Oscoda Canoe Rental
Oscoda Canoe Rental
4.7
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Oscoda Canoe Rental
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.7
22 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Marjorie
Northville, MI7 contributions
Sept 2022
Enjoy the beauty and wildlife of the pristine Au Sable River. You can make this trip as vigorous as you like, but I recommend taking your time and enjoying the scenic beauty. This should be spectacular in the fall when the leaves are changing. A good change of pace from laying on the beach and having fun in the sun.
Written 11 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
evansmcgowan
Ann Arbor, MI46 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Of the 3 canoe/kayak rentals, this was the only place open apparently the week before Memorial Day Weekend. The other outfits didn't answer or return my phone inquiry. That being said, these guys were great. They hooked us up with a tandem canoe for $45 all paddles and flotation devices included (seems to be the standard price) and drove us out to Foote Dam for the 4-hour paddle (we did it in about 3+ hours with one person paddling the entire time). There was not much instruction given, except that after we went under the RR bridge it was about ten minutes until the next bridge, which is River Road and the pullout/rental place. They said to simply leave the stuff on the lawn regardless of whether they were there or not.
Note: While the 4-hour / 12 mile paddle is long, I'd recommend it over the 2 hour / 6 mile paddle if you have the time and enjoy being on the river, as it's more scenic and less exposed the first 2 hours. Saturdays in the summer are extremely busy and can be "a party" with all of the tubers. Pretty much any other day should be fine for some peace and quiet we were told. We went the Thursday before Memorial Day and saw about 15+ fishermen on the banks and about 10+ boats on the river.
After we hit the railroad bridge near the end, the wind really kicked in and a less experienced couple flipped. They floated with the canoe all the way down to the pullout point but didn't try to get over to the bank. Someone called 911 and the company employees came out to rescue them... essentially telling them to swim to the bank and they got the canoe later downstream. Apparently, there was a police car and ambulance. Everyone was fine in the end, but do ask about conditions when you go out. If you have a decent amount of paddling experiencing (you know what a J-hook is and how to use the paddle as a rudder so that you face upwind and don't get turned sideways) you'll be fine. There were very few obstacles in the river and the wind was mostly not a factor until the end. However, the river was high and later on in the summer I'm sure there'll be more rocks, stumps, etc. exposed.
Note: While the 4-hour / 12 mile paddle is long, I'd recommend it over the 2 hour / 6 mile paddle if you have the time and enjoy being on the river, as it's more scenic and less exposed the first 2 hours. Saturdays in the summer are extremely busy and can be "a party" with all of the tubers. Pretty much any other day should be fine for some peace and quiet we were told. We went the Thursday before Memorial Day and saw about 15+ fishermen on the banks and about 10+ boats on the river.
After we hit the railroad bridge near the end, the wind really kicked in and a less experienced couple flipped. They floated with the canoe all the way down to the pullout point but didn't try to get over to the bank. Someone called 911 and the company employees came out to rescue them... essentially telling them to swim to the bank and they got the canoe later downstream. Apparently, there was a police car and ambulance. Everyone was fine in the end, but do ask about conditions when you go out. If you have a decent amount of paddling experiencing (you know what a J-hook is and how to use the paddle as a rudder so that you face upwind and don't get turned sideways) you'll be fine. There were very few obstacles in the river and the wind was mostly not a factor until the end. However, the river was high and later on in the summer I'm sure there'll be more rocks, stumps, etc. exposed.
Written 27 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M1461DXjamesk
Oscoda, MI7 contributions
Aug 2016
Oscoda Canoe Rental offers all day or half day trips for canoers, tubers, and kayaks on the lower AuSable River. The trip is pristine and undeveloped with several great places to stop and relax. The water is clear, clean, and pretty easy to navigate. The current is stong enough to move you along on a lazy tour, but not too fast to be difficult. The staff is friendly and offers great transportation to your starting site.
Written 18 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
abbeyg1220
Oxford, MI2 contributions
Sept 2018
Went on a Friday. Didn’t need a reservation because it was a weekday but the man said that the next day was booked solid so definitely make a reservation for the weekend. We were driven to a spot on the river in the state park. We received just about no instruction from the boy who drove us. We had a great relaxing time on the river. When we got back to the canoe rental place, there was a boy up on the shore mending to the kayaks. We were forced to get out all by ourselves with no assistance from him! I did not appreciate how we received no instruction on how to use the kayaks. I also did not appreciate how we received no help getting out of the kayaks! I wouldn’t go here again.
Written 3 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marsha228
Dallas, TX17 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
A great time was had by all. The river current was steady but gentle. The weather was spectacular and the scenery was picturesque. We enjoyed stopping at sandy beaches along the route for lazy soaks. The staff was nice, but truly one doesn’t require much guidance on this trip.
Written 2 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle B-G
Oxford, MI33 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
We rented 3 canoes and 3 Kayaks. There were 12 of us. Plenty of life jackets and flotation seats were available. We had a SNAFU on the river. They very understanding. This place is a bit up from the mouth of the river. Easy paddle, some of the other places closer to the mouth are harder to paddle back to due to the current from the lake. Two thumbs up for Oscoda Canoe Rental.
Written 24 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
asruss0
Atlanta, GA2 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
One of our tubes deflated during the excursion and the wind changed because a storm was coming. We called the office for assistance and they said they could not come get us. Instead they told us to try and get to the other side of the river and walk the rest of the way along the bank. We did make it to the other side right as the thunder and lightning hit. We had no choice but to walk in the muck and reeds during the storm....hoping lightning did not hit the trees or water around us. One of the people in our group cut her foot on something in the muck. When we finally got to the shore, NO ONE came out to assist. We left the deflated tube on the shore along with the other tubes and got to the safety of our cars and first aid kit. All of us were exhausted trying extra hard to get us to the end as quickly as possible. Why would you not have a way to retrieve tubers/canoers/kayakers in distress...especially in treacherous weather? Seems like poor business planning to me! I will never go to nor recommend Oscoda Canoe Rental!
Written 10 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa V
4 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
Never had a bad experience with Oscoda Canoe Rental. They are always professional, nice, and very friendly. This past year we bought our own Kayaks and they were willing to take our Kayaks as well as ourselves to the drop off point. Have used them almost 20 years now and would not go anywhere else!
Written 1 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will_Shank
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada23 contributions
Sept 2015
We highly recommend Oscoda Canoe Rental. They have everything you need. They took us to the Foote Dam and we paddled downstream to our starting point. It was a leisurely paddle. My wife and I are both 60-plus and we hadn't been in a canoe for a couple years. The reason I'm telling you that is because we were able to make the trip in much less time than we had heard it would take and so can you. Take the longer trip option. You'll enjoy it. One word of warning: when you put in at the Foote location, do not aim for the right-most opening under that first bridge. There was a log that we did not see until too late and we got briefly hung up on it. After that it was lovely smooth paddling.
Written 28 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cam8880
Jensen Beach, FL504 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
What Fun! We had a large group for a birthday party and Oscoda Canoes put us all into kayaks without a hitch. Some of us wanted doubles, some wanted singles and we all wanted to do it easily. They took us upriver, put in the kayaks off the trailers, gave us some instructions, life vests and paddles and said to have a good time. Boy, we sure did! The river is gorgeous and for the most part a fairly easy paddle. We want to return with the fall colors. You can buy water at the rental house if you forgot it. Have a Blast!
Written 16 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emily202014
Burton, Michigan
What is the weight limit for the canoes and kayaks? and which ones are for two people?
Written 9 August 2016
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