Mammoth Cave Canoe & Kayak provided shuttle service and one rental kayak for my party of eight this past weekend for our overnight trip down the Green River from Dennison's to Houchin's Ferry. They charged $80 to rent the worst kayak I have seen. It had absolutely no space for storage in the hull unless your keep your bags between your feet. We were told over the phone that a cargo net would be provided for the shelf on the back of the kayak but there was none to be seen when the shuttle driver arrived. Fortunately we had our own straps to tie camping gear down or we would have been in a tough spot. Beyond the poor quality of the gear, I feel that we were overcharged for the shuttle service. $50 per person for a one-way shuttle, about 40 minutes of driving. What makes things worse is one person called to add himself to our existing reservation and he was initially told the price would be $35 only to have that retracted since the rest of the group had already been quoted a higher price. (What do you call the opposite of a group discount?) Unfortunately we did not find out about that until day 2 of the trip or we would have gone with another outfitter.On top of that, the driver did not have any recommendations, advice, or anything helpful to say about the park. The river was great, but we will work with someone else for our next visit.
We took the Niagra Falls tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and the tour was very easy on the legs for folks that cannot get around well. The website says its a 1.25 hour tour, but I think that includes the bus drive to the site because I don't think we were in the cave that long. If you are looking for an easy "hike", this is the tour for you. If not, you may want to consider other tours. Their gift shop had a lot of KY and USA items. They had a few "Made in China" items but was glad to see that KY artists were well represented.
We just completed a 7.5 mile trip down the Green River and were not disappointed. We called earlier in the week for reservations. They have canoes, Sit-on and Sit-on Kayaks as well as canoes. The drivers know the area well and have lived there for years. The Sit-On Kayaks are Jackson Riviera Kayaks. The Sit-In Kayaks are small for 1 person day trips. We rented 2 Sit-On Kayaks and had plenty of room for a small cooler and pack for food. The river has a slight current but no whitewater. Currents often depend on the weather and rainfall. Call in advance for questions and reservations. We paid $84.00 for 2 Kayaks. Bring bungees to tie things down in the Kayak and Canoes. We parked right next to the building. Vans and trucks are in great shape.
This is a decent operation which runs trips inside Mammoth Cave National Park. They are located right inside the NP boundary near Cave City and provide canoe and kayak rental with drop off and pick up. Our driver assisted us with getting the canoe down the steep steps to the put-in site near Dennison Ferry and dragging it up the ramp at the Green River Ferry take out. We canoed down the Green River through the middle of Mammoth Cave NP and it was beautiful. Even though there had been a substantial rain the night before the river was a pleasant ride. We saw several titles, birds and dragonflies. A beautiful fog fell across the river near cool spring inlets. There were several islands one could stop and take a break on and a cave.It would have been nice to have a more detailed map of the river, including its islands, cave, and mile markers to help gage the journey and enjoy the features. It's the one thing missing. Our canoe and PFDs were in good shape and the van was there to pick us up at the end. Instead of set departure times, you can show up whenever you want within put-in hours, and this is one reason why we chose this outfitter over others. The other reason was that the lady who answered the phone was much friendlier and helpful than other places. I would recommend this outfitter.
Show up early and take your time. It is a great expreince for the whole family. Children should be swim age. I have all girls and the range from 9 to 16 and they had a blast. Pack snacks or picnic lunch and plenty of cold drinks. Look for the caves to kayak or canoe up into. Relax and enjoy.
The kayak trip was fun. We took the shorter trip(3-4 hours). I was with my 9 and 13 year old sons and wife. We got tandem kayaks. I have to admit I was rushed. We arrived with a bunch of other groups that decided after the morning thunderstorm the weather looked good. As soon as I paid we were in a convoy to drop off our vehicles and jump in their van for the trip to the drop off site. We still had to use the outhouse, put on sunscreen, bug spray, and gather our rain gear and water. They were waiting on us. With the children this made me feel rushed, like it was a chore to drop us off and get back to make more money. My son's Kayak had no foot pedals. Equipment could have been better kept. However, once on river it was fun.
The staff was very friendly and helpful. Our time on the river was enjoyable. The only drawback was having to wait to be taken back to our car. The parking lot where the trip ends is no longer used by this canoe service. Would recommend.
We did not do any canoe or kayaking. Just stopped in for info and did some shopping. Really fun lady runs this place. Hope I can get there again some day just to hang out.
Called ahead about renting a kayak and getting shuttle service for our kayak; the woman I talked to was very helpful. Stopped by the next morning and got a kayak for the Dennison to Green River ferry trip. The information they provided about the river and the time it would take were accurate. I had to wait a little while because a large group arrived right behind me, but the guys worked quickly to get everything loaded, and they made sure I got launched first at Dennison's since I had been waiting a while. The driver was friendly and knowledeable about the area, and they were at Green River ferry right when I got there. The equipment was all in good condition, too; I highly recommend this company.
We did two 2 hour tours while here. The guides are great and so was the experience. The only draw back is some of the tours have been cut due to funding.