL & serene. 2 dry bags were included with each canoe, a pump & sponge in the case some water gets in, the best part? water proof jbl speakers!! This was another great reason to enjoy the not guided tour, we blasted our music w/o worry of offending others. If you're looking to do the night experience with LED lights, make sure you state how many canoes you'd like, the price is per person, however I should've made sure to state that my family are all on the heavier side needing canoes to ourselves so we would not need to double up. BUT, it actually worked out because being that it was our kids' first time, they would've needed to go with us anyway to get anywhere on the water lol. Also because its a night time thing, instead of heavy sun protection try bug repellent. My kid & I's LED lights did stop working, Brock was nearby to assure that he'd help us. My kid & I were fine with still traveling through the dark. When we arrived back on land I was surprised with how quick Kaylee (owner) had reached out to apologize for the inconvenience & issued my refund in a timely manner. Definitely going to book an experience again when we return. read more

I rented two single kayaks for 3 hours each. I was super excited for this experience, but it was a little subpar to what I was expecting. Let me start with the customer service after booking. I booked online, their website is full of info and is great! I didn't get a confirmation email, but I did get charged on my card. When I realized this, I sent them an email to confirm my booking and to get the confirmation email. Several weeks went by without a response. I tried calling several times, left a voicemail, and sent a second email. I finally got a reply apologizing for the delay and my given my confirmation email, which had a waiver and additional useful info that I would definitely need prior to my kayak date so I am glad I finally got a reply. The day of, we arrived 20 mins early like the e-mail stated to do. We got a brief tutorial on the equipment. I was pleasantly surprised to see each boat included a dry bag, first aid kit, and a speaker. We paddled out to the boulders and we're in awe of the Tahoe beauty! I will say I was a bit disappointed that you couldn't see out the bottom of the kayaks because of how scratched up they are. This makes sense and is understandable given the rocky shore, but is disappointing. For the price I was expecting clear bottoms you can actually see through. read more

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This review is from 2020. Had an awesome time paddling around and taking photos with the kayaks. As a photographer the owner was flexible with my rental and time to get some epic photos. Super friendly and would definitely use them again! read more

Wild Society - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

We went here because of the famous IG video of the clear kayak and crystal blue water. It's a tiny place located in King's Beach. Parking fee for the park is $10 all day, or you can park for free --outside the park in a small alley which fills up pretty quick. My family rented their clear kayak for two for two hours. We took the 8am slot due to kayaking can vary based on weather and tides. I'm glad we went early because by 11am the water was pretty rowdy. Our kayak was scratched up, but once in water, you can't even notice the scratches. The owner made sure our kayak was ready on time and gave us basic instructions. This is my family's first time kayaking and it was not bad at all for first timers. The lake view was amazing! The water was crystal clear. The clear kayak was a plus. I would highly recommend this place for a family adventure. My kids are 14 yrs old and 13 years old. Tips: Also, I signed up for their newsletter and got a 10% discount towards my rental . read more

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Be sure to read all of the information prior to booking and after booking you do not want to be late! You must arrive 20-30 mins before your reserved time. Depending on where you are coming from give yourself enough time to get there and expect possible delays due to traffic or road construction the area has only a 2 lane highway. The smaller parking lot just east of the meeting spot is free down below the meeting spot is a bigger paid parking lot. There are restrooms near the launch site (smells like urine ewww) but it's there if you need it. The meeting location is just that, a meeting spot to get your instructions and kayak, there is no where to sit. Don't let the waiver intimidate you it's there to protect them "just in case" but really it's such a chill and beautiful experience. Speedboat beach is where they recommend you paddle toward but if you go just a little more past speedboat you will find another set of cool rocked areas. 4 hours allowed us to take our time and have lunch on the beach. read more

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We came out for 4th of July weekend. Make sure you go out very early to find parking, as parking is very limited. Max and Kaiden were so kind to our group. We had 3 little ones with us, and they were very patient, flexible, and answered all of our questions. We had a great time and would return to rent at Wild Society! read more

100% a scam and I'm convinced the "good" reviews and pictures are fake. This company ran with my money. Cancellled without notice and never refunded me. Their phone number is inactive.A YEAR later I receive an email from the "owner" Kaylee Howell. A 5,000 word essay about how she is so sorry she never issued a refund, and that she was "going through a lot at the time"... (b---- we all got problems). Asked if there was anything she could do to make it up to me. I replied, "a refund will suffice." This was 6 months ago and still no refund. Please do a lot of research before booking anything online read more

One of the best.. we truly and highly recommend this. Your lake tahoe experience will not be complete without trying this #ClearCrystalKayak We had an excellent service from the owner and they are very hands on. Looking forward to comeback and do it again.. Just a note: you have to carry the kayak to the water which is a good exercise. read more

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DO NOT rent from this company. We booked clear kayaks and were really looking forward to it, but after reading several other past reviews about poor customer service, not providing refunds, etc. we decided to cancel (well within the 7-day cancellation window) and go with a different company. Sure enough, when we tried to cancel we never got any response back from Wild Society. We tried calling and couldn't reach anyone, just a voice prompt from 2023 (it's 2024 now). Over 2 weeks later and still no refund. We will likely have to file a claim with our credit card company. read more

Rented from Wild Society this past summer and couldn't have asked for better service. The shop was very professional and I already have plans this summer to rent again. Such an amazing view of Tahoe from where we launched. I can't wait to come back!!! read more

Arrived at 8:40 ready for our 9am start time. We had a debrief before heading out and were told to be back an hour before our time ended due to the water / weather conditions. Our time on the kayak was great. Clear kayak was perfect to see the turquoise waters and rocks along our path. We went out about 30 min+ after homes and private areas to a nice rock formation. We decided to head back around 11:30 and it was exactly like the Lady at wild society stated it was definitely getting choppier. We arrived back At 12:15 and the waves were already starting to get white caps. All in all it was a great time and the kayaks give a great view and are super comfortable. Make sure to Listen to the lady as the water gets choppy and it makes it hard to paddle. I would definitely go back as our family enjoyed !!awesome experience! read more

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Definitely worth it . Go all the way out to see the boulders. You can navigate around them pretty easily if the water isn't choppy thankfully it was nice and calm for us. You don't need to take anything with you but water, sunscreen and your camera. We did the 3 hour didn't want to feel rushed but but you can get it done by 2 hours if you move quickly up to boulders . Don't think about it so much and just go. read more

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Very poor management service. Not at all recommended!!! We had booked kayaking with the wild society , but had to cancel it before a week. We had sent email and talked to the representative about the cancellation and we were assured a full refund. We tried to reach out to them over emails, calls, Facebook, and Instagram. But they aren't responding. It's more than 3 weeks now, we haven't gotten our refund. read more

I booked a kayak for my boyfriend and myself on their website and it was so simple! I would highly recommend booking online, spots get reserved fast. Our check in was just as easy as booking, the employee was very helpful and recommended some really cool places to check out while we were out on the water. Our experience on the water was amazing; what can beat a beautiful summer day in Lake Tahoe? I would 10/10 recommend anyone to Wild Society! read more

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Overall my boyfriend and I had a great time back in July! 4 out of 5 because these kayaks are more like canoes, and were much harder to paddle out in, our kayak kept going to the left no matter which direction we paddled! It was also a bit tough rolling our kayak back in on the wheel dolly from the water up to the shop then pulling it to the water, but wasn't too bad! The Owner did inform us that the kayaks would be harder to paddle in, but we struggled, especially coming back in to reach our time limit. She also showed us how to steady the kayak with the dolly for when we were done with our rental. We booked a 3 hour time slot starting at 9am and eventually did paddle out about 30minutes to 1 hour to find the clear water and rocks. We enjoyed it all to ourselves and had some lunch on the rocks. It was awesome being out early on the water, because as the day picks up the boats and jet skis make the water pretty choppy making it even harder to paddle. 3 hours was definitely a good amount of time to get to the clear water/rocks and enjoy it, but if you want to spend more time in the water and relax a bit more, I would suggest a 4 hour or longer rental to make sure you give yourself enough time to get back! We did our best not to scratch the kayaks. The kayaks were pretty clear to look through, and see down below you - rocks and sandy lake floor in some parts of the lake. Very beautiful! We had to wear life jackets the whole time, but we took them off for photos once we were by the clear water and rocks. Website says they offer blue tooth speakers, we weren't offered them, but we didn't need them anyways! So much to hear and see while out on the water, no need for music speaker distractions. They also offer a small dry bag but we had our own. Kayak shop was easy to find, and parking was easy if you get there early!! :) read more

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Highly recommend Wild Society if you're visiting Lake Tahoe! We rented the kayak for 3 hours which is sufficient time to paddle to the boulders and get some nice photos. If you have the time, I would recommend at least 3 to 4 hours. The weather was beautiful! The water was clear! The owner was really friendly and knowledgeable about the best spots for great photos. I will definitely come back to this place on my next trip back to Tahoe. read more

Wild Society - Clear bottom kayak. Lake Tahoe - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

Had plans to go to Lake Tahoe with some friends for the weekend. We booked 2 clear bottom kayaks for 200$+ each. Unfortunately a massive wildfire started and the air quality was hazardous on the Friday we had them booked. Attempted to call wild society to inform that we had to cancel our trip due to the unsafe conditions. I was unable to get ahold of anyone, get a call back, or get a refund. I checked their website and they do state that they have a strict no refund policy. Obviously that's there to keep people from cancelling when they could of reserved it for someone else. It's ridiculous that you can't get any sort of refund, let alone speak to anyone. Maybe the conditions were so bad that nobody went into work? Attached is the copy of the air quality for our date we had planned. I expect to deal with shady companies that try to rip off tourist at a lot of vacation destinations. I did not expect to have to deal with it at Lake Tahoe. Enjoy the free 450$ read more

Wild Society - Lake Tahoe air quality on day of rental. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

DO NOT waste your TIME and SAFETY on this overpriced, falsely-advertised "excursion." The photos you see advertised are either heavily photoshopped or from an unreachable location. The boats you see are in reality scratched and some not fit as a watercraft. Having a background in recreation, I would even argue it is dangerous. Furthermore, it is well-known you will end up waiting 30 minutes before a staff shows up. They will kindly let you know in their "safety" speech that if something bad happens, don't call them for help. I'm suprised they haven't been sued - but just look at their liability waiver. It's disgusting. This place is better listed as a cheap clothing boutique and should not be dabbling in recreation. read more

Overpaid by so much...plus it's not a kayak, it's a canoe! I've been kayaking many times before today and this is the first time I feel ripped off. Here are my issues with renting from this place. 1. You are not rowing in a kayak, you are rowing in a canoe. This is not mentioned anywhere on the website or any documentation at all. They tell you this info while instructing you how to use the canoe. The instructor even said is as a half-joke (seriously). My main issue with this is that they give you kayak paddles an overly wide boat. You are stuck hitting your paddle against the sides the entire time without gaining much momentum or speed. If you want to row a kayak, go rent an actual kayak elsewhere. 2. The main benefit of renting the clear 'kayak' is to see the beneath the vessel and see what's on the lake floor. This gimmick wears off SUPER fast. After about 5 minutes you realize all that's at the bottom of the lake is rocks and sand. That and you cant just look over the side of your boat and see the same thing. Plus, your canoe will get lots of water in it (because of the weird paddle situation) so you won't be able to see through it after the first 15 minutes (if that). They realize that getting water in the boat is so bad that they provide TWO! different ways to remove the water from the bottom of the boat. Both of which don't work effectively what-so-ever. 3. The instructions for arrival are extremely strict to the point where it's annoying. It feels like reading a syllabus from an out-of-touch professor. They should just make the reservations start 30 minutes earlier to avoid having to warn people over and over to arrive early. My friends and I didn't miss our reservation BTW, this is just my observation. 4. The route they advise you to takes you along the coastline of private beaches and lakeside houses. Not scenic at all like the photos shown on Yelp or their website. I don't understand how anyone could have fun on this route... 5. It's VERY expensive for what it is. We found another kayak rental place that is probably 500 ft away that rents out REAL kayaks for $25/hour. Much more reasonably priced. Plus, it's an actual kayak! What an absolute waste of money and time. Please save your money and go rent kayaks at the neighbouring business. You won't have a clear bottom boat (read #2), but you'll be saving tons of money, and have a much nicer experience. read more

Online reservations issue where the site wouldn't take a promo code that I had for 15% off. Once we arrived, one person was working and although courteous and friendly, he was overwhelmed running the operation by himself. There were 3 other parties there besides us and he was juggling to get us all set up to leave for our reservations on time. Life vests he gave us were wet from previous people who had just used them. The biggest issue was that these were not kayaks but canoes. Also the clear bottom canoes we're all scratched up that we couldn't see anything. The employee even told us this is the last day we are going to be using these "kayaks" as they are too scuffed up. We feel we should have been given a 50% discount for having given us no clear canoes. We paid $108 per canoe for single and $120 for tandem. Not worth the money. read more

The reservation process is terrible! I tried for a week to book a kayak and when you click on a time nothing is available. It says to download an app to get on the airing list. That app then says you'll be sent a code from Wild Society to register. Never received it so I emailed, no response for days. I called a couple times and nobody called back. read more

Awesome experience here at Wild Society. Staff very friendly and helpful. We got the 2 hour double clear kayak rental and was pleased with the amount of time we chose to view the beautiful views of the beautiful Lake Tahoe and its clear beautiful water. Double kayak was a good idea I think. Two people paddling can get somewhere a lot faster my opinion. Definitely a workout. Take snacks and water. Wish I had binoculars. Views are breathtaking and all worth it!! Will be back again!! Thank you for your business. read more

Wild Society - Beautiful views - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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It was my first time to Lake Tahoe with a bunch of friends. Decided to book with Wild Society and paid the overpriced amount of $211.00. Upon our arrival there were no staff in sight. The reservation was for 9am however we did not get started until 9:45am. The kayaks were all scratched up and we received a water proof bag that was dirty on the inside and filled with water. They also provide sponges that smelled terrible and were already wet. They also don't tell you that you would have to lug your kayak to the dock. When you're paying over $200.00 you'd expect better gear and better service. Please also be prepared to get very wet because a lot of water will get into your kayak. If it weren't for the great company I had I would've given Wild Society one star. All of my friends were exhausted and completely wet from the experience. Also, I should mention that when you come back to the dock you'd need to lug your kayak back to the boutique while you're exhausted, cold, and drenched. The website is a catfish so be wary. Hopefully in the near future Wild Society can purchase better kayaks and hire more staff to help customers with lugging kayaks to and from the dock. There is so much potential. Overall I loved being with my friends and would choose a different company with better quality kayaks that are clean and well taken care of. It isn't worth the price and you will be very underwhelmed. read more

Always an amazing adventure on beautiful Lake Tahoe! This time we were a group of 6, and our visitor from Japan was blown away. Max gave us a great briefing with tips on cool places to check out. Definitely the thing to do if you want to impress your out-of-town guests. Thanks again for terrific customer service and a great experience! read more

I signed up for 2 single kayak's on Saturday July 30, 2022, when my wife and I got there they were overbooked with kayaks. We elected to make the single kayak a double and were promised a $40 refund (the difference between a double and a single). I send them an email and received no response for a week. I would not trust this company. read more

This was the highlight of my summer! My husband and I had a blast. We made it to sand harbor which is the best place to take *that photo*. Their staff made us feel safe with the tools provided in case if something happened out there. They also provided a Bluetooth speaker so we played our music out there on the water and it was a whole vibe. I would definitely recommend this if you are considering it just do it! The scenery is incredible, you're supporting a small business, you won't regret it :) read more

Wild Society - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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Wish I could have left 5 stars but pics were a bit misleading.... Owner is as sweet as can be! We've Kayaked before but this was much different as it is much wider, not as easy to maneuver. We were told to paddle out 30 min to see those turquoise waters, paddled out for an hour, stopping a little here and there, never made it. Either way, bottom of kayas are not very clear, maybe due to scuffs? Overall it was a pretty neat experience, water was still beautiful. We went at 9am and it was pretty peaceful, not a lot of boaters. read more

I'm not going to delete my original post. It has now been THREE WEEKS, multiple emails, approximately 26 phone calls (23 of which went unanswered because they "didn't have voice mail set up"), 3 phone messages, and I have not heard A SINGLE THING. I have NOT received a refund, and NO ONE has contacted me. Honestly, at this point if I lose my 300+ dollar reservation (which I attempted to cancel well before their "one week" cancellation window), it will be worth it to just warn you all to go elsewhere. This lack of customer service is appalling and unacceptable. It would be one thing if I were just trying to contact someone to make a reservation, but the fact that they HAVE NOT REFUNDED my money after weeks of effort on my end is just unethical. read more

I highly recommend this for people of all ages. Such a great experience and it's pretty easy to maneuver through the water even if it's your first time. We rented the kayaks for two hours and that was the perfect amount of time. Kaylee was super helpful and sweet! We will definitely be back! read more

Wild Society - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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